Keeping spiders at home: choosing a pet and arranging a terrarium

House spider tarantula for beginners

As a rule, large spiders are found in the tropics, where the climate is constantly warm and humid. Some species prefer to live in the ground, where they build entire labyrinths, as well as in trees, constructing huge trapping nets. Often, the habitat of some species depends on age: at a young age they are found in the thickness of the earth, and as they grow older they move to trees or plants.

It is important to know! When keeping the tarantula spider at home, conditions should be created that are close to natural. To do this, before purchasing it, you need to study the features of the environment in which they prefer to live. If this is not done, the animal will quickly die from stress.

You should always remember that these spiders are poisonous, despite the fact that they have a peaceful nature and do not show aggression. For beginners, we can recommend the following types:

• Brachypelma Albopilosum (Brachipelma Albopilosum) leads a terrestrial way of life and is distinguished by the most calm behavior. The body size, which has a pinkish-brownish color, reaches about 16 cm. The spider bites painfully, but its bite does not pose a danger to humans. Females can live about 20 years, while males live only 3 years. It is unpretentious in care, and the diet is based on small insects. Can weave a web, although not a large one.
• Avicularia Versicolor prefers to live in trees. Adults are distinguished by their bright colors, with a predominance of blue-blue tones. The body length is about 5 cm, and together with the paws - 16 cm. It weaves a huge web, making a hole out of it for itself and securing it under the ceiling of the terrarium. It leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and during the daytime it stays in its shelter. It moves quite quickly, so it is very difficult to catch it. Females can live for about 8 years, while males can live for only a couple of years. Although the spider is poisonous, its poison is not dangerous to humans. You can pick up the spider without any problems, since its hairs do not contain toxic components.

For professionals, the species “Lasiodora Parahybana”, “Grammostola”, “Acanthoscurria” are suitable. The Goliath tarantula is considered a real decoration of any collection, and is also one of the most beautiful spiders in the world. Reaches a length of about 28 centimeters.

Life expectancy of a spider at home

The average life expectancy of an exotic pet in captivity can vary greatly depending on the species and compliance with the rules of keeping:

• acanthosсurria antillensis – about 20 years;
• chromatоrelma сyanеоrubеsсens – males live on average 3-4 years, and females – up to 15 years;
• tiger spider – up to 10 years;
• redback spider – 2-3 years;
• Argiope vulgaris – no more than a year.

The female tarantula Ahonopelma, whose average lifespan is three decades, are deservedly among the longest-livers among spiders.

Also, record holders for life expectancy include some species of spiders from the family of tarantulas, which are capable of living in captivity for a quarter of a century, and sometimes more.

Choosing a pet

Since the role of a pet must certainly be a bright, eye-catching specimen, accordingly, the option with our practically “native” haymaker spider immediately fades into the background. And why disturb the cute eight-legged “neighbor” by driving him into a terrarium, besides, these creatures are already domestic and probably huddle in one (in most cases, several) of the cozy corners of your house. We’ll leave them there, and for home keeping we’ll choose someone nicer, for example, a tarantula. By the way, representatives of this particular species are the most common and popular spiders for home keeping. And there are several reasons for this:

• firstly, they are very beautiful - bright colors, large sizes, shaggy body;
• secondly, it reproduces well in captivity and, accordingly, is amenable to breeding;
• thirdly, it lives relatively long;
• fourthly, this species includes several hundred subspecies, which opens up a huge selection.

On a note! The venom of a tarantula spider is not fatal for an adult healthy person, but for other pets its bite can be fatal, for example, for cats, dogs, etc. In addition, tarantula venom can seriously undermine the health of a small child and a person with allergies!

However, tarantula spiders are far from the only representatives of their order that are chosen for home keeping. In addition to them, wolf spiders, often tarantulas, cross spiders and even baby jumping spiders are also in demand.

Criterias of choice

Having come to a pet store, say, for a kitten, we roughly understand what requirements to put forward for it: clean eyes, ears, a wet nose, etc. But what about the spider? What parameters should this creature advise?

