Should you get a tarantula as a pet? What are the different types of tarantulas?
Tarantulas are actually great pets to have. They are low maintenance, and you can learn a lot from them. If you're looking for a pet to cuddle with or a pet you take for a walk, you'll want to look elsewhere.
Are tarantulas good pets?
One thing you need to remember is that all tarantulas are venomous. You can be injured by a spider bite. You need to be aware of that fact at all times. So, tarantulas are not for everyone. If you are bitten by a tarantula, you need to talk with your medical practitioner.
The care for tarantulas is generally fairly simple. These methods work for terrestrial forms of tarantulas. Once you build their simple home out of a shoebox or a 20-gallon aquarium and give them dirt in which to burrow, their care is simple. Just make sure their temperature gradient remains high at about 80 degrees and mist their homes once a week to provide humidity. You also need to make sure the top of their home is secured tightly so they won't escaped.
What kinds are there?
Certain tarantula types are better for beginners than others are. You likely want to get a female tarantula because they live longer and are just as easy to care for, and they cost the same as males. Here are some of the best tarantulas for beginning tarantula owners.
- Grammastola rosea or Chilean Flame or Rose. These spiders are very mild and easy to handle. Males of this breed tend to be more aggressive.
- Grammastola cala or Chilean Common. These are no considered to be of the same species as the above breed. However, these spiders are more difficult to find.
- Brachypelma emilia or Mexican Red Legan.
- Grammastola pulchra or Brazilian Black Tarantula. These tarantulas are gentle and they can grow to be fairly large in size.
- Aphonopelma chalocodes or Mexican Blonde.