Chilean Rose Tarantula
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THERAPHOSIDAE CHILEAN ROSE HAIR TARANTULA FEMALE *J
Current Bid: $9.99
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THERAPHOSIDAE CHILEAN ROSE HAIR TARANTULA FEMALE *J
Current Bid: $9.99
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One of the newest fads in pet ownership is giant fuzzy arachnids. These spiders are gaining popularity because of their exotic novelty. They are unique, easy to care for, the neighbors won't complain about them barking, and really neat to watch. There are many sizes and breeds in the pet stores to choose from, but if you choose to make one part of your family, do your research.
- Choosing a Tarantula
There are more than 800 species of tarantula, and they are native to almost every climate. Tarantulas are broken into two groups: "old world" and "new world". Most of the old world species, or tarantulas from the eastern hemisphere, are too aggressive to handle, and should only be display spiders. Ground dwelling burrowing spiders are generally slower and more easily handled. The Chilean Rose (Grammostola rosea) is believed to be the best first time spider, by far. It's from Chile, and lives in the desert. It isn't aggressive or prone to biting, and it isn't a fast mover unless frightened. They can adapt to many environments, so they're easy to care for. Do your research. Learn everything you can about different spiders, including lifespan (females can live longer than fifteen years), what they eat, how often they molt, and what kind of habitat they need. A spider molts as it grows, or sheds its exoskeleton. Knowing how large your spider is supposed to get, and how often it's supposed to molt will be a good gauge for you to know if your spider is growing at a healthy pace. It's very important that you know how to care for your tarantula before you bring one home.
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THERAPHOSIDAE CHILEAN ROSE HAIR TARANTULA FEMALE *J
Current Bid: $9.99
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THERAPHOSIDAE CHILEAN ROSE HAIR TARANTULA FEMALE *J
Current Bid: $9.99
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- Habitat
Habitat is very important for your new pet. The Chilean Rose doesn't require very much space. Space may seem important, and natural, but a 5-10 gallon tank is perfect. The shape of your enclosure is important, and it must have a lid that your spider can't escape out of. Be sure that the width is at least three times the leg span of your spider. Also, be sure your tank isn't too tall. Twice the leg span is sufficient, because they climb the glass, and you don't want them to fall too far because they don't have a strong exoskeleton. Use 2 inches of peat moss, orchid bark, sandy sanitary soil, or vermiculite bedding, and provide a shelter for privacy. A hollow log or fish tank decoration work well. The temperature of the tank needs to remain between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit with 60-70% humidity. A small heat rock can be placed in the tank, as long as you check it regularly for hot spots. Provide a shallow water dish with some pebbles in it to prevent drowning. The heat source and the water dish will keep your tank humid. You can also spray a fine mist of water to keep humidity up. No lighting is needed for their enclosures, because natural lighting is plenty.
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THERAPHOSIDAE CHILEAN ROSE HAIR TARANTULA FEMALE *J
Current Bid: $9.99
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THERAPHOSIDAE CHILEAN ROSE HAIR TARANTULA FEMALE *J
Current Bid: $9.99
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- How to Care for a Chilean Rose Tarantula
The Chilean Rose (grammostola rosea) is one the most popular choices for a pet tarantula and is an excellent starter species because it is hardy and docile. This specimen is primarily exported from Argentina, Bolivia and Chile and can found in virtually any pet store. The following steps will help you care for this popular species. Published on 6/29/2007
- Comment by boro
hi how do u no if your tranchala is about to molt
- Handling
Take special care when handling your pet. They aren't deadly, but they are venomous. There is no record of human death due to tarantula bites. People bitten by tarantulas usually react the same way they would to a bee sting. Although not aggressive and docile, the Chilean Rose can be speedy if it's afraid. Most owners never get bitten. Your spider will give you a warning before it bites by rearing up on its back legs, and even making a hissing sound. Sit down while handling your spider. Don't rub your eyes with you hands until your spider is put away and your hands are washed. On the spider's abdomen are little hairs that can cause skin irritation. See a doctor immediately if one of them gets in your eyes. The hairs can be released just by handling them, and if they feel threatened, they will ‘throw' them at you with their back legs. Don't hold the spider high above surfaces, because if they fall, their abdomen will surely split, which is almost always fatal. Your spider's skeleton is on the outside. If the abdomen breaks, its insides will spill out, killing the spider. Very few are saved when this happens. Another problem is people freaking out, either because of being bitten, or the spider releases some itchy hairs, and they fling the spider into the wall, killing it. If you plan to handle your spider, you must be very calm, very careful, and very aware of what can happen.
- Feeding
Tarantulas eat insects, such as crickets, mealworms, or roaches. Also, pinky mice and other spiders can be occasionally thrown in. You can purchase crickets and pinky mice at the pet store. Feed your tarantula weekly. They stop hunting when they are hungry, so don't overdo it, because you don't want the crickets to start attacking your spider. Most people get ten at a time. Remove any uneaten prey after being in the enclosure for 24 hours.
If you choose to have a tarantula, provide it the right habitat and food, you will have years of enjoyment watching your spider explore, eat, molt, and grow. Contrary to popular belief, they do have personalities, and all of them are a little bit different. They may be scary to some, but to others, they are fulfilling companions.
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Comments
My girl is almost nine, and she's been a really fun part of the family. My kids took her molts to school for show-and-tell and freaked everyone out. I've been known to use them to freak people out too.....shame on me!! She's never been agressive for a second, and I wish she could live to be fifty!!
i just got my rose and it is so cool but i dont know how to tell the gender so if you know this give me a comment
hey i must admit u no ur stuff i own three chilean rosea and they r beautiful so i have given ur page the thumbs up
i bought my chilean in feb. and i cant really tell the gender
trey*
how do you tell the gender
I have a chilean rose haired and at the moment he is in his molting process. It's an amazing thing to watch :)
i bought mine a few months ago but it hasnt made a web or dug a burrow it just kinda sits there even at night and when i put a cricket in there i have to quite literally put it in her mouth before she even bothers to trry and eat it plz help me
Bradley, your spider won't make a traditional spider web. When it's ready, it will web along the floor. It may not borrow, but you should get it a "hiding spot", which they sell for spiders and lizards at the pet store. Mine has a log cave to have her "alone time". Also, she will hunt and eat her crickets. My first question is, how old is she? Then, where did you purchase her, and did she seem thin or ill? My girl is seven years old, I got her when she was 1, and I purchase ten crickets at a time and put them in with her. She doesnt' eat right away, but she does like the hunt. If any die before she eats them, remove them immediately. Some times my girl eats them all within 24 hours, some times there's still one chirping in there a week later. It depends on her needs and how she's feeling.
She won't do anything until she feels her home is really hers. Make sure she has a heat source, a water source, and a shelter source. Use good bedding, and she'll start to explore. I also have driftwood that I found at the beach in with her(I cleaned it super good first), and she climbs it. If she feels too invaded, she won't be more than a statue of a spider.
I hope this helps!
On sexing your spider. If it's still too young, it's a bit hard to tell, but when they reach adulthood it's much easier. Adult males have swollen pedipals(those are the "little" legs near the fangs that they don't walk on) and mating hooks in the second joint of the first pair of legs.
That's the easiest way for me. You can also look at the epigastric fold (it is located in the front part of underside of abdomen), but I'm not really good at that one.
thanks for the info lol my spider i bought it a few months ago and they said it was just a juvenile i bought it in a specialised exotic pet store i would say it is roughly 3-4 inches with legspan,i have a heat mat,vermulticate as the substrate wich i was told was the best thing to use for them and a what i think is suitable as a hidout is is a piece of wood with a cave like space in the middle of it jus like what you have realy
It sounds like you have everything you need for her. My girl is the same size as my hand, and the pet store when I bought her said she'd only molt 2 or 3 times, which is not true. She has molted every year since. I would keep doing what you're doing, and research. I said she was seven in my last post, I need to change that, I don't know what I was thinking, other than my friend's boy is turning 7 this week-my spidey-girl is nine, and she's still climbing the walls of her habitat like she was two. I have noticed that my girl webs more in bark than any other bedding, and she usually only webs after a big fat bunch of juicy crickets.
Another funny thing about her is that sometimes I get her mealworms, but she doesn't eat all of them all the time, and every once in a while one lives long enough to transform into a beetle and she pals around with it until it dies. One drowned in her water dish, and she stared at it all day and didn't move, even when I took out the beetle body.
I don't care what people tell you, she has moods. I know when to love her and when she wants to be left alone just by her actions. You're gonna have years of fun with her.
hi you have helped me allot thank you but could you send me a pic of your enclosure and the substrate just to see plz? mi email address is bradleyclarke9@hotmail.com
hi my name is eilis & I'm getting a chilean rose trantula in june. anyone know how to look after them propley? I am new at having pet trantulas. :)
My girl's habitat is due for a cleaning next week, so I'll shoot it when I have it all opened up and pretty. She lives in a 25 gallon aquarium. You can find them very cheap if you contact a manufacturer in your area. If they have one that won't hold water, it's perfect for your arachnid.
Hey radgirl thank you for all the info! I was wondering what kind of spider to get and you sold me on the rose hair! many thanks again!
Listen here, person who is leaving threatening, discusting, and innapropriate comments. I have reported you, and will never approve one of your comments. You can stop now.
Hello, I just got a Rose Hair a little over a week ago after my wolf spider died who was a class pet from high school, she lived about 2 years. Any way, I've got everything in his 5.5 gallon tank that he would need, a water dish, a log hidey hole that he likes, a big chuck of moss for moisture and a hand full of crickets. He likes to sit under the moonlight lamp but I don't think he's eaten one cricket yet. I'm kind of worried.