So, let's examine the spider we like. It should be:

1. Active. If it is absolutely immobile for a long time or moves very slowly, then most likely this specimen is sick.
2. Healthy. The health of a spider is indicated by the state of its abdomen: when dehydrated, it becomes wrinkled; in a healthy arachnid, on the contrary, it is even and smooth. You should also pay attention to the condition of the hairs in this area - in a sick spider they will be of unequal size and combed in places.
   

   On a note! When a spider is disturbed by painful sensations, it scratches its abdomen with its hind legs, tearing off some of the fibers!

3. Small. A spider of particularly large size may turn out to be old, therefore, it will not illuminate your life with its presence for long. Also, remember that males are always slightly smaller than females.
4. No visible damage to the body. However, here one should take into account the fact that some types of spiders may have broken off limbs that grow back after molting.

Pet spider: advantages and disadvantages

Before bringing an exotic pet into your home, you need to think carefully about everything. It has its pros and cons.

Positive:

• care will not take much time;
• the content is simple;
• the animal is calm and silent;
• do not cause allergies;
• the exotic will undoubtedly surprise;
• It's funny to watch him.

Negative:

• risky, may bite or escape;
• may not live long;
• not manual;
• can inspire horror;
• cannot be trained.

Types of domestic tarantula spiders

1. White-haired tarantula.
2. Giant tarantula.
3. Bicolor tarantula.
4. Mexican red-legged tarantula.
5. Striped tarantula.
6. Horned tarantula.
7. Blue tarantula.
8. Chrome tarantula.

White-haired tarantula

Adult body: 7 cm

Length of residence: Female - 12 years; male - 3 years.

Natural Lifestyle: The white-haired tarantula is one of the calm species, freely allowing itself to be handled. Avoid close contact only with hungry spiders to avoid being bitten. The spider inhabitant of tropical forests lives in a dug hole in the roots of trees.

Protection: Sticks out the chest and throws out hairs from the abdomen, which, if they get on the mucous membrane of the eyes or the surface of the skin, cause discomfort.

Keeping at home: Tarantulas should be kept in a glass or plastic container with a volume of at least 5 liters. The terrarium must be closed, as spiders move well on the glass surface.

Vermiculite, lichen, pine sawdust, and sphagnum moss are suitable as bedding. Pieces of bark or coconut shells should be added to the litter to create a burrow. The substrate is applied in a layer of at least 5 cm.

Each individual of this species should be kept separately ; hungry spiders are prone to cannibalism. For young individuals, feeding is carried out 2 times every 7 days, for adults once a week. The menu serves newborn mice or insects of suitable size.

Air temperature: from 23 °C to 28°.

Molting: The tarantula during or before molting can limit itself in food, sometimes to the point of complete refusal. The moult is going critically. The spider stops moving and lies on its back. The interval in an adult varies from 2 months to 1 year. In young people the process occurs

Giant tarantula

Body of an adult: 9−10 cm.

Leg span: 20−25 cm

Duration of residence: 12 years for females. Males are often eaten immediately after mating.

Features: Lives in the tropical forests of Brazil. Females are larger in size than males. The color is two-tone: reddish-brown or grayish-black. A sedentary individual, it often spends its time near the burrow.

Defense: Uses its hind paws to shake off the hairs located on the abdomen. Hair can cause an allergic reaction.

Maintenance at home: Terrarium - 30x30x30 centimeters. Litter - 5 cm Use peat or coconut substrate. Feeding is done 2-3 times every 7 days, as giant tarantulas prefer to eat well. When deciding to pick up an individual, you should be extremely careful; the poison is not very toxic, but it is aggressive in its effects.

Temperature in the terrarium: 22 °C - 26°.

Humidity: 70—80%

Bicolor tarantula

Body of an adult: 7−8 cm.

Leg span: 15−16 cm

Duration of residence : Males - 4 years, females - more than 20 years.

Natural lifestyle: The two-colored tarantula is one of the calm individuals. The venom from the sting can be compared to bee venom. When purchasing this type of spider, you should be extremely careful during close contact; the bite can cause allergies.

Protection: Without hesitation, he uses hairs that cause itching when they come into contact with the body.

Maintenance at home: Standard sized terrarium with 5 cm of bedding. The coconut type is more suitable as a substrate. Feeding is done 1 or 2 times every 7 days. Large-sized feeding insects are served as food.

Temperature: 24°C-28°.

