How do u care for a pink toe tarantula?

Question

I want to get a pink toed tarantula but i want to know the proper care for them. What kind of cage they need, their food, etc. I also need to know the general cost of everything.

Answer 1

i would squish it.

Answer 2

They will need a cage with more height than width, since pinktoes are arboreal (tree climbing).  You can modify a 10 gal to stand on it's side or get a tall kritter keeper cheaply.  I would recommend going to  tarantulacages.com, which has cages specifically made for arboreal tarantulas using acryllic plastic that look very nice, have locking hinged lids instead of snapping lids, and hold moisture pretty well.  These cages run 56$.

http://www.tarantulacages.com/arboreal.h...

You will need to add about 1" of bedding, either bed-a-beast coco fiber, peat moss, or organic potting soil will do (make sure the potting soil does not have any artificial fertilizers or pesticides).  You will also need something at the back of the cage for the spider to climb on.  A strip of cork bark or a small clean log (making sure there are no pests such as mites or ants in it) would work nicely, but cardboard will do.  If you want to use anything found outside, be sure to bake it for a few min to kill any pests that could be inside.

Water can be difficult to give to an arboreal species, since they don't go on the ground often, so a water dish might not work.  They like to suck water off of surfaces such as leaves in the wild.  I have seen people hotglue bottlecaps to the side of the cage next to the bark the spider climbs on for water, and that will work pretty well.  You can use an eyedropper to refill the caps when needed.

I would also suggest getting a hydrometer and a spray bottle, because pinktoes are also a tropical species, so they like high humidity (75-80%).  Spray the bedding to moisten it and that should keep the humidity up.  If it doesn't cover up some of the vent ports, but you will need to leave some or your going to get mold quickly.

Feeding would be mainly crickets, and you can get feeder crickets at petco, petsmart, or even the crickets from a baitshop will do.  I don't recommend feeding the spider anything caught outside, as it might contain parasites or pesticides.  Feeder crickets usually cost around a dollar for a dozen.

Overall, total cost for housing could be anywhere between 20-30$ to 100+$, depending on how you want to do it.  Most places I see charge 30-40 dollars for subadult pinktoes, with adults being more expensive.

Pinktoes are a pretty good beginner species, once you understand how to take care of arboreal tarantulas.  They are docile, but tend to get jumpy when startled.  Be very careful when handling, because they are prone to jump off when startled and a fall of 16 inches onto a hard floor could prove fatal to the spider.  Another interesting thing about pinktoes, is that, as a means of defense, they may shoot excrement at you when startled.  In the wild this would surprise a would-be attacker long enough for the tarantula to escape, but isn't dangerous to you unless it gets in they eyes, in which case it could cause irritation.

*Added* - Thanks for the kudos spiderjane.  I have never met him but the only book I might recommend over it to a beginner is "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide" by Stan and Marguerite Schultz, as it is even more informative, but can be too much for some beginners.

Answer 3

Hi!! Judging be their reputation very very carefully i should imagine.

Just in case learn the dance [tarantella] it might come in useful  one or these days.

Go for a pink eyed chinchilla instead,lovely, cuddly animal, likes being fondled, no trouble to look after.  

  

Answer 4

My pinktoe spiderlings i keep in tall rearing pots/plastic jars with plenty of ventilation and plenty of fake plants for hides, but once larger there being placed in a Glass Display Terrarium

Arboreal 30x30x45cm with the foam background and plenty of branches and plants as hight is very inportant than space.

My spiderlings eat silent micro/small browns/silk worms and some of my smaller spiderlings eat a cricket leg or better known as cricket brumstick.

Take a look at my spiders give you a little idea on rearing for a spiderling  Arboreal such as Pintoes.

Also there are other pics of my Terrestrial/Burrowing Spiders/Tarantulas

If it's a beginner spider your looking for there are the top 6 which are

1) Brazilian Black - Grammostola pulchra

2) Mexican red knee - Brachypelma smithi

3) Chilean Common - Grammostola Rosea, Chilean rose, Grammostola cala

4) Pink zebra beauty - Eupalaestrus tenuitarsus

5) Pinktoe - Avicularia avicularia

6) Curly Hair - Brachypelma albopilosum

My spider pics http://www.flickr.com/whallj

My care sheet on various beginner spiders setup for my top 6 at

Spiders for a Novice - Part 1 & 2

http://www.petstreet.co.uk/factsheet/

And good look  

Answer 5

Pink toed tarantulas, Avicularia sp., are an arboreal spider. Not really the top choice for pet tarantulas, unless you're an advanced hobbyist.

For an adult spider: A ten gal. glass aquarium, set up vertically,with a secure fitting screen lid (with clamps to ensure no escapes) would be fine. Pink toes need higher humidity (50% at least) so you would want to partially cover part of the screen lid, but still allow for good ventilation. As for cage props, sturdy pieces of cork bark, wedged up against the glass will provide security for the spider. Alot of the times, the arboreal species will spin webs around the tops of the lids making it tricky to service the cage. Fresh water in a shallow container should be provided at all times, along with a daily fine mist of distilled or springwater. Feed 3-4 adult house crickets every 5-7 days and if you leave the crickets in the cage make sure there is a piece of apple for them to chew on instead of your spider.

For more information please check link below.

Personally, I would recommend a terrestrial tarantula, captive hatched of course, like the Red-kneed tarantula, Brachypelma smithi. Less high maintenance and easier to view. If you get a female, be prepared for a lifespan of 25+ yrs., which is quite a commitment.

Depending on what spider species you choose, you're looking at spending $150- 250. USD. for everything. (Including the spider)

Edit: Todd's answer is excellent. The book by Sam Marshall is a great recommendation. Sam was a mentor of mine, and really knows his stuff big time. Good luck! :)

Answer 6

http://www.atshq.org/articles/found.html

http://www.giantspiders.com/

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.tarantu...