(His name is Walter but I like to call him Fluffy)
Also, I was told at the store that he had been eating about 5 small/medium crickets every other day.
To JustineD:
Every animal, be it cat, dog, spider, or whatever, goes through a transition period. In general, most Rose Hairs don't eat five crickets every other day. Some times my girl will pig out, but usually when I put in ten large crickets, she spends about a week eating them.
Keep an eye on him and count your crickets every day.
Are you using different bedding than he had before?
No I have the same thing they did. He was in a plastic cage with like a green carpet bottom, I bought him a glass one and used the same thing they had. I am going to get him some eco terra dirt this weekend though so he can burrow.
That sounds great. See how things go, and if for some reason Fluffy doesn't eat for more than a week, then we can try a couple of different things.
i just bought a chilean rose tarantula how do you tell the gender
Joey:
On sexing your spider. If it's still too young, it's a bit hard to tell, but when they reach adulthood it's much easier. Adult males have swollen pedipals(those are the "little" legs near the fangs that they don't walk on) and mating hooks in the second joint of the first pair of legs.
That's the easiest way for me. You can also look at the epigastric fold (it is located in the front part of underside of abdomen), but I'm not really good at that one.
Hi, Walter (fluffys momma here)
He's got his dirt and all that in his tank now.
He doesn't seem sickly but he doesn't eat much. I put about 6 or so crickets in there and it seems like i'm only replacing ones that die. I'm not sure though, I'll start counting them to see if he's eating them.
Also he doesn't seem to like the dirt, it's like he's crawling over it on this moss and log and not burrowing.
I think I have a strange tarantula haha.
Hello there JustineD, give him some time to adapt. You'd be amazed at how long they can go without eating and still be fine. If he's still roaming around, then I wouldn't worry. I use bark chips as my girl's bedding, and she likes that and the vitamin sand. They have a glow in the dark kind, and I used to mix it with another color, and she seemed really active, but humidity was an issue. I had a hard time keeping her habitat humid enough with the sand, and when I switched to bark, she really loved it. My girl doesn't burrow, she hides in her holw, and she makes webbing along the floor.
Sometimes she pigs out on crickets, and some times most of them croak in her water dish over time, and she ignores them. When I worry about her not eating, I slice the end of a potato or an apple off and stick it in there. Some times she scrapes at it and eats some, sometimes she doesn't. If you do that, just don't let it get moldy at all, because you don't want him to get sick from Mycotoxins from mold spores.
They're very hardy, so unless he stops wandering his cage completely, or his abdomine seems to be shriveling, just keep doing what you're doing, let him adjust, try some different bedding when you do your housekeeping, and eventually he'll find something he likes, and you'll know.
Thanks alot. I've have been watching his abdomine since I got him and I haven't noticed a change. He likes to try and climb up the cage and sometimes he does and I get so nervous that he'll fall on the dish or something and die. He seems to just like to sit on the moss or the wood tunnel rather than the dirt floor of the cage.
I'll try the potato/apple thing and see if he likes it,I was feeding those to the crickets until i bought the vitamin food/water stuff for them but I never put a peice in his tank.
Thanks!
-JustineD
how do you know if its a boy or girl
why dose it flicks there hair at people
They have little annoying hairs that they will flck if they feel threatened. The hairs are poisonous, but will only cause minor irritation. It's a defense mechanism. Sometimes they will flick so many that they get a bald spot, but dont' worry, this doesn't mean that your arachnid is sick. When it molts, there will be a full "butt" of replacement hairs to flick at you.
HEY RAD GIRL...FIRST OFF LET ME START BY SAYING YOU ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE OF SPIDERS. I'VE HAD A CHILEAN ROSE HAIRED TARANTULA NOW FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS, (MY HUSBAND BROUGHT IT HOME WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INSTRUCTION MANUEL). I STILL CAN'T DETERMINE THE SEX OF THE SPIDER, I SAW THESE FOLLOWING POSTS THAT YOU MADE:
On sexing your spider. If it's still too young, it's a bit hard to tell, but when they reach adulthood it's much easier. Adult males have swollen pedipals(those are the "little" legs near the fangs that they don't walk on) and mating hooks in the second joint of the first pair of legs.
(HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE PEDIPALS ARE SWOLLEN, AND MATING HOOKS???)
BUT STILL CAN'T DETERMINE THE GENDER. IT'S ABOUT AB BIG AS THE PALM OF MY HAND WHEN IT'S SITTING NORMAL (NOT STRETCHED OUT). MY SPIDER HAS ONLY MOLTED 1 TIME IN THE WHOLE 3 YEARS. I HAVE PROBABLY ONLY HELD MINE 3-4 TIMES IN THE ENTIRE 3 YEARS I'VE HAD HIM/HER, SO I'M KINDA TIMID TO PICK IT UP. WE DON'T HANDLE THE SPIDER MUCH, WE LIKE TO WATCH AND JUST KINDA LET IT DO IT'S THING.
FIRST OFF I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE HUMIDITY PART OF THE TANK. I DON'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF HEAT SOURCE IN THERE WITH HER AND I THROW IN A DOZEN CRICKETS EVERY 2 WEEKS. I HAVE A LOG HIDE-A-WAY, THAT IT NEVER USES (MIGHT I ADD). I HAVE A HUGE TANK FOR THE SPIDER...IT'S GOTTA BE AT LEAST 150 GALLONS (IT THIS TOO BIG?!?).
I WAS CURIOUS...SHOULD I SPRAY IT WITH WATER. NOT DROWN IT, BUT LIKE A LIGHT SPRITZ? WOULD THAT HELP THE HUMIDITY? ALSO WHAT TYPE OF BEDDING DO YOU RECOMMEND? WOULD YOU SUGGEST BARK CHIPS LIKE THEY'D USE FOR IGUANAS? NOW I HAVE THIS SOFT COTTON LIKE GRAY PADDING... I'VE NEVER REALLY ASKED FOR ADVISE ON THE SPIDER, WHICH SEEMS TO BE DOING FINE, SHE'S NOT THIN OR SICKLY LOOKING. BUT AFTER READING ALL THIS I'M BEGINNING TO WONDER IF SHE'S HAPPY OR MISSING SOMETHING. I MEAN I DON'T SEE IT MOVING AN AWFUL LOT AND I DON'T EVER SEE IT DRINK, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF DEAD CRICKET CARCASSES IN HIS CAGE. HMMM I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU SOON. THANKS EMILY
hello, me and my boyfriend has got a chilean rose and its all of a sudden digging up the bark an moving it around, we are stumped to why he is doing it can you tell us why?
Kirsty-
From what I've been reading, some tarantulas burrow into the ground to make a den. Chances are that your little guy is trying to build a burrow. It is sometimes best to just move it back after he pushes it around, but if you want to help him burrow, there are numerous ways.
I purchased a book before I got my Chilean Rose, simply titled 'Tarantulas'. The authors name is Jerry G Wells. There is a section on substrate that might be helpful. If you are using vermiculite, the burrow walls may collapse. You might try a mixture of half potting soil and half vermiculite for stability. Be cautious though, as potting soil may dry and become solid/dusty, neither of which is good for your tarantula. Any mixture you make should have at LEAST 1/4 vermiculite.
That was directly from the book, and I haven't tried it myself as my girl is still adjusting. Good luck with yours!
I agree, your spider is burrowing, which is totally normal...and fun to watch.
I just got my Chilean Rose yesterday, and wasn't really expecting her to eat right off the bat, but 5-6 hours later I had the privilege of watching her lay her web and catch one right in front of me. :]
I'm not sure if this is reason for concern or not. It would seem like a good thing, like I have my cage set up just right, but I'm wondering if she had not eaten for some time if they were not feeding her. I haven't gotten a chance to handle her yet, as I wanted to let her adjust to her new home, so I haven't checked her 'belly' for any problems or weak spots.
If she hadn't been feed well, is that going to affect her now, and could that have weakened her or made her ill in any way?
Also, part of my reason for not handling her is my nerves. I absolutely ADORE spiders and have held some much larger than her, but I'm nervous she will not take to me very well and bite me or flick hairs. I'm assuming, but want to be 100% sure, that she will raise her legs first? If she raises her legs that's it for me. I would be putting her right back where she was comfortable, but I'd like to know for sure that that will be her first defense. Do they ever skip warnings and go straight to flicking hairs?
As far as im aware they always give warning. even if its just a little bum wiggle. they will let you know if they are annoyed.
I dont think that your spider would go weak from not eating because my chillean rose has gone atleast a month without eating. its just what they do.
But if she doesn't eat i would advise taking out what she doesn't eat as it will annoy her.
They are so hearty, I would just keep doing what you're doing. They can go without food in the wild for a very long time.
As far as warning signs, they will flick hairs at you as a first sign to back off, then before they bite(which they very rarely do-mine has never even raised up) they will raise up in a warning stance on their hind legs and show you their teeth. Some hiss while doing this. If your spider ever does this, back off.
The worry isn't so much that a bite would be so bothersome, it's more that you would throw your spider against the wall in shock from it and bust open its abdomin.
As for the hairs, they are a minor irritation. I have had hairs flicked at me while I was handling because the dog barked too loud at the mailman or something. I calmly and immediately put her away, strip, and climb into a cool shower, and that seems to stave off any real irritation. That has only happened a couple of times in her life-and she's old.
This is also a worry when you go to hold your spider. If you are afraid, you will flinch at movement and risk injuring it. Be calm, and remember that these are the spiders used a lot of times in movies, exotic pet shows, on the Tonight Show, and there is a reason for that-they are the calm teddy bears of spiders.
