Arachnids - Pet Advice

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Arachnids - Pet Advice

Tips for Handling a Pet Tarantula

June 2nd 2009 13:09

When considering a pet tarantula, you should make sure that you know that these guys are not going to be the best "play with" pet option, especially for kids, who generally want to play with their new pet. Just remember that if the tarantula is going to be a pet for a child, especially a younger child, you do not want the child to play with the tarantula without supervision.

Now, as for handling the tarantula, many experts will actually advise you not to do so, since most carry some drop of venom in them, which will typically just cause an irritation or allergic reaction, but the bite can be painful. The venom is not enough to knock you out, but you may experience fever, nausea, or throbbing at the site; you can compare a tarantula bite to a bee sting.

You may also experience an irritation or reaction to the hairs on the tarantula; they can easily embeds a hair or two into your skin, if it feels threatened, which c an cause you to experience discomfort.

But, for the most part, you'll find that most of the danger comes to that tarantula, not you. Some species are very fast and may try to escape, and some may try to jump. You don't want the tarantula to jump off your hands and injure itself, as injuries can be fatal, especially if a heavy bodied tarantula ruptures something in its abdomen.

Picking up a Tarantula
The easiest way to pick up a tarantula is to grip it between the second and third pair of legs, using your thumb and forefinger. The tarantula will stop moving automatically, especially if you grab it quickly.

Otherwise, you can pick up the tarantula by nudging it into your hands or into a temporary container.

Holding the Tarantula
When you have the tarantula in your hands, it's best that you keep your hand under the spider at all times. If the tarantula likes to crawl around and explore, you'll constantly be changing hands; just make sure that you have a hand under it at all times to prevent the tarantula from falling and injuring itself.

If you are hesitant, scared, or nervous about handing your tarantula, you should not do it. Just wait until you feel comfortable.

ALWAYS remember to wash your hands after handling your tarantula.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Arachnids

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Caring for a Pet Tarantula

May 30th 2009 20:29

Before you get any new pet, you want to make sure that you know all the specific requirements for the animal. Sometimes you can get started on basic information, but you will still need to make sure to get specific information for the specific species. You can generally start with an enclosure and decor, but each tarantula species will have slightly different temperature, humidity, and diet requirements that you will need to make sure that you can provide and meet accordingly.

To get started here are a few tips for caring for pet tarantulas.

1. Housing- You want to make sure to meet the housing needs for the tarantula in terms of proper enclosure size, type, and placement. You want to make sure that there is proper ventilation and that you have a screen lid that the tarantula can't escape from.

2. Substrate- You want to make sure that the enclosure has a good substrate at the bottom. Sometimes you may have to try different things before you find something that you like, is easy for you to clean, and that your tarantula likes. Most of the time, a dirt substrate is suitable, especially for non-burrowing tarantulas. You can mix peat moss, chipped bark, and/or cocoa fibers with the dirt. Do not use potting soil or dirt from outside, instead you can purchase blocks of dirt that expand when soaked in water. You want to use at least 2 inches of substrate in the enclosure; the exact depth will vary on the species, though. Burrowing species, will need the substrate to be deeper, especially if you want it to be able to burrow properly.

3. Decorations and accessories- You want to make sure that you provide hiding spots and things for the tarantula to climb on. You can use coconut shells, fake plants, clay pots, fake logs, and other accessories to the enclosure. If you find that the tarantula is hiding too much, you may want to decrease the decoration sin the cage, but if the tarantula isn't hiding at all, you should add a few things to the cage.

4. Water- You want to provide a shallow water dish for your tarantula. Generally you want the dish to be smaller than the radius of the tarantula's legs. Make sure to keep fresh water in the dish daily. DO NOT use a sponge to hold water, as they can hold water and mold spores.

Some tarantulas require higher humidity levels, which you can achieve by misting the enclosure once a day or as needed. You'll want to use a humidity gauge to measure the humidity levels so that you know they are right.

5. Food- Most tarantulas have a staple diet of crickets. Some species will eat fruit flies, mealworms, or pinkie mice. Just make sure that the food is appropriately sized. Also, be leary of mealworms escaping their bowl and burrowing into the substrate of the enclosure.

6. Moulting- As the tarantula grows, it will moult the old skin; younger tarantulas will moult more often then older ones. During the moulting process, the tarantula will generally stop eating a few days prior, and will generally be very grouchy during and right after moulting, as it'll feel vulnerable. Tarantulas moult on their backs, so don't think that yours is dead if you find it laying upside down; it can take a few hours or even a few days for the tarantula to moult completely. Do not attempt to feed the tarantula during this period; it won't starve not. After the tarantula has moulted completely, wait another 3-5 days before attempting to feed.

