tarantula

Question
I bought a pink toe tarantula about 2 months ago but he/she wont eat. I have him in a tall tank with cork bark false plants potting soil a water bowl and a light on the outside + a heat mat. I mist the tank most days but cant seem to get the humidety up.HE has built a good size web but rarely comes out.What should i do.

Answer
Hi Graeme,

Pink toes are one of my favourite species and I'm currently raising a spiderling of that species to replace my adult that died recently at the age of twelve.
Your set-up sounds perfect and the web building and hiding are quite normal for a pink toe. Keep in mind that tarantulas have an even lower metabolism and need for food then reptiles (if you are used to keeping reptiles) and cannot just survive but molt and grow while eating very little. I feed mine about 3 times per  month.

Arboreal species tend to not want to descend to the bottom of an enclosure, even to feed, so offering mealworms and other non-climbing insects is not the best option for them. I like to offer at least two or three crickets to my arboreal T's with the idea that at least one of the crickets will co-operate by climbing up near the web! I also try to drop the crickets on or near the web when feeding. You don't mention if your taranatula is an adult or not. Adult crickets are fine for adult or sub-adult T's but if you are raising a younger one then offer crickets no larger then the spiders abdomen.

You should also be ware that mature male spiders that have molted into their final breeding stage do not feed and are near the end of their natural life.


Temperature will affect their feeding but with both a light and a pad that should not be an issue. Tarantulas have limited eye-sight and hunt mostly by vibration and chemical cues. I don't keep lights on mine and don't know for certain if the presence of the light might be having an inhibiting effect but I would try keeping it off for a few days just in case.