. I STILL CAN'T DETERMINE THE SEX OF THE SPIDER, I SAW THESE FOLLOWING POSTS THAT YOU MADE:
On sexing your spider. If it's still too young, it's a bit hard to tell, but when they reach adulthood it's much easier. Adult males have swollen pedipals(those are the "little" legs near the fangs that they don't walk on) and mating hooks in the second joint of the first pair of legs.
(HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE PEDIPALS ARE SWOLLEN, AND MATING HOOKS???)
BUT STILL CAN'T DETERMINE THE GENDER. IT'S ABOUT AB BIG AS THE PALM OF MY HAND WHEN IT'S SITTING NORMAL (NOT STRETCHED OUT). MY SPIDER HAS ONLY MOLTED 1 TIME IN THE WHOLE 3 YEARS. I HAVE PROBABLY ONLY HELD MINE 3-4 TIMES IN THE ENTIRE 3 YEARS I'VE HAD HIM/HER, SO I'M KINDA TIMID TO PICK IT UP. WE DON'T HANDLE THE SPIDER MUCH, WE LIKE TO WATCH AND JUST KINDA LET IT DO IT'S THING.
FIRST OFF I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE HUMIDITY PART OF THE TANK. I DON'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF HEAT SOURCE IN THERE WITH HER AND I THROW IN A DOZEN CRICKETS EVERY 2 WEEKS. I HAVE A LOG HIDE-A-WAY, THAT IT NEVER USES (MIGHT I ADD). I HAVE A HUGE TANK FOR THE SPIDER...IT'S GOTTA BE AT LEAST 150 GALLONS (IT THIS TOO BIG?!?).
I WAS CURIOUS...SHOULD I SPRAY IT WITH WATER. NOT DROWN IT, BUT LIKE A LIGHT SPRITZ? WOULD THAT HELP THE HUMIDITY? ALSO WHAT TYPE OF BEDDING DO YOU RECOMMEND? WOULD YOU SUGGEST BARK CHIPS LIKE THEY'D USE FOR IGUANAS? NOW I HAVE THIS SOFT COTTON LIKE GRAY PADDING... I'VE NEVER REALLY ASKED FOR ADVISE ON THE SPIDER, WHICH SEEMS TO BE DOING FINE, SHE'S NOT THIN OR SICKLY LOOKING. BUT AFTER READING ALL THIS I'M BEGINNING TO WONDER IF SHE'S HAPPY OR MISSING SOMETHING. I MEAN I DON'T SEE IT MOVING AN AWFUL LOT AND I DON'T EVER SEE IT DRINK, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF DEAD CRICKET CARCASSES IN HIS CAGE. HMMM I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU SOON. THANKS EMILY
Emily,
To sex your spider, google some pictures of swollen pedipals and mating hooks to know what you're looking for. It's hard to explain if you don't know what you're looking for to begin with.
As far as humidity, just get a spray bottle and spritz it in there. They are very harty, so you don't have to have an exact science. I would't spray your spider directly, but I would just spray the cage.
You spider has a huge cage, I'm sure that she's happy having all that free room. I use bark chips for my girl because she spins her webs across them and it helps keep the humidity better. With that said, you have to clean the habitat more often because of this reason. You don't want a mold issue.
I would bet that she's super happy though. I wouldn't worry. If she's not sick and she's thriving, she's fine.
Do you have any plant life or anything in there with her? You could really make it amazing for her with that much room. Mine is in a 25 gallon tank, which is fine for her. I have some halloween plastic bone decorations in there that she likes to climb on.
Ultimately, have fun with it, because they are amazing pets.
Hope this helps!!
I agree i have plant pots and fake trees and a little slate house and she ia always climbing over it all.
accidently sprayed my shelob once and she ran well fast. shit myself. wouldnt do it again..
NOW THAT BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER QUESTION. SHOULD I PUT IN LIVE PLANTS OR PLASTIC PLANTS? I ALSO NOTICED THAT SHE DOESN'T MOVE MUCH, SHE IS IN THE SAME PLACE IN THE MORNING AS WHEN I COME HOME FROM WORK. EVERYONE ELSE IS SAYING THEY WATCH THEIR SPIDERS BUILD AND DIG OR SPIN THEIR WEB. MINE JUST KINDA SITS THERE, AND SHE ALWAYS HAS. SHE IS ALIVE BUT I WOULD LIKE HER TO BE MORE ACTIVE. COULD IT BE BECAUSE IT'S NOT HUMID ENOUGH? HER CRICKETS END UP DEAD BUT I DON'T SEE HER EAT. ALSO I WAS THINKING ABOUT BUYING HER A FRIEND. DO YOU THINK THEY'D KILL EACH OTHER, ARE THEY TERRITORIAL?
Aren't all tarantulas "display spiders"?
I don't see the reason for handling it, they don't enjoy being touched, it'll get stressed or possibly die if it falls. I only keep mine for display, for handling I have my pythons lol
Emily, if you get it a "friend" they will fight and one will die. The only people I have ever seen successful at having more than on in a habitat were pink toed, and I don't know how he managed to have them together.
Count how many dead crickets you pull out compared to how many you put in. If she's even eating one, it may be enough for her.
Get a spray bottle and spritz some water in the habitat every day to keep humidity up. It doesn't need to be wet. If you notice a lot of condensation on the sides, it's too humid.
Now, here's a funny story, I think I told back a ways in comments. My pet store was out of crickets one time, so I bought meal worms. Well, they burrowed down never to be seen again. I thought I'd pulled them all out because she wasn't interested in eating them until one day there was a beetle in the habitat with my spider. I watched for days wondering when she'd eat the beetle, but the beetle climbed on her and palled around with her until one day it fell into her water and died. When I noticed it, she was at the edge of her water dish just in a place unusual for her to sit. I noticed the beetle was dead and pulled it out. She sat in the very same place for an entire day, then hid in her log for a few more. I was really worried that she was depressed that she'd lost her beetle.
Over the years, I've gotten her a meal worm or two that became beetles, and although she never ate the beetles, she never let them get close to her either.
Strange? I think so, but true story.
She's attacked anything else ever put in with her. I had a freind babysit her while I moved, and he fed her 2 goldfish and a pinky mouse(she didn't like the pinky mouse, I think it freaked her out). Needless to say, he didn't babysit her anymore.
Now on to plants: Get some climbing sticks(I have plastic halloween bones). A live plant is okay, and will help with the humidity, but mine has always just torn them up and made a mess with them, so I stick to plastic things. That way she can rearrange and I don't have a dead plant to deal with, and there won't be mold issues. That's just me though, you have a really big enclosure, so get creative with it. They love things they can climb on and hide in. You have the opportunity to have a blast with your enclosure.
hey radgirl i am wanting to buy this tarantula (chile rose) but i only need to no one last thing how do you know when they malt ?
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When they molt, you may think they are dead. If you see your spider up-side down, leave it be. If it stays that way for more than three days, it is dead, if not, it will slowly climb out of its old body. It's important not to mess with your spider for the next week or so(I give my girl 2 weeks), because its body will still be very soft and easily damaged.
Most people don't see their spider molt, they just notice that there seems to be two spiders when there used to be one. There are not two, one is your spider, and one is its old body.
Their skeletons are on the outside, and their soft body parts are on the inside, and when they grow too big for their exoskeleton, they have to shed it.
I send the exoskeleton to school with my kids for show and tell....or leave it on the counter for unsuspecting people to find and watch them scream and run away.
That's just me though :]
thanks i now all i need now to get one i might do that to my girl she hates spiders but i have always watnted one since i was like 4 :)
MOYZE
thanks i now all i need now to get one i might do that to my girl she hates spiders but i have always watnted one since i was like 4 :)
MOYZE thanks
thanks i now all i need now to get one i might do that to my girl she hates spiders but i have always watnted one since i was like 4 :)
MOYZE thanks for
Good luck with that one! Just make sure you have a good cage with no way of escape, and reassure her how strong it is.
:]
Hey, i bought a chilean rose about 3 years ago around christmas time. It was just a tiny little spiderling when i got it, still pinkish and see-through. I was wandering how much it shouldve grown, because i think mine is a little dwarf. Its got a leg span of about 1.5 in. Please tell me if its just fine or if it has growing problems!
I'm wondering....are you sure it's a chilean? They reach maturity at 3-5 years and should be 3-5 inches in leg span. Is yours closer to 2-years-old, or 3? I can't find anything anywhere about dwarf genes in Chileans, but I will keep looking tomorrow. Have you measured it with legs bent close into the body, or stretched out? Does it seem to be doing fine? It may just be slow to mature, but if it seems to be happy and healthy, I wouldn't worry too much. Is it moulting a few times per year now that it's not a spiderling any more? I'll see what I uncover for sure.
You have been SO helpful radgirl!! The very first night I got my chilean she was so comfortable she ate and I got to see it!
Now, not long after, shes in her first molt!!!!! I am SOOO excited! I have a live feed of her (it may take some hours) here, http://www.ustream.tv/channel/charlottes-web . It is 9AM EST and she has been molting for close to an hour now! I will be leaving the cam on all day to witness her finally emerging!
Thanks again for all of your help! You're really a great source of information!
i am almost positive its a chilean, its looks just like one, acts just like one,(sort of sluggish) and the store said it was one.it is a few months older than 3, but it seems extremely happy and i handle it with extreme ease. i will measure it again but im sure my first measurement was pretty close. thanks, and i will look also.
so i bought some mealworms for my rose hair and theyre pretty slow moving and dont seem to get her attention like the crickets do, how should i get her to eat them? is it ok for them to be loose in the terarrium, i know they burrow down but will they come up for her to eat at night or something?