Humidity: 65—75%

Mexican red-legged tarantula

Body of an adult: 6−7 cm.

Leg span: 15−16 cm

Duration of residence : More than 25 years

Keeping at home: Inhabitant of semi-desert regions of Mexico. Spends most of its life near the burrow. The character is calm, can become a friend to a beginner in keeping. The substrate is poured from 5 cm and above; the individual is accustomed to digging holes. The Mexican red-legged tarantula will be happy with a built shelter and a cup of clean water in the terrarium. Common insects are used as food, once a week. Young individuals are given food 2-3 times every 7 days. The bite of this house spider can only be harmful to those who suffer from allergies to a bee or wasp sting.

Defense: Uses irritable hairs.

Temperature: 25°C-28°

Moisture: 60—70%

Striped tarantula

Body of an adult: 9−10 cm.

Duration of residence: Up to 15 years (females).

Keeping at home: Temperament is individual for each individual, from good-natured revelers to malicious spiders. The house spider has a fairly good appetite and rarely refuses food. Prefers whatever is given. Feeding is done 1-2 times every 7 days for adults and 2-3 times for babies. A horizontal terrarium with dimensions of 40×30×30 cm is suitable. Coconut substrate is preferred as a substrate. The poison is not lethal.

Suitable food:

1. Crickets.
2. Cockroaches.
3. Beetle larvae.

Protection: Combs off allergenic hairs at every opportunity.

Temperature: 23°C-27°.

Humidity: 70—80%

Horned tarantula

Adult body: 6 cm

Length of residence: 15 years or more.

Housekeeping: This house spider is native to East Africa and has 1 horn on its cephalothorax. He leads an active lifestyle, especially at night. Beginners are not advised to own a horned tarantula, as a representative of this species is very aggressive in nature.

The stag can freely bite the one who dares to disturb him. Although the poison is not fatal, it is quite capable of causing health problems. Individuals are very nimble and require good supervision. A cubic terrarium with bedding up to 10 cm in height is suitable. The spider belongs to the burrow type. There is no point in installing a drinking bowl and decorations; the inhabitant will quickly bury it all or intertwine it with cobwebs.

Temperature: 26°C-28°.

Blue tarantula

Adult body: 9 cm

Duration of residence: Females up to 20 years, males 4 years.

Keeping at home: The blue tarantula is an indigenous inhabitant of the monsoon forests of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The color is bright blue. Lifestyle: burrower and tree-dweller. When setting up a terrarium, it is necessary to lay down the soil and provide the spider with wood (snag). The individual is suitable only for professional keepers, since the domestic spider does not have stinging hairs, and its venom is very dangerous and has not been fully studied by researchers. Temperament is very complex. The terrarium is cubic, the bedding is coconut.

Temperature: from 25 °C to 27°.

Chrome tarantula

Adult body: 8 cm

Leg span: 15−19 cm

Duration of residence: up to 20 years

Keeping at home: Homeland - Eastern Brazil. Most of their life is spent in burrows under the roots of trees and shrubs. There are stinging hairs on the abdomen, but the spider uses them very rarely. The character is calm, sometimes nervous, active . A horizontal terrarium with dimensions of 40×40×30 cm is suitable.

Substrate - 5-10 cm, moss, peat, coconut. A drinking bowl is required in the terrarium. Food for adults once a week. Insects of suitable size are on the menu. They rarely bite, but the bite is toxic and caution should be exercised upon contact.

How to keep tarantulas?

Before you get an exotic animal, you need to prepare a terrarium. Tree spiders need a vertical container. For individuals that live in underground tunnels and for terrestrial animals, a horizontal type container with a wide bottom is adapted.

Ceilings may be low. The terrarium must have ventilation holes. The tarantula spider is accustomed to fresh air. At home, it often starts to get sick if ventilation is not provided in its container.

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Soil must be poured into the terrarium. The thickness of the bedding for arboreal animals is 5 cm. For ground spiders it is 5-7 cm. Some species like to make their homes in shallow burrows. For burrowing tarantulas, deep bedding is laid, up to 15-18 cm. Their tunnels are distinguished by branching and a complex architectural design.

