How Often Should You Feed a Red Knee Tarantula?

The Mexican Red Knee Tarantula is a nocturnal spider that is threatened in its natural habitat of the coastal Mexican scrublands and areas of Panama. The spider is a popular pet because of its peaceful nature and the ease of care, with feedings required up to twice per week in captivity, according to The Tarantula Guide.

  1. Tarantula

    • The Red Knee Tarantula is a spider that grows to between 5 and 6 inches. The female of the species is usually larger than the male and survives for a longer lifespan of up to 30 years. The Red Knee Tarantula has two front legs that are used to hold its prey while it feeds, and the other six legs are used for walking. When a Mexican Red Knee Tarantula loses a leg, a replacement leg grows back over a period of around 7 years. The vision of the spider is poor despite the eight eyes that are positioned around the head of the spider; because of this, the hairs of the legs of the spider are used to guide the animal.

    Diet

    • Red Knee Tarantulas are carnivorous. In the wild, their diet consists of frogs, small birds, insects, other spiders and mice. When the Red Knee Tarantula captures one of these creatures, it injects it with a venom from fangs within its mouth, The Big Zoo reports. The Red Knee Tarantula does not have the ability to digest solid food and so the injected venom also liquefies the prey. This allows the spider to suck the liquefied animal into its stomach to provide nourishment. In captivity, the twice weekly feedings can include crickets, mealworms and waxworms.

    Captivity

    • In their natural habitat, Red Knee Tarantulas are burrowing spiders which live alone in burrows lined with silk. When held in captivity, a Red Knee Tarantula must have adequate room to move around, usually in a screen topped 5 to 10 gallon aquarium with an area that allows the spider to hide from view to replicate its nocturnal environment. When threatened, within a natural or captive environment, the Red Knee Tarantula rears up and bears its mouth and the red hairs of its body.

    Breeding

    • As solitary creatures, Red Knee Tarantulas breed on an annual basis, laying over 400 eggs each year between July and September, The Big Zoo reports. After breeding, the female spider often eats the smaller male before laying the eggs in a silk cocoon. After hatching from their eggs, the offspring of the Red Knee Tarantula live with the mother for 2 to 3 weeks before moving out of the mother's territory to create their own burrows.