Lisa-I'm glad I could help, it's great to see such a proud owner. You'll have years and years of fun!
Drey-There are genetic things that can happen to cause your spider to be a "dwarf", however there are no real studies that I can find because it either doesn't happen enough, it's not a big deal, or they don't usually survive. Either way, if it's happy and healthy, I would just enjoy it! It's not about how big they get, but how neat they are, right?
Calvin-Mealworms can wander if you want them to. Most people keep them in a shallow dish. They will burrow. Your spider may be like mine and not like them, or not eat them all, so don't be alarmed if you find a beetle in your habitat out of the blue. They are black and about an inch long. They aren't harmful at all. If she likes them, she will hunt them. It's hard to catch when one dies and starts to decay if they're burrowing though, so make sure you stick to a cleaning schedule. I let mine burrow before I realized I could use a dish(I used a peanut butter lid), and she never ate them. She is a cricket and apple girl. The coolest thing about them is that they're so hardy that you can try a lot of things with them and learn what each one likes.
HAVE FUN WITH THEM =]
I had the wierdest thing happen tonight with my Chilean Rose (his name is Venom). I was whistling around his cage, and turned around and slowly started coming toward the whistling! Now at first I thought it was a coincidence, so I went to the other side of the cage and did it, he slowly turned and started walking toward that way too! Now I have looked this up online and no one had mentioned it! Would you be able to answer this, or maybe you can experiment with yours and see if she will do that too? Tel me I am not losing my mind! LOL.
Hmm...that's pretty amazing. You know, he may associate that with being fed, or something he likes. SO much stuff that I've read says that they don't have personalities, they don't interract with their owners, and they're pretty much just novelty ornaments in a cage. Not so. In my experience with mine-her name is Jenna-in all the years I've had her, she's been happy, she's been depressed, she's been pissed off, and she's either wanted me to pay attention to her, or she's wanted nothing to do with me.
I think it's awesome, but you probably won't find a lot of research. Keep track of your progress and call it an experiment.
You're not loosing your mind!!lol!
I am wondering if he thought that I was food! LOL. Thinking about it, maybe I sounded like a bird or something because I was sort of whistling like a bird would, you know the same sound over and over in intervals. I think he is on to me now though haha, because I started talking to hjm while I was doing it, and now he doesnt seem to follow the whistling today. BUT I just thought that was totally amazing when he did, and I know he was following the whistling sound last nite. Thanks for the reply! You rock!!
I am still confused on how to tell if my turantula is male or female. Please tell me the easiest way to get this info. I will be very grateful to you. Thank you in advance for your time.
Okay, I just read about the little legs there by the fangs and still am unsure about the whole swollen thing. I am not sure how big they should be so how can I tell if they are big? This seems so complicated. Why cant they be like puppies where you flip em over and check for the "belly button" as I refure to it to my children lol. Ugh! Please email me at theathfield383@yahoo.com if its not to much trouble. I'm not sure if I can find your website at a later date. I'm airheaded like that. Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi guys, I'm currently searching for great pictures to show the difference between boys and girls. My husband was in a really bad accident last week, so please forgive me if my responses are slow to come. He's okay, but we're going to be drowning in doctor's appointments and such, and reorganizing life.
I'll be on soon, I promise, and don't let it stop you from asking questions or leaving stories, becasue I will still be working to make sure they all get read and answered. I love hearing from you!!
-Radgirl
Hi Radgirl-
I have a G. rosea that was orphaned by a former roomate....literally left in front of my bedroom door with a note and a jar of loose change! She was already full grown when he go her, about a 5 inch legspan. He had her for about a year and i've had her for about 4 years. She has eaten normally, was fairly active and has molted twice in the 5 or so years she's been here. Last September 2008 she stopped eating and has still not eaten anything since then. I'm getting worried because over the last month she's been getting obviously skinny, hardly moves (and when she does VERY slowly) and she either sits on top of the water bowl all day or curls up in a ball and looks dead for hours at a time. I have read it's normal for them to not eat for months at a time, but is being lethargic and looking dead normal?
thank you i appreciate what you do here!
Looking lethargic and dead is not normal. Of course, the first factors I would look at are environmental. Have you changed brands of anything lately, bedding, food...have you added any toys or plants? If you're using evergreen wood, stop. It has oils in it that are bad for your spider, and can make her sick. If you've ruled out that it can't be environmental, you need to hydrate her.
Now, this is going to sound weird, but this is maybe her last resort. Get a small rubbermaid with a tight lid. This should be big enough for her to move around a bit, but small enough that she can't run around freaking out. Poke holes in the lid. Place a few wet paper towels in the bottom, but not covering the whole bottom, so she can have a dry place to rest too. Put her in it and let her be. SHe can't be in standing water, but since she's curled up around the water dish, she sounds dehydrated, and this will kill her. wet the paper towell when it seems dry, you can even do this with an eyedropper through a breathing hole if you're afraid she'll run. She probably won't since she sounds really sick.
Put the container in a dark place that won't get hot or cold, and leave her be. Check on her once per day, but don't disturb where she's at.
Hopefully that's all she needs. Keep your fingers crossed for her, and when she's doing better, give her back her home.
Be prepared that she may just be too sick. I hope she makes it. Thanks for reading.
thanks for such a quick reply, i will definately try that. as for the environmental changes....i have been using the same type of substrate that was in the tank when she was dropped off at my door. i change it when it looks to be too dry. i did add a plastic plant to the mix around the time this started but it's small and in a corner. otherwise no real changes. The tank is in the same place it's been for the last 4+ years, same feeding schedule, same food.
I changed the tank tonight to get the humidity back and she was crawling all over my bed the whole time. When i put her back in the tank she just curled right back up and has barely moved since.
thanks again for your advice.
You're welcome, I hope she does alright.
Well, a few days later and....i put her back in her tank and....SHE RAN AWAY FROM ME! I havent seen her "run" (more like sprint) in months. This is a long way from what was going on last week. I mean, she was barely moving. I think she's gonna be okay.
Thanks again!
Well what a superbly informative site... just reading through and I have the same rather bizarre burrowing problem with my young lady. I also note you want some pics for your explanation so I have included a link to see if I can help in any way.
Keep up the great work.
Kind regards
Jamison
Juju-YEY! I'm so glad that she's doing well. I have thought my girl was on the brink of death a time or two myself, but she comes back. Maybe it has to do with their natural instincts to breed and not being able to.
Jamison- thanks for stopping by. I hope everyone finds something to make thier spider's lives better.
hey i just got my first G. rosea and she moves around fine,m but she wont stop climbing to the top of her tank, im scared she will fall and it will be fatal, is this normal??.. also she doesnt use her half coconut i have with her, she insist on hiding under of in the plastic plants. and i thinik she has only eaten twice in about a week is this eating habit normal??. she is about 3-3.5 inches
Zach-Just make sure she can't get her leg stuck in the lid so she doesn't hang by a leg and loose it. If your bedding is soft and your habitat isn't really tall, she'll be fine. They fall in the wild too. You just don't want her falling far and busting open her ab.
She can go a really long time without eating if she wants, and she will during her transition period. Just take out the dead cricket bodies that she doesn't eat, and don't overload her with them.
She'll get used to being in the habitat and to your comings and goings, and she'll be fine.
If she goes more than a month without eating, then you really need to pay attention, but if she's eating every week, she'll be totally fine.
Good for you for entering the world of Arachnids!
Ive just bought a Chilean Rose and its doing fine. I know all about it however there is one thing i keep wondering?! I am a DJ so i play alot of loud music, i want to know if this will affect the spider in anyway, or even kill it? i know that the hairs on its body are very sensitive so that might have somthing to do with it?
(JUST IF ANYONES WONDERING, I HAVENT TRYED BLASTING IT WITH TUNES TO SEE IF IT DIES OR NOT AND I WONT)
JOE-Loud music won't kill it, but it may make it angry. I would find a place for it where it won't get blasted all the time. If it starts flicking all of its hairs off and developes a bald butt in a short period of time, it's crabby. Just keep an eye on it. Who knows, you may have a music loving arachnid!
Hi radgirl! I came across your HubPage thru a Google search. Just trying to do research on the Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula. I adopted one from Petco Saturday (5/30/09). Someone returned him and the store was adopting him out for $5.00 so I couldn't resist. I've been waiting to get one and it seemed like a great opportunity. Plus I felt bad for him, little lonely spider - he was up for adoption for a week or so! My dad had a tarantula when I was younger so I'm a bit familiar with them. (also adopted 2 dogs: German Shepherd & Husky/Shepherd and took in a stray ferret - not all this weekend though lol - but just an idea of the kind of person I am)
His name is currently Octavius (aka Doc Ock - lol). I'm kind of toying with the idea of changing it but not sure.
I have a 10 gallon tank for him, subtrate is "forest bedding" with about an inch covering the bottom, a swallow water dish, hollowed-out tree ornament for him to hide in, and a cave to hide in. The tank is pretty basic but I figured he doesn't need much more. (btw - he fed the first night I had him home, figured if he was comfortable enough to eat then he should be ok)
I do have two questions (so far) though:
1. Should I have more substrate on the bottom of the tank? As mentioned, I am only about an inch from the bottom. At first he stayed on the walls, seemed unsure about the substrate then finally came down.
2. He placed a webbed "door" in the opening on the cave. What does that usually mean? Just a privacy spot / safety feeling for him? I've been trying to find something online and had trouble narrowing it down.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. Have a great day!