The following substrate is chosen as bedding:

• soil, peat; proportions 1:1; for young individuals add a little sand; for adult spiders I use vermiculite instead of sand;
• vermiculite and soil; proportions 1:5;
• crushed stone, pebbles for aquariums;
• coconut substrate; it is used both independently and as combined soils; added to vermiculite, to the soil.

Beginners are advised to learn how to care for arthropods. The soil is constantly irrigated with water. South American tarantulas need high air humidity. Moistened soil is soft and pliable.

It's easy to make tunnels in it. Individuals can break their chelicerae on hard soil. In adult animals they may not recover. In young spiders, fangs grow after 3 molts.

To bring the keeping of spiders closer to natural conditions, various objects are placed on the ground. It could be the bark or branch of a tree, or a coconut shell. For arboreal animals, vertical products are provided that imitate trees.

The tarantula uses these items to arrange its shelter. He covers them with cobwebs. Makes a shelter with exits and partitions.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HMmZyw4Xxro

A drinking bowl is installed in the terrarium. It is strengthened in the ground. The tarantula needs to drink liquid and cool its body. A flat and wide lid is used as a drinking bowl. For young animals, choose a container with a small diameter.

The drinking bowl is filled with clean filtered water. Liquid is necessary not only for drinking, but also to maintain moisture in the bedding and air in the terrarium.

The optimal humidity in the terrarium for South American individuals is 80%. During the molting period 90%. The container is installed in a room with dim light. Direct sunlight should not fall on the animal.

Tarantula spiders are thermophilic. Thermal conditions are provided by an infrared lamp. It is both a lamp and a heating device. The light from it is dim, it will not disturb the animal.

The optimal temperature is 24-26 0C. For tarantulas that live in semi-deserts and deserts, higher temperatures are required, up to 32 0C, and the humidity for them is reduced to 50%.

Conditions of detention: how to arrange a home

In order for an exotic pet to delight you with its presence for a long time, you need to work hard on the equipment of its home. When arranging a terrarium, it is necessary to think about lighting, decor and filling, and regulate the temperature and humidity of the air.

What is needed in a terrarium

The terrarium must have a layer of substrate. Firstly, this will help recreate a more natural environment for your pet, and he will not sit on bare plastic or glass. Secondly, the main task of the substrate is to maintain a stable level of humidity inside the container. For this reason, neither sand nor stones are suitable as a filler. The most acceptable options are vermiculite and coconut filler. Both fillers are highly hygroscopic.

1. Coconut substrate is a completely organic product, it is universal, that is, suitable for any type of arachnid, and also has a pleasant appearance. The disadvantage is the possibility of developing mold or fungal infection, as well as the infestation of mites and springtails.
2. Vermiculite also has advantages and disadvantages. It is very easy to notice and remove debris; it also does not harbor parasites, mold and mildew. However, vermiculite is very difficult to mark the moisture level and is not suitable for burrowing spiders. Before purchasing, you need to study the composition, as chemical impurities are possible.
3. For woody species, a substrate of 1-3 cm will be sufficient. Instead of filler, you can use filter paper. But for burrowing and terrestrial varieties, you can make an area with a thicker layer of substrate (up to 5-6 cm), where the pet can dig a cozy hole for itself.

The need for decoration is determined by the type of your pet. For example, for spiders that weave webs, no special decoration is required, since soon it will not be noticeable under a layer of beautiful lace. The main thing is to provide your pet with all the conditions for weaving. But for species that like to hide in shelters, you can buy ceramic houses, castles and shards, products made from cork oak or artificial plants.

In addition to the spider, you can also have a cat, dog, fish, parrot, hamster or guinea pig in your house.

Sealing and ventilation

It doesn’t matter what you use as a home - a food bowl or a special glass terrarium, it must be securely closed with a lid, otherwise one morning you may find that the spider’s house is empty, and its owner is walking around your apartment. But when sealing the container, do not forget that the arthropod needs fresh air and high-quality ventilation of the container, so several holes should be made in the lid through which the spider will not escape, but will gain access to oxygen. If your pet lives in a plastic container, it is better to make holes on the side wall in two rows: bottom and top. To do this, you can use a hot nail of small diameter.