These tips are bare basics. You should do specific research on the tarantula species of your choose before and even after you bring one home. It is important that you know the specific temperature and humidity that the species thrives in, so that you can match it in the enclosure. You should also be aware of any dietary special needs that the species may have, as well, as diet is a very important aspect of a healthy tarantula.

If you purchase the tarantula from a pet store, read the care sheet they will provide you with, but do not leave your research there. You should never rely solely on the pet store's caresheet. Check out forums, and other online sources, as well as books about tarantulas, and specific species.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Arachnids

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Tips for Feeding a Pet Scorpion

April 18th 2009 18:47

Scorpions are becoming more and more popular in the pet market. You have been able to find them at reptile and exotic pet expos and conventions for years. You could even find them in small mom-and-pop pet stores, but now you can even find them in larger retail pet stores.

Because they are different, they are just more appealing for pet owners. I've found that more teenage boys are prone to purchasing a pet scorpion than anyone else. I mean, at least for them it's a story for school, but in any case, no matter how old you are or what gender you are, you want to make sure that you know how to properly feed a scorpion.

When feeding a pet scorpion, you want to consider the following tips.

1. It is best to feed captive scorpions live feeder crickets, which you can purchase at pet stores or bait stores. You want to keep the crickets housed separately until you are ready to feed your scorpion.

2. You can just dump a few crickets into your scorpion's enclosure, but it is better than you feed your scorpion one cricket at a time using tongs (or tweezers). This way you can better keep an eye on how many crickets your scorpion normally eats, which will help you determine when your scorpion has a lack of appetite, which can be a precursor to a health concern.

3. Make sure to alternate your scorpion's diet with mealworms or moths every once in a while. You can purchase mealworms from pet stores and bait stores as well. Some owners will provide a small pinkie mouse for larger scorpions, such as adult Emperor Scorpions, but you really should make them only once in a while.

4. Dust any feeders with a reptile vitamin supplement every few days so that you know that your scorpion is getting proper nutrients that a captive breed feeder insect may not hold due to improper gutloading.

5. Scorpions typically eat at night, so when feeding your scorpion, you should try feeding in the evening time. This will stimulate normal feeding behaviors for your scorpion, and will typically entice him to eat.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Arachnids

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Choosing a Beginner Tarantula

April 16th 2009 14:35

Tarantulas are actually a fairly popular pet now days. I mean, you'll never find more tarantulas kept as pets than dogs and cats, or even birds or reptiles, but their popularity is growing an increasing. Even at reptile expos, you'll find many vendors with tarantulas for sale, which is not odd anymore to see, and it's not uncommon for the tarantulas to be sold out by the end of the reptile show.

But, the problem comes with inexperienced people see the tarantula at the reptile show or the pet store, and decide "Hey, that would be a cool pet, and none of my friends have one." Well, it's not like caring for a gecko. You just can play with tarantulas, and if you get the wrong one as a beginner keeper, you could find yourself in some trouble.

There are many different tarantula species that you can find in the pet trade, but if you are a beginner you want to make sure that you find a species that is easy to care for and is a manageable size.

The best beginner tarantulas are typically going to be ground dwellers or burrowers because they are generally slower moving. Some of the best beginner tarantulas include the following species:

* Chilean Rose Hair (Grammostola rosea)
* Costa Rican Zebra (Aphonoplema seemani)
* Mexican Redknee (Brachypelma smithi)
* Mexican Redleg (Brachypelma emilia)
* Desert/Mexican Blonde (Aphonopelma chalcodes)
* Curly Hair Tarantula (Brachypelma albopilosum)

You will probably hear that the pinktoe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia) is a good arboreal species, but it is not a good beginner species. Typically arboreal tarantulas are harder to care for, as they have a more challenging environment. Plus, as for the pinktoe, they are fast and agile, which makes handling near impossible.

When it comes to choosing which gender- male or female- that you want to have as a pet, you may want to consider a female tarantula. Females typically live longer than males; some females will live up to 20 years, whereas males typically only live a few years. Most breeders will guarantee the sex, whereas most pet stores won't have a clue.

When choosing which tarantula you want as your pet, you want to avoid those that are ill. You can spot the sick tarantulas because they typically are hunched with their legs curled underneath them. Sometimes, those housed with a dish of water can be a problem, depending on the species.

Before you make the purchase, you really should verify the scientific name of the tarantula, the gender, and the age of the tarantula. Remember that most pet stores will not be able to provide you with all of this information. They may be able to tell you the scientific name of the tarantula, but whether they can guarantee that the one they ordered is the exactly what their wholesaler shipped, is another concern.