Danielle
Thanks :)
Dani-
Good for you for adopting! So many just die in pet stores that it really sucks.
To answer your question about your forest bedding:
I would just watch him, see how he does. Some like to burrow, mine doesn't, so I only have about an inch, and I also use forest bedding, because she likes it better. If you find that he likes to burrow, you might add some more. My girl spins her webbing along the bedding, and that's all she spins. She doens't make big webs, or string them all around places, she just likes to walk on them. She's an odd one-lol!
Next, his webbing is his preference. He might be used to catching bugs in it, or he might just like it there. As he adjusts and gets used to his home, so will his habbits. He may just be a decorator, or he may actually have a practical use.
If he's eating already, I'd say he sounds pretty happy. You'll get to know his personality soon enough. Don't listen to books, websites, or people that tell you they don't have personalities and communicate with you. I can even tell when Jenna(my girl) is a bit depressed, like when her beetle friend died.
They are so funny! You should give yourself a big pat on the back for adopting not only him, but other animals as well. It's so important! We just had a puppy mill busted full of American Eskimo dogs, and I'm having a really hard time not driving over and getting one, even though I have two others!
You may not be able to save the world, but you can make it better a little at a time!
Have fun watching your new friend get used to his surroundings and your habits. It's really a fun experience, even if it really freaks out half of your friends =]
Hi there. I'm so glad I found your site. I am hoping you can help me understand what has happened to my beautiful rose hair. I'll give you some background first. I adopted him from the shelter where I volunteer. I was arachnophobic but became touched by Bobo. He was brought in missing hair and one leg. I learned as much as I could and kept hi next to my chair on my office desk where I spend most of my time. I absolutely loved my spider. I had him almost a year or so. He is in a 10 gallon tank with a small water dish and a hollow domed wooden log. I feed him crickets. Last night I came back from a short vacation of just over a week. His water dish was empty, but full when I left. It was not hot inside my home and my father in law was staying here to watch over things. He would not normally consume that much water in a week, or even two. I found him on his belly, legs curled under him. I tried to get him to move, I just couldn't believe he was gone. I had left him 8 crickets. One in still alive, he has eaten the rest. What could have gone wrong?? I'm so sad that he's gone :(
Xysti-
I hope I got to you soon enough.
Are you sure he's dead? When they moult, or shed their skin, they flip over and curl up and look dead, and some times it takes a couple of days before they climb out. When I say that they look dead, they look DEAD.
It's important not to touch them or mess with them during this proccess, and to not handle them for at least a week(I always wait two) after, because their exoskeleton is so thin and flexible that you can hurt them.
Make sure he's dead before you throw him out!!!! Moulting is a good sign that you're doing everything right, and he's growing.
hey ...great and highly informative site btw....i'm very impressed by your patience and diligence with answering everyone's questions....i've sought council with an entomologist friend...but you seem to be a fantastic source of information on this specific species.
I just purchased this rose hair a few days ago...it was very social and friendly for about 2 days..But now its not wanting to move from the top of its log. I've taken into acount environmental changes being severe. And it may feel overwhelmed. The tank is plastic (approx 10 gallons maybe a bit smaller), no heat source yet, as the weather has been very nice around these parts. usually 74 degrees in here majority of the time.
My concern is that even while it was fairly active for a couple days it did not eat the crickets i got for it...I put in some Flukers (calcium / water ) gel for it so it would have nutrition and hydration. There's plenty of peet moss along the bottom for coverage, which i spritz nightly for humidity (that's what it had before, so i thought it would enjoy the similarity). I took out all the crickets, as its been 48 hours and none of them were eaten..and i put a meal worm in a dish just in case it would crave that...
I'm highly concerned for this little fella.. going from highly active and curious to being frozen on the log seems bad. Its my first ever tarantula, and i want it to live a long fuzzie life...any advice ??
Thanks :)
corrina.windigo@gmail.com
Hi Corrina-
I would just give him some time. They are so funny about moods. Mine actually just spend a week and a half hiding, and I started freaking out. She comes back to normal just about when I start tearing her habitat apart.
Pull out any dead crickets as they don't get eaten, and he'll move when he's ready. He may be just shocked that his favorite spot isn't in sight or something.
You're doing all the right stuff, just be patient. He'll come around. Maybe, if you can remember what was in his habitat before, pick up some of the things he was used to and see if that gets him going.
He may also be getting ready to moult. They act depressed before that some times, then you find them flipped over and think they died.
He'll get used to your vibrations and noises over time too. He's just protecting himself by being a statue, more than likely.
Yeah he was not flipped over. He was on his tummy and his abdomen was sunk in. He was for sure dead. I did leave him in there a few days. When they moult they flip to their backs, correct?
Xysti-
Yeah, they generally will flip over on their back, or on their side when they are in a moult. I'm glad you gave him a few days to make sure.
Some times they just don't survive, either from the trauma he may have experienced before you adopted him, or for reasons unknown. They do get ill, and things can happen.
At least he was loved in the end of his life. Give yourself that much.
well i have a rose haired tarantula thats about 13 years old probley older considering she was 6 when i bought her and i have had her my entire marriage of 7 years some how ants got in her tank so my husband being its his spider got the extra tank of her's and put her in it with her crickets (big problem) the tanks hasnt been used in age's she instantly went from being her bitchy self to now she is literally if she trys walking acting ( walking) drunk she seems to be getting progressively better at times and sometimes worse right now she is minus her substrate and has just her water bowl in there because i was trying process of elimination but i am leaning towards possible residual poison have gotten in the extra tank is it possible for her to have lived through that?also speaking to husband as i type he says all the crickets died after being put in the new tank........
Jessica-
It does sound like some sort of toxin in the new tank was the problem. If she seems to be getting better, then I think she'll pull through.
I would give her som subtrate to make her more comfortable, and leave her alone as much as possible. Limit movement and sound around her. Make sure her humidity is good, and keep her water fresh. Don't use tap water, use distilled or rain water. Dim the lights and keep it dark in her area as much as possible. Check on her every day and hope that she can get the toxins out of her body.
For subtrate, you an use a good dirt, put it in a microwave safe container and microwave it for five minutes, let it cool(that is the most important part), bleach her cage, her water dish, her climbing toys, and anything else that you have in there for her, then put the cooled dirt in. It's a little more messy, but I'm learning that they really like it, and it's more natural.
I hope she does alright, but it does sound like toxins that are giving your old girl a run for her money. I hope she does alright. Let us know what worked or didn't.
Thank you radgirl :) I love your site by the way. I miss my spider so much that I do want another one once I'm not so sad. I'll be coming back here to keep learning. Thank you so much for this site.
Damnit i come to you for advice on a damn chilean rose tarantula on mating but you have no 411. WTF is up with that and half the facts you had up there are wrong.
Derek-
I'm sorry I don't fit into what you're looking for. My facts are gathered from research, experience, and entemologists. If you have contrasting information, feel free to post it, and we'll get to the bottom of it using the above tactics.
I am against mating, as there are already farms and tons of people who smuggle them in, and so many of them die in shipping and in pet stores, therefore, you will have to get mating information from another source. I am sorry that I can't help you with that.
Hi! Thanks for all your great advice!
My rose hair, Scruffy, is about 4 years old with a 4.5 inch legspan. She has always been relatively happy and active. She usually eats around two crickets a week, but about two months ago, she started to gorge on about one cricket every day. She did this for about two weeks, and then she stopped eating altogether. I tried both crickets and meal worms, but she just ignored them, even when I shoved them in her face. I figured this was normal fasting, and thought she might be getting ready to molt.
Then a little over a month ago, I got in a fight with my boyfriend and got kicked out of the house. He put Scruffy and my other pets outside in the greenhouse, where it got down to 40 degrees F at night and up to 100 degrees F during the day. I'm pretty sure Scruffy did not like the temperature variation, particularly the extreme heat, which she is not used to. She protested by digging a burrow underneath her hide-away log, and thoroughly webbing over both entrances. My ex boyfriend left her there for almost a week.
I have since moved her terrarium out of the greenhouse and into a new home, in a new state, with me. I'm sure she did not enjoy the 5-day car trip across country, but I brought her into a motel room every night, so at least the temperature was steady. Her terrarium has been sitting undisturbed on my dresser for two and a half weeks, and she still has not come out of the webbed-in burrow she dug while in the greenhouse. I assume she's still recuperating from the recent stress, and I can see her through the glass bottom of the cage. She looks healthy, but I know she hasn't eaten in over a month, and hasn't had any water in at least three weeks. She hasn't molted either, which was my original expectation when she stopped eating.
I don't want to disturb her any more than she has already been disturbed, but I'm concerned about how long she has gone without food or water. Should I destroy her little sanctuary to get her to come out and eat? Should I spray water onto the webbing at the entrance? She is in there of her own free will, so I assume she will come out when she gets hungry enough, but I could be wrong. At what point should I really be worried?
Mary-
Scruffy has been through a lot in the last month. I would try to get her to move in the most uninvasive way as possible. If you can spray her with some water just to get some movement, and maybe stick a cricket in her little hidey hole just to see what she does. If she doensn't eat it, take it back out. You can use long tweezers for this.
I wouldn't destroy her hole completely, but I would encourage her to come out by moving part of the web. Make sure she hears you and sees you often so that she has some sort of normalcy.
She probably went down under to stay warm.
She may still moult if she was mowing down on crickets so feverously there, so hopefully she's just preparing.
If she doens't do something over the next week or so, trust your gut about breaking her out of her little hole. Try to be uninvasive first.
Can you see her moving around in there?