Decorative elements for terrarium

When your spider becomes big enough to move into a large terrarium, be sure to take care of the decorative elements of its interior. Beautiful and large stones, an empty coconut shell, a fragment of a clay flower pot, bamboo stems, dry branches and even a model of a skull - all this will decorate the landscape of the terrarium and serve as a refuge for the spider. Just make sure that the decorative elements of the terrarium do not injure your pet, therefore, they should not have sharp corners or cutting ends.

You can also plant a real botanical garden in the spider’s house by planting aloe and gasteria there.

Depending on what kind of tarantula you have - there are ground and tree spiders that need a vertical type of terrarium, make sure to provide your little ones with the accessories they need.

Lighting

The need for decoration depends on the type of spider. For example, for tarantulas there is no need to install additional light, since they are nocturnal inhabitants who are excellent at navigating in the dark. If you want to install light, give preference to infrared lamps - their radiation is invisible to your pet. It is not advisable to choose incandescent lamps, but if you choose this option, install them outside the container to prevent the animal from being burned and the air from drying out.

Temperature

Spiders are able to tolerate a very wide temperature range. Optimal values ​​are 23-26°C. Additional heating may be needed only during the transitional autumn-spring period, when the heating is already turned off or is not yet working. To provide heat, you can purchase special cords and heating plates, as well as a thermostat. The devices must be installed either under a container (for tree spiders) or on the walls of the house (for terrestrial species).

Important! The temperature in the room and terrarium should not exceed 31°C.

Humidity

This indicator is very important for the health and well-being of the pet. The required humidity level for each species may vary. You can determine a deficiency or excess of moisture by your pet’s behavior:

• the spider constantly sits at the drinking bowl, dragging soil into it - the container is too dry;
• the spider constantly sits on the walls of the container - this behavior indicates excessive humidity (but sometimes this may just be a favorite habit of the pet);
• the woody species descends to the substrate - the container is dry;

You should not spray the substrate with a spray bottle; instead, it is better to use a syringe without a needle or a watering can with a thin hole. It is important to determine by eye when there is enough moisture (the substrate should be 2/3 wet). Adults must have a drinking bowl in the container; choose its size in such a way that the pet cannot fit into it and drown. Keep in mind that swamp cultivation should not be allowed in the terrarium. In conditions of excessive humidity, midges, mold and fungus easily grow, which can kill the arthropod.

Rules of care and maintenance

Spiders are perhaps the easiest animals to keep at home, although it cannot be said that they do not need care at all. The most important thing is that they behave very calmly and do not leave as much garbage behind them as from other animals. To keep a tarantula spider, you will have to acquire either an aquarium or a terrarium. The most important thing is that conditions close to natural ones be created inside such a container. For spiders living under the surface of the earth, it is necessary that at the bottom there is a substrate at least 5 cm thick, consisting of soil and bark. For individuals living above the surface of the earth, it is necessary that driftwood be present. Here the spider will weave a web and hide in its shelter.

It is important to know! Spiders prefer twilight, so they do not need bright lighting. In addition, the terrarium should be placed in a warm corner of the apartment or room, away from direct sunlight. In winter, additional heating will be required to maintain the temperature inside the container at +25 degrees.

Care involves monitoring the cleanliness of the terrarium, regularly removing food debris, skin after molting, removing young spiders, as well as males after mating, otherwise cannibalism is possible. It is imperative to maintain humidity at the required level to prevent the skin from drying out. If this is not done, the animal will begin to get seriously ill.

How to feed a tarantula spider

As for the spider's nutrition, it has its own characteristics. It must be fed with live food. You can feed young individuals once every two or even three days, and adult tarantula spiders once every two weeks.

The food should not exceed the size of the spider, otherwise it will be difficult for it to digest the prey. The basis of the tarantula's diet in apartment conditions is mealworms, crickets, marbled cockroaches, and zoophobes.

The food supply can also be bred at home, in plastic containers. Or buy from more experienced breeders who breed food for their animals. It is also necessary to ensure that tarantula spiders and pets always have constant access to clean water. It is not difficult to find a drinking bowl in a pet store or, if desired, to make it yourself from available materials.

In conclusion, it is worth emphasizing that absolutely all spiders are poisonous. Therefore, when communicating with a tarantula spider, even the calmest one, it is not recommended to pick it up. By the way, when cleaning the terrarium and feeding, use long tweezers.

