The Rose Hair Tarantula

Rose hair tarantulas are one of the most popular pet spiders due to their unique and attractive color and calm temperament. They are also much cheaper in price than other species of tarantulas. Despite its popularity, it is a still a spider, and great care needs to be taken when taking them on as pets. Ensure that you know how to properly care for it prior to purchasing this spider as a pet.

  1. Rose Hair Tarantula Background

    • This species of tarantulas are native to South America: Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. They enjoy the warm climate and are used to humidity. These spiders are nomadic and nocturnal. They live in burrows for shelter and hunt for prey at night. This spider species takes up to four years to reach maturity, and it has a 5-inch leg span. It is covered in hairs, ranging in color from dark brown to reddish orange to pink, thus inspiring the name.

    Housing

    • Rose hair tarantulas are low maintenance and do not require a huge space to inhabit. They should be kept in a well-sealed, well-ventilated enclosure. A glass terrarium works well; an adequate size could range from 2 to 5 gallons. Since tarantulas are nocturnal, they do not require lighting. The lighting might also suck out the moisture from the enclosure, and this particular species needs to have adequate humidity. Rose hair tarantulas prefer the heat and flourish in an environment that is at or slightly above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live somewhere colder, provide a heat pad inside the tank. Your tarantula will need a substrate that has enough moisture to hold up a burrow; sandy soil, peat moss, orchid bark and bed-a-moss are all fine choices. You can monitor humidity levels by keeping an eye on the substrate. The moisture levels will be fine so long as the substrate remains moist. You can mist the entire enclosure with water every few days to ensure proper moisture levels of at least 70 percent.

    Rose Hair Tarantula Nutrition and Diet

    • This species of tarantula enjoys a diet of crickets; feed it four to five crickets per week. Feed the crickets fruits and vegetables prior to feeding them to the tarantula. Some adult tarantulas eat mice, and this is a meal that will keep your tarantula full and satisfied for a few weeks. It is best if the mouse is pre-killed as you do not want to risk the chance of the mouse inflicting a wound on your tarantula. Provide your tarantula with a water dish filled with cotton so that it can suck up the liquid. Do not let the cotton dry out and replace it so it is constantly clean.

    Handling

    • You should always take precautions when dealing with tarantulas. The rose hair tarantula is one of the spiders with a calmer temperate; however, exercise caution when handling. These spiders are still venomous, and you have no idea how your body will react to a bite. These spiders are also very delicate because their skeletons are on the outside of their bodies. If they fall even a couple of inches, they can split their exoskeleton open and die.