Thanks for your quick response. Guess what? I checked again this morning, and Scruffy has molted! I guess I got worried too soon. I will give her a few more days before I disturb her at all. Anyway, your advice is much appreciated, and helps give arachnofiles everywhere a piece of mind. Is there any way I can donate to your web fees? I figure it's the least I can do.
Dear Radgirl, I just bought my Rose Hair Tarantula and I named her Lola. I still don't quite know if it's a he or she but I figure that if no one else knows then it won't matter, but she ate the first night I had her, last night, but when I go to put a pinky in there and she moves away from it like someone would to someone they didn't like. It kinda bothers me that I might have done something wrong but you did say that Jenna, (yours), only eats crickets and meal worms so idk any suggestions. Oh and I have a one gallon tank for right now but want to get her a bigger one in a couple of days and hold off on that last about er not wanting to eat the pinky because she came out and is "hunting" it right now but ty for all your great info!!!!
Mary, I am so glad to hear about Scruffy! They are just so strange about how they do things, almost like a person with severe OCD-lol! No need to donate to my web fees or anything, just pass any articles along that you like to anyone that you think might enjoy or get something out of them, and don't be afraid to post questions or observations, as I look at this site as a learning adventure for all of us =]
CCraig-I'm glad you have joined the ranks! Lola is sure to bring you a lot of fun and amazement as you share lives. I would suggest a larger habitat, but since you're already heading in that direction, I'm sure you'll find something great. I got mine from a fish store for a steal because it wouldn't hold water. The glass wasn't cracked, but it wouldn't stop leaking. Keep an eye on craigs' list and at garage sales too. You can usually pick up a ten gallon for pretty cheap. Just make sure to disinfect REALLY good before you put her in it, and use a natural cleaner, not something chemically. They are pretty sensitive to that stuff.
My Jenna won't eat pinkys. She did eat a goldfish once when I was visiting my mom and my ex husband thought it would be neat...but that is a whole other story, and I wouldn't reccomend it. She flat out refused the pinky he tried to feed her, which is fine by me, because I kinda had a phobia about her starting to like meat and biting my hand. I don't know that I could stop the reflex of flinging her against the wall, and I would die if I broke her and she died. She's been part of my life forever. I do know other people feed them pinkys and don't get bit though, so that's my own fear, I think. The other thing is that they are sooooo high in protein, that you don't want to feed them to her very often.
She'll move away from you when you reach in for a long time. Jenna still does if I startle her, or if she's just in a bad mood-which does happen. If she turns her back to me, I know not to mess with her that day, or I'll be itching from her hair flinging frenzy for a while. She's so funny! Don't think you did anything wrong, or to offend her. They're wild arachnids, and their protective instinct is to move away from things.
Have fun with her, learn all you can, and don't hesitate to ask questions.
Hello, I had asked you some questions a little over 5 months ago when I got my c. rose hair Walter. I came back to your site today and wanted to let you know that he's healthy.
I still haven't seen him actually eat the crickets but they dissapear and I remove the dead ones. He hasn't molted yet and I'm hoping he's young, I have no idea of his age, I put a link in the url section so you can see a picture of his size.
I just returned from a week vacation and found that he has started to turn his half log into a tunnel and for some reason I think it's adorable.
I hope yours are doing well.
-JD
Hey Radgirl, readin your comments yesterday and you convinced me i've always wanted a terantula and i got a chili rose this mornin, its about 1.5 inch leg span and i'm just wonderin what to feed her (her name is cuddles). Is she too small for crickets? the guy in the pet shop seemed a bit hairy fairy and didn't have a clue bout it. Tanks a million!
Justin-I am so glad to hear from you again! I am so glad your spider has been doing so well! It's great to get updates. Keep up the good work!
Joe-Crickets come in large and small. You're right though, most pet shop owners really don't know much about rerantulas. Make sure you do a lot of research on the right subtrate(floor material), humidity, and care. The more knowledge you get, the better life she'll have. Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask questions any time.
Hey yea about the substrate, The terranium i got came wit substrate and a water dish and a cave, the substrate is kind of a redish orange sand? Just wondering if i should change this to something more specific to the spider?
I would watch and see how she does in it. I have used sand, peat, and bark, and Jenna preferrs bark. She likes to make a web all across the ground, and I think that's why she seems happier in it. Some make webs on their logs and such. Make sure that as we go into winter that she has a heat source.
The problem I had with sand was keeping the humidity right because it seemed to suck it all up. Keep an eye on that. Get a spray bottle with a good mist valve and spray in in her habitat morning and night. Just a spray or two, you don't want to cause mold issues.
Most of all, have fun!
Hey thanks, this is my first spider and i'm fascinated by her, she ate a cricket bout 10 minutes after i put it in the tank and she has been walkin round all over the place checkin ger new home, the floor is just covered in little spidey footprints. I feel like a proud daddy watchin her walk round.
What level should the humidity be kept at, there is a gauge on the side of the tank it reads bout 63 at the moment, also there is a temperature gauge that reads bout 24 degrees celcius. Are they ok or should do somethin to bring them up or down?
She'll thrive best in the temperature is at 21-24 degrees C. The humidity is best at between 60 to 80%.
I'm so glad to see that you feel like a proud daddy. It only gets better with time. Wait til you hold her first moult. I sent mine to show-and-tell with my oldest daughter, only she didn't tell anyone it was a moult until after they freaked out. Too funny.
Hey Radgirl, have ya any hints on handling her first time? I put my had out in front of her today and she crawled onto it but the second i started to move my hand to let her walk onto my other hand she lifted her ab and flicked hairs so i just let her back down into the tank, i'm a bit nervous to pick her up now after that, Just wonderin if ya have any tips?
Thanks a bunch your bein a great help i really appreciate it.
My rh was recently eaten by aother tarantula.Not sure how thy got mixed together.
Joe-hairs are bound to happen. Move slowly and let her get to know you. Start out by having her on your hand inside her habitat and go from there. Just know that nothing she can do is going to kill you, but your reaction can kill her. Breathe and you'll get the hang of it. Never freak out, because they can sense it.
Nicko-OMG, I am so sorry to hear about that! Do you have many?
My tarantula is almost ten. She has been great, but I think she might have gotten herself stuck and I don't know how to help her. She is hanging from the top of her tank by one leg, totally suspended. We haven't handled her in years and I don't know if trying to help her would do more harm than good. Could she be doing this on purpose?
Hi again,
I just wanted to let you know the tarantula is doing well. I decided to name him Octavius (after Dr. Ock from Spider-Man). But I've just nicknamed him spider-man! lol (who knows...)
I am having one concern but think he is just close to molting. He usually has a nasty appetite and loves his crickets. The past few days he has not eaten them. There is only one left that I need to remove with a fish net. The weird thing is yesterday he was laying in his water bowl, most likely thirsty since he hasn't gotten any water from his meals. I got scared at first thinking he was a goner but then he moved, thank goodness! He is still very active, mostly at night. This is why I believe he may be going into a moult.
When he eats he usually lays a web underneath him. I laugh because it's like a guarantee that his prey can't run away if dropped.
Thanks again for your help!! I hope to hear from you soon! I love this web site and so glad I came across it.
- Danielle
JP Stormy-
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.
Jenna does that all the time, and I don't think it's on purpose, I just think that she jams one foot under the cage lid and can't get it out.
Here's what I do:
I get a big serving spoon because she freaks out when I open the lid and can't get a grip on the wall. I put the spoon just under her so she falls into it(if I put her butt in it, she uses that to fling herself over the lip of the habitat, and she's already in freak out mode, so it's not good) and I unhook her foot. She falls into the spoon, I set her on the ground, and she runs around freaking out for a minute.
I don't think she does it on purpose, and she's done it for the last five years or so about once per month. There's no rhyme or reason about being hungry or anything like that, so maybe it's her size.
Danielle-
I wouldn't worry about him laying in the water bowl. Sometimes they do that. Just make sure your humidity is good, and if not, spritz the tank every day.
It'll take time to get used to his molting habits.
Jenna always flicks all the hair off of her rear about a month before she molts. Then, I watch as the bald spot on her turns darker and darker, then I wake up to find her running around fresh and new, and I send the exoskeleton to school with one of the kids for show and tell....or I leave it on the kitchen counter and watch people freak out.
Oh, you have to have a sense of humor, right?
She also does the same thing with her webs. It's like she knows her new cricket schedule, and a couple days before, she'll start laying web all over her floor. Then she stands really tall and really still when they get dropped in.
They are fun, aren't they?
my tarantula is rearing up when food is near.she is getting a bald spot which says to me she preparing for a moult,other signs are she has webbed the floor in her plant pot and often goes in there as where she never use to.she never use to rear up and has only started doing it about 4days ago.
my tarantula is rearing up when food is near.she is getting a bald spot which says to me she preparing for a moult,other signs are she has webbed the floor in her plant pot and often goes in there as where she never use to.she never use to rear up and has only started doing it about 4days ago.
Carl-
She may be crabby and getting ready for moulting.
Just give her space and maybe refrain from handling her if she is showing signs of aggression right now.
years ago i had another tarantula and she lived until she was 15,whenever she moulted she didnt get aggressive before or afterwards,what i would like to know is my new tarantula although she is aggressive now prior to her moult will her aggression go after she moults?she has been a placid spider and has been handled regular not just by myself but my partner and my childen.i would hate to have to get rid of her if she stays aggressive and unhandable because ive just got rid of their fear of spiders.thanks for your reply to my last question and hope you can help me out with this
Aggression is not a common trait in these guys, but every once in a while, I'm sure there can be a bad egg.