The poison does not pose a mortal danger to humans. But the poisonous hairs with which the spider is covered can cause unpredictable allergic reactions if it comes into contact with the skin. In addition, the spider may be stressed! For example, finding yourself in an unusual environment outside the terrarium, with conditions created suitable for it.

The maintenance of different species of tarantulas can vary significantly depending on the specific species, but is generally similar. The decision on which of the many commercially available tarantulas to place in your home is, of course, made by the future owner, based on personal preferences.

Where to keep

Typically, glass or plastic terrariums with good sealing are used to keep spiders. They can be of horizontal and vertical type: the former are suitable for ground spiders, and for arboreal species a vertical type of housing with effective ventilation is required

Therefore, it is very important to know the type of your pet in order to recreate natural conditions for it as accurately as possible.

Most species do not require much space, since they spend almost all their time passively, hiding in hollows, burrows and other shelters. However, the length of the home must be at least twice the span of the pet’s legs. In a terrarium that is too large, the pet will experience obvious discomfort and a desire to hide away.

The terrarium should also not be too high, so that if the pet falls from the walls, it will not be damaged. For example, for adult tarantulas, a container with the following parameters is quite sufficient: 30*30*20 cm. For young tarantula spiders (up to several molts old), a plastic container measuring 10*8*6 cm is quite enough. After 7-10 molts, you can buy a home larger size, based on the size of the pet.

Consider the ins and outs of keeping spiders such as the wolf spider, tarantula, black widow and tarantula at home.

What to feed house spiders

Despite the fact that your house spiders are completely domesticated creatures, they are predators, and accordingly they feed on living organisms. Small spiders eat cockroaches and crickets, but large ones can eat mice and frogs. You can also try giving a piece of lean meat or squid fillet. However, the latter types of food are not very natural for the spider, therefore, from such a diet they may begin to get sick in the future. So, it is best to feed spiders what they eat in nature.

As for the size of the portions, they should be 1/3 of the volume of the spider itself.

How often should you feed spiders?

The frequency of feeding spiders depends on their age. So, if you have a young house spider, you need to feed it several times a week. Whereas an adult spider can be fed several times a month. By the way, there are often cases when adult spiders can go on hunger strikes - you shouldn’t be afraid of this - the spider either overate the day before, or is preparing to molt, or the air temperature in your terrarium is low and it is preparing for hibernation.

What to do if a spider refuses food

What should you do if you find yourself in a situation where your pet refuses both a cricket and a mouse? In this case, first, you need to remove its “lunch” from the terrarium in order to prevent a situation where the spider becomes a victim of its lunch, and only then start to find out the reasons for this situation

Origin of the tarantula and home territories

The tarantula spider, or, as some also call it, the tarantula spider (lat. Theraphosidae) is a beautiful representative of a large kingdom of fauna, which scientists classify as an arthropod, a class of arachnids. Also, if we talk about its generic affiliation, then we cannot help but say that this arachnid is a bright native of the migalomorph suborder and the family of tarantulas. The natural habitat of these exotic arthropods is quite extensive. They can be found on all continents with the exception of cold Antarctica. Although, as for Europe, they inhabit only the lands of countries such as Italy, Spain and Portugal.

How spiders molt

One of the most important periods in the life of a house spider is the period of its molting, during which time the old exoskeleton is replaced with a new one. Thus, small spiders molt once every 20-30 days, while with large spiders this happens once every few months. And here are adult female spiders - they can molt once every few years. By the way, the age of tarantula spiders is usually measured by the periods of molting they experience. So, remember this.

How to tell if a spider has started molting

As a rule, before the onset of the molting period, your spider will begin to refuse food, become inactive, and if it has a bald spot on its abdomen, it will darken, and before the start of the molting itself it will turn black. The color of the spider will become dull, and your pet will look not like a well-groomed house spider, but like some kind of goner. You shouldn’t be afraid of this - these are natural processes. Also, the spider begins to build a hammock - a web - on the ground, but if you have a tree spider, it will choose a higher place for such a construction. After this, the spider climbs into such a hammock and lies down on its back. It can lie in this state for several days. And then... a real miracle happens. The old skin in the back area begins to crack and a completely new spider crawls out of it. It is absolutely forbidden to help him during this procedure. You can simply damage the spider itself and the insect will die. If you really want to help, adjust the humidity level, then the spider will have all its legs intact, and it will be active and cheerful.