I would wait and watch her and see if she relaxes. If I had to guess, I would say that it has to do with her moult. I wouldn't be afraid of her. She's probably young and full of vigor after climbing out of that tight exoskeleton she's been wearing.
Let us know is she calms down. If not, we'll look at environmental issues.
Hello there, i was wondering if you could help me with a few Q's i have. I got my Rose Hair about a year ago now, perty much rescued it from being abused i guess u could say (not being fed, no water, ... etc) anyways, i have no clue how old it might be, if or when its last molt was, male or female? (i think MAYBE a female) i feed at crickets, but just bought some wax worms today to try for it, and see it it might like them. I also notice on it that it seems to have missing hairs?, off its abdomen i think (the big round hump thing :oP) im trying my best to take care of it, the pet stores here also dont seem to know much, but the same info. that i can get off the net. I would appreciate some answers, thanks a bunch :o) By the way i call it buddy!!
Cookie:
My girl gets a bald butt right before a moult, so she might be getting ready to do that. I'm so glad that you saved her. You will find that pet stores don't know much about them, and a lot of internet sites are hard to understand.
Adult males have swollen pedipals(those are the "little" legs near the fangs that they don't walk on) and mating hooks in the second joint of the first pair of legs. It's hard to explain what you're looking for when sexing your spider, so I suggest googling images of mating hooks. I have a girl, so I can't take pictures of them, but it would be great for some one who has a boy to do that and post a link here.
Just make sure you keep doing what you're doing, and you'll learn her habits. They are all so different. I've read books by entomologists who claim that they are personalityless decorations, but that is not true at all. They all have unique personalities, and when you've had one as long as I have, you will be able to communicate with each other. She tells me when she's hungry, when she's crabby, and when she's feeling like she needs to get my attention. It sounds crazy, but anyone who has had one for a long time will agree, I'm sure.
Good luck, and congrats on your new friend!
ive been reading some of the post you have here and most of them answered my questions like do they lose appetite before molting which it seems they do the bald spot on her rear meaning getting ready to molt but the one question i have is that i have her in a 75 gallon aquarium is that to big ? and if not do i need more than one water dish?
Pat,
Tarantulas depend on feeling their environment. If she is pacing the perimeter of the tank constantly, it means she's stressed out from having so much land to cover. A tarantula that can 'feel' her entire environment is a happy spider. This could also cause lack of appetite, and cause her to flick her hair off more often too, because she's going to have more anxiety.
There are some exceptions to the rule, of course. I have heard people talk about keeping their large aquarium heavily landscaped with a lot of hidey holes for their spider, and they have happy spiders, but that is not very common. Most people scale down when they realize their spider is stressed. One person explained that he downsized because he created an ADHD spider, because it was always patrolling to make sure it's habitat was safe.
The rule of thumb is to get an enclosure four times longer than your spider will be as a full grown adult. Ten gallon habitats are perfect, and lizard enclosures work the best. I got mine from a fish tank place for super cheap because the seal wouldn't hold water, but we had to custom make a lid to go over it, because they can be quite the escape artists if they have a fish tank lid.
I hope this helps! The most important thing is to have fun!
so maybe what ur saying is whats going on why shes not eating is because the enviorment is to big i have a couple 25 gallon aqariums i will try that or do u think maybe i should hold out to see if she molts cause she seemed happy before with the big one i have alot of stuff for her to hide plants burrows etc.
but she did move around alot before she went dormant (so to speak) although she seemed happy u think maybe because of molting process i hate to think im miss treating her
Pat, you aren't mistreating her. Mistreating her would be to shove her in a mason jar and call it good. If she's about to moult, don't mess with her, because the exoskeleton underneath is extremely soft and easy to break until she moults and even after. I don't handle mine for 2 weeks after a moult so she has time to get used to her new skin. If she doesn't moult in the next 30 days, or if she starts to shrivel up at all, I would move her. Keep and eye on the humidity, as it's harder in a larger tank, you can't just spray a spritz or two and call it good, you have to give the whole place a good spritz every day. Not a drenching, just a spritzing. She may be one of those spiders who doesn't get stressed about her surroundings.
Hope this helped!
my husbands friend put our spider shedded skin on his girlfriends pillow!! and she was nt amused!!
thats one thing i havent been doing radgirl is spraying the tank i wasnt thinking that living in south louisiana it would be humid enough ill start spraying the tank every day and watch her for a month thanks so much for your advice ill let you know how it goes
Good plan, Pat, let me know if you have any questions at all.
hey radgirl,from reading all the other posts you really know what your talking about, so i have a question...Ijust got my female rose hair,(beth),about a week ago,shes a year old and evry once and a while she will brush her tiny front legs against her fangs ...is this normal?, bc she does it for a good half hour-45mins....and she also spins the accastional web here and there but just a string of it or 2,is this also normal behavior?
Thanks!!
Matt-
This is totally normal. A tarantula's pedipalps(little front legs) are loaded with sensory hairs. They also use them to crush prey after they've injected them with venom.
A couple of things could be happening here. Beth may feel threatened by the move, something in her habitat, or something she can feel. She may be trying to hiss by rubbing her pedipalps. She may also be hungry. They are extremely clean, so she may be grooming herself, and she may do this forever. If she just moulted, she may be exploring her body, kind of like a baby human.
As for webbing, they all do it differently, and she's really young, so she may be experimenting.
This is all totally normal behavior for Beth, so don't worry. If it's due to her new surroundings, make sure that she's not getting bothered by vibrations, like being too close to a subwoofer or something. She's new, so give her about a month to acclimate.
All is well, if you have more questions along the way, you know where I'm at.
Oh ok thanks, and i was also wondering when do they usualy moult??
No problem Matt. They moult more often when they are younger, and it slows down as they reach adulthood. Health plays a big part in how often and when they moult.
A couple of weeks before, or sometimes longer, your spider may stop eating, drinking, web a large amount, and even barricade themselves into a hiding spot. Some are up-side-down for a couple of hours to complete the process, some are up-side-down for a couple of days.
You will learn your spider's eating and moulting habits as you get to know her. There isn't a particular "time" that is like a "moulting season" for them, it just happens as they outgrow their exoskeletons.
After she's done, make sure to remove the exoskeleton and do something good with it, like send it with a kid to show-and-tell, or put in on your kitchen counter and invite all of your friends over.
The point is, have fun. They are really amazing creatures, and I think you'll see why as you get to know her.
ok thanks that makes a lot of sence, but how do u know how much to feed them and when their hungary??
Start by giving her two or three crickets. See if she eats them right away.
My spider is a piggy, and eats about ten crickets in a week. Still, some weeks she doesn't eat any.
Always take out the bodies if they die and she doesn't eat them. Always remove them after 24 hours if she doesn't either until you know it doesn't annoy her.
When Jenna is hungry after her little "fasts", she will climb the walls of her cage and stare at me, following my direction, like she's saying, "HELLOOOOOO!!!!". I have learned over time that she's telling me it's a good time to get some crickets in there, and she pigs out when I do.
I don't recommend not offering crickets for a week, but Jenna is nearing ten years old, and I know her very well. It takes time, and trial and error.
For now, just assume that she's going to want to eat 1 cricket every 2-3 days until you learn her habits.
wow ok great thanks for all your help...ill keep in touch on how shes doin and its good to know i have a someone 2 answer my tarantula questions...thanks again!!!:D
hi ya again my spider has had all the signs of her molting but 2weeks ago she started dancing about on her toes and not doing much so i thought that she was pretty much ready to go but yesterday she got onto her back and start twitching her legs about and eventually slowed down to a twitch every now and then ending up with all of her legs curled towards her underneath as if she has died she hasnt moved at allsince then which would be about 17hours so i presume that she is dead by the way her legs have curled up and the lack of movement
Matt-
You're welcome, I'm glad I could help.
Carl-Don't assume she's dead yet. My spider will lay on her back for up to 24 hours before she climbs out of her skin, and I've heard others say that they have spiders that will lay up-side-down for up to 2 days. I would wait 28 hours before calling in the coroner. I hope she's just being slow.
Hi there, I've been looking for advice about my daughters Chile Rose for such a long time...and now it seems I might get somewhere - this stuff is great, I have learnt so much already by reading through.
We bought Evie in April. They told me she was a "sub adult" (whatever that means!) - and she was happy enough to eat in the beginning. However, for over 2 months now she has eaten nothing. All we do is take out dead crickets and locusts. She spends all her time on her water dish. I say water dish, the pet shop told me to use bug gel - not water as they can drown.
After reading through these posts I have put WATER in her dish with some pebbles and I have made sure her tank is now moist - we weren't told to spray the tank. The poor girl has been in dryness for 2 months! No wonder she isn't right. I feel awful. My own fault for not finding your site sooner. The books didn't give me this type of insight.
As soon as we wet her bedding she buried in to it. She can't get enough - so I hope this works. Watching closley. Thank you so much. if you have any other tips for me - I'd appreciate it. My daughter is so worried about her - and rightly so - her butt is small now.
Hi Ali, I'm glad you found me.
She's dehydrated. Much more time, and she would have started to shrivel. I know some people have that gooey water stuff, and they are successful, but I am not for it. My spider loves to lay in her dish when she's feeling hot or getting close to a molt.
Give her some time to get used to having water again, and don't worry about her drowning unless she is tiny. Make sure the water in the dish is deep enough for her to rest her abdomen in, because they really enjoy it from time-too-time, and with her so dehydrated, she's REEEEALLLY gonna like it.
Keep giving her crickets. Pull out the bodies, and hope she gets some food going, but she may be totally out of energy at this point.
I learned something from a guy who has tons of spiders and has raised them forever, and you can try it. It sounds strange, but slice off a piece of an apple and stick it in with her. Get it out after 24 hours and do it again. Apples have some magic nutrition in them that doesn't only work for people, but our 8-legged friends too. She may never touch it, but you may notice scratch marks on it when you remove it. That would be from her scraping it when you're not looking.
I totally forgot about this, as I was worried about my spider being sick about eight years ago, and I found him and pounded him with questions-I'm so glad it came back to me.
He said you can do the same thing with a potato, but I always used a apple.
If she doesn't improve, you can make an ICU, which is in a past posting, so just scan up and you'll find it, but try letting her get used to water again for a few days before you go that route, and only if she starts doing worse.
I hope this helps!!
I'm so glad I found you too! Evie is so much better! She is parading around...her abdomen is much much bigger and I have barely seen her at the water dish! She's like a new girl! I've taken the stones out, just in case she fancies a dip.
She still hasn't eaten though - and I have even held a locust right in front of her! She just walked off. It does worry us - so I've cut up an apple as you suggested.
I guess time will tell. Not sure what to do if her appetite doesn't return. Meanwhile - we'll see if the apple is scratched....
thank you so much for your help and support. You saved her life!
Ali, I am so glad to see that Evie is doing better. Try also putting in a couple of crickets and leaving them for three days. She may just want to hunt them for a while. After you take them out, wait a day, then put them back in. Keep doing this until she gets used to the routine and hopefully eats.
She may take a bit, as she's regaining strength and getting used to water again. When she's hungry, she will eat. They can go for quite a while without.
I'm so glad! Keep us updated on her progress.
Serious question: Me and my girlfriend bought a female chilean rose at a store in reading PA... well what we didnt know was that it was pregnant. we found out one day when we saw lots of little white dots running around the cage... we looked behind her burrow (which was a castle from a fishtank at the time) and found a 1/4 empty eggsack opened up. now my question... Can a female T lay more then one eggsack from a mating?
Hey i mightb e gettign a chilean rose can you just explain to me whats humidity,how do i control it whats a good substrate what do i do with the wate dish i live in north england so ist a bit cold
Hey i mightb e gettign a chilean rose can you just explain to me whats humidity,how do i control it whats a good substrate what do i do with the wate dish i live in north england so ist a bit cold
hey there. this site helped me soo MUCH. i bought a red rose hair tarantula today, and i was wondering if a 5 gallon tank is too big for a spider with about a 1.5-2 inch span.. i'm worried to put her in the tank without knowing. also, i know that the tank is WAY too tall for her, could she climb out? i don't know if they can climb up glass because it isn't porous.. please get back to me asap. thanks!
Steve-well, what an interesting thing to happen! They do not lay more than one egg sac, but one alone can contain up to 500 eight-legged babies. Are you reading up on what to do with all of your new little ones? If you plan on keeping them, you have to get a ton of little see-through containers to keep them in. Put a bit of the mommy's subtrate in with them, and feed them tiny crickets that are less than 1 week old. As they grow, the containers need to grow as well, and they shouldn't take up more than a quarter of the space. Then start calling stores that carry them, entomologists, zoos, whatever source you can find to help take them off of your hands. Oh, the size of cricket should grow with them too, but never be as large as they are.
Jack-Humidity is the amount of water in the air. You can usually keep it right by using pete moss for subtrate and making sure she has a water dish. If it keeps drying out, or to be safe, use a water bottle with a mister and spritz one time per day just to put water in the air.
You are going to want a heat source in there too, especially if it's cold. You do want a water dish so she can drink. There are lots of heat sources you can use, such as lights and rocks, but be aware that rocks can burn them(although I have used one in Jenna's cage her whole life). There are also heat sources that can go under the subtrate and under the cage, although I think that your spider should have a place to go when she is cold, and one to go when she's hot.
I hope this helps!
Maya-Hi there, first off, congrats for deciding to have a spidey-pet, they are really fun.
They don't need porous glass to climb. The worry is that if it's too high, she could fall and split her abdomen open. Until she's bigger, that's not such a scare unless her habitat is full of stuff for her to fall on.
A 5 gallon is perfect, because she's going to grow and grow. Make sure she has a place to hide, a water dish that isn't full enough for her to drown in, and good subtrate.
If you don't have a lid that seals on pretty good, I would get one. They can sneak out of fish tank lids, push open light lids, and you don't want her to get out. My lid is custom made out of wood and plexi glass. We made the frame out of wood so that it fit snugly over the top of my aquarium without being easy to lift or leaving space. Then, we cut a piece of plexi glass to fit the frame and drilled holes in a 1 inch grid(so each hole has a hole one inch away in every direction) and screwed it to the frame. She can't get out, and it takes just a little human elbow grease to get it off.
Hope this helps!
it helped bunches. i got a lid and it fastens well. so thank you. another question i have, could a stressed spider lunge? i bought her at a reptile show today, and she was in a tiny container for hours. i finally moved her into her tank and she moved around and continuously climbs to the top. i misjudged her size, she has about a 3 inch span so i'm not so worried now. anyway, my point was they had a sponge in the tiny container for her to drink from that was mildewed and i was disgusted that they'd take such poor care of her. i went to take it out but she was nearly on top of it so i slightly brushed her back leg with the lid to nudge her forward and she lunged around at me. i'm not sure if she was trying to bite or if i startled her. she is back to climbing up the walls and has no bald spot so if she was stressed she wasn't kicking up hairs.
also, im not sure if continuously climbing up the walls is a sign that she's uncomfortable with the habitat i've provided. i can't get her a hiding place until tomorrow or so i have a water dish and very clean natural potting soil as her substrate. i held her earlier, and she's been mild in temperment, when i moved her to the larger tank i accidentally put my fingers right in her face and got no reaction. but when i put them behind her she calmly climbed out of the tiny container to the habitat as if she wasn't bothered. i'm not sure if i'm doing something wrong or not.
oh and she's taken a fancy to one corner of the tank.. keeps herself shoved up in that corner but isn't burrowing she's just sitting there. i'm also convinced that the man i bought her from misinformed me because the legs are thin and it is small bodied although it has a 3 inch leg span.. it's hind part is not round when you look from the side. it looks like sort of an oval.. and the thin legs make me think it's a male now, not a female. could it be dehydrated or is it normal for it's hind part to not be completely round? i don't know how old this tarantula is.. :/
from the pictures i've seen i know for sure it's not full grown.. is there any kind of signs i can look for other than what you've already said that it might molt soon? like change in color or something of that sort?
I am worried now. my tarantula has not moved AT ALL in the last 2 and a half hours.. same position in that corner.
i figured out what was wrong. she was hungryy! haha :] and i got her a good hiding spot.
Maya,
She's going to be stressed out for the first few days in her new habitat. She has to touch every inch of it, because they "see" what's going on around them by feel. Yes, they have eyes, and can see, but they really rely on feeling.
Over the next few months, and even up to a year, you'll be getting to know her habits. They are all a bit different, and they all do different things before a molt, when they're hungry, and when they're getting dehydrated.
I'm sorry to hear that she was stored in mildew. That's horrible. A lot of these guys have horrid lives in cramped spaces and don't survive.
She'll be having spurts of energy where she's running, and just like us, they get tired, so she's going to have times where she's just worn out. Once you have all of her goodies in with her, she'll get to know her area, and she'll calm down.
Make sure she has a water dish with actual water in it, just not enough for her to drown in. If she's dehydrated she'll love you for it.
I don't think she lunged at you, I think she was just scared. Until she gets to know your "vibration" patterns in your day-to-day life, she'll be jumpy. After a while, she won't even care if you jump up and down in front of her.
It sounds like she's adjusting well.
Hope this helped!
you've been such an amazing help to me. i put a few crickets in today and she instantly grabbed two haha
she's doing much better. i was worried at first but you put me at ease and i see now that what you're saying is true. i will definately be coming to you for any other questions i have. you're a lifesaver! my baby thanks you too. I'm not sure what to name her though! in time, in time :]
maybe her personality will show me the right name for her.
Maya-I'm so glad I could help. They are really fun to have, and I know you'll love her! They're really hardy, so don't worry about screwing up.
Mine got her name from a Stephen King story that I read in a compilation of short stories. It was part of the Gunslinger story, and there were vampire sisters that were going to kill the main character, Rolland, but one of them was good at heart, and gave her life to save his, and her name was Jenna.
Have fun naming her! She's going to be a great addition to your family!
thanks soo much :]
one last question before i leave you alone for a while, is it normal for her to eat 8 crickets in 2 days? does that mean they were starving her or could she just be a little piggy?
i decided to name her Scarlett
Maya,
Scarlet is a beautiful name. She may or may not have been starving, she may just have to eat more to keep up with her energy in her new habitat. She may just be between molts and going through a growth spurt. She won't always eat like that, but from time to time she will.
Mine usually eats ten crickets in about 5 days, but some weeks she'll only eat 2, and some weeks she won't eat at all.
hey radgirl i was talkin to ya on this back in july when i got my spider but i've run into a major problem, she won't eat, i've tried giving different types of crickets and even small locusts but she has no interest in them at all. she hasn't ate in about 6 to 7 weeks now. i have the humidity and temperature right in the terranium and i don't know what to do with her. any advice would be much appreciated, thanks very much, joe.
Joe-
First, make sure she has clean fresh water in a dish. Then, try a slice of apple. Watch it for little scratches in it the next morning as a sign that she's eating some of it.
I have talked to people who had spiders that didn't eat for 2 months without a problem.
I would check your bedding, make sure there aren't any little mites or something walking around in it. Check her out and see if you notice anything strange on her.
Then, think about environment