After the new spider has emerged from the body of the old one, it lies on the old skin for some time and rests; in this state, its skin is still soft and easy to injure - so you shouldn’t poke the new spider with tweezers or touch it with a brush. . After a new incarnation into the world, the spider can remain in this state from several days to several weeks. It's different for every spider. Then, it will activate and become mobile again, and you will notice that not only its color has become bright, full and more saturated, but the spider itself has grown.

When its skin hardens, the spider itself will get rid of the old skin (throw it into the corner of the terrarium). Now you can try to feed it, however, be careful - the spider after molting is very mobile and active. So make sure he doesn't escape.

Injuries during molting

If something goes wrong, and after molting the spider is left without one or more legs, do not despair, if it is young, after a few molts the leg will be restored. But, if you have an adult male, most likely he will die. Read more about spider molting here.

Spiders and a warm attitude towards them

Hand spider.

Pets are kept for love and warm feelings. But these pets will not appreciate displays of tenderness. Spiders may react in different ways:

• bite under stress;
• accidentally being injured;
• changes in temperature and humidity can be scary;
• the spider might just run away.

What to do if you are bitten

If safety measures were violated, you really wanted to touch the spider and the result was disastrous, first aid must be provided.

The types of spiders living in the house are not poisonous, but the bite is at least unpleasant. Necessary:

1. Pull the limb above the bite site to prevent the poison from spreading.
2. Wash the area with soap and treat with an antiseptic.
3. Apply ice to relieve itching.
4. Drink plenty of water to remove poison.

Answers to popular questions

Keeping spiders at home is accompanied by various emergency situations that require immediate resolution. Let's look at a few typical problems and methods for eliminating them:

Is it possible to pick up spiders? A spider cannot be called a full-fledged tame animal. Therefore, any attempts to tame or “train” a pet are initially doomed to failure. Many people wonder whether it is possible to pick up a pet. The answer is ambiguous because predicting the likelihood of a spider's behavior is difficult. A change in temperature, humidity level or amount of light can negatively affect arthropods. The result of such taming can be different: the spider will run away, bite, get scared, or even die soon.

What to do if you are bitten by spiders? Often, house spider bites do not pose a danger to humans. The exception is people with a tendency to develop an allergic reaction. In case of acute attacks of allergies and the lack of timely medical care, anaphylactic shock and even death are possible.

Typically, a house spider bite is accompanied by a slight burning sensation, itching, redness or swelling at the site of the lesion. To protect yourself from negative consequences, you need to apply a tourniquet above the bite site. The wound should be washed with water and soap and treated with any antiseptic. It is advisable to take an antihistamine. Don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids to prevent intoxication of the body.

What to do if a spider “escapes” from the terrarium? Most often, the spider leaves its home when the seal of the terrarium is broken. Also, a pet’s “escape” is possible in a stressful situation, after molting or a feeding disorder. First, it is necessary to determine the current location of the “fugitive”, only then - to carry out measures to return him to the terrarium. So, having found a spider in the room, cover the “fugitive” with a wide container. Now carefully slide a sheet of thick cardboard under the arthropod. Lift and carefully carry the structure, move the spider into the terrarium, and close the container tightly.

How long do house spiders live? The lifespan of a spider depends on compliance with the conditions of detention, proper care and feeding. This factor is also influenced by the species characteristics of the animal. For example, tarantulas, popular among spider breeders, can live 15-20 years, goliaths - 6-9 years, peacock spiders - about 9-10 months. Tarantulas, which are also actively bred at home, live in captivity from 1 year to 30 years. Life expectancy depends on the breed. In addition, females live significantly longer than males.

Danger to humans

Before you get such an undemanding pet at home, you should find out how poisonous it is. It must be remembered that although this type of spider can bite a person, these bites do not pose a danger.

The animal can bite if it feels its life is threatened, but before that it can rise on its hind legs and create menacing hissing sounds. The tarantula spider bites with chelicerae, at the end of which there are fangs, the length of which is about 2 cm. During the bite, it injects poison.

The bite site becomes inflamed, followed by swelling and swelling. All this is accompanied by pain. After about a week, the negative consequences of the bite disappear. This is especially true for people prone to allergies, as well as those with weakened immune systems. After a bite, such people experience a deterioration in their general health and severe weakness, with nausea, diarrhea, dizziness and headache.

Spiders cannot be trained in any way, so a person must study their behavior patterns. If the spider has poisonous hair, then it is better to handle it while wearing gloves, otherwise it may irritate the skin.

It is important to know! There is a category of people suffering from arachnophobia - fear of spiders. If such a person accidentally and unexpectedly encounters a tarantula spider, he may die of fear. In this regard, it is necessary to ensure that the animal is not able to leave the terrarium and does not start traveling around a person’s home, or even worse, among its neighbors.

How much does a tarantula spider cost?

These exotic animals are not that cheap, as some of the species cost a lot of money. You can purchase a tarantula spider in various ways: via the Internet or through an advertisement, or by going to a pet store. Depending on the type, you will have to pay from 100 to 10 thousand rubles. Moreover, females are always more expensive.

When choosing a pet for yourself, you should pay attention to a number of factors, including age. It is better not to buy too large individuals, as they may be old. Secondly, you should pay attention to the shell. If they are damaged or have wrinkles or cracks, it is better not to take such individuals, as they may turn out to be sick. It is not recommended to buy spiders before or immediately after molting, since it is not possible to determine how active the animal is.

Sources

• https://prusakam.net/pauk-ptitseed/
• https://beetlestop.ru/soderzhanie-paukov-doma/
• https://planetexotic.ru/zhivotnye/spiders-ulitki-nasekomye/
• https://ruspoll.ru/drugie-vrediteli/kakih-paukov-mozhno-derzhat-doma.html
• https://pets2.me/bok/1268-vse-o-soderzhanii-paukov-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html
• https://halal-eko.ru/sobaki/vidy-paukov-v-kvartire.html
• https://ogorodniki.com/article/pauk-kak-domashnii-pitomets-populiarnye-raznovidnosti-s-foto-usloviia-soderzhaniia-pravila-kormleniia-i-tonkosti-ukhoda

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Safety and Cautions

The most difficult to keep at home are poisonous and aggressive spiders, which include species such as:

• Phormistoryrus antillensis;
• Phormictorus auratus;
• Phormictorus cancerides;
• Theraphosa apohysis;
• Thrichorelma oskerti;
• Latrodectus hasselti;
• Latrodectus tredecimguttatus;
• Macrothele gigas;
• Stromatorelma salseatum.

One of the most nervous, quickly excitable and aggressive species are many spiders of the genus Tarinauchenius, whose bite is extremely toxic to humans. Caring for such exotics requires full compliance with safety rules.

Such pets cannot be handled, and when cleaning the terrarium, such spiders must be placed in a special, tightly closed container.

What to do if the spider escaped

Most often, wood spiders escape from loosely closed home terrariums . There may be several reasons for the sudden escape of an exotic:

• finding the spider outside its nest when opening the terrarium;
• sharp withdrawal of the paws when touched;
• jerking almost the whole body in any direction when feeding with tweezers;
• the presence of a disproportionately large food object in the terrarium;
• recent molt.

If the spider nevertheless leaves its home, then it is necessary to carefully observe its movement, without making sudden movements. When the spider stops, it should be covered with any sufficiently wide container.

Then a piece of thick cardboard is placed under the container with which the spider is covered, and the exotic is carefully transferred to the terrarium.

What to do if a spider bites you

Most often, species of spiders that are not dangerous to humans are kept at home; when bitten, the following symptoms occur:

• pain at the site of the bite;
• redness and swelling;
• itching;
• increased body temperature;
• general malaise.

In this case, it is enough to use conventional analgesics and antipyretics, and also treat the bite site with “Zvezdochka” balm or “Fenistil” gel. If the bite is caused by a poisonous spider, then it will be necessary to provide the victim with emergency medical care in a hospital setting as soon as possible.

In general, all types of safe spiders are almost ideal and hassle-free exotic pets that do not require frequent feeding, do not produce allergenic fur, do not mark territory and take up very little space. Such an exotic dog will be the best option for keeping a pet for busy people who do not have the opportunity to devote a lot of time and effort to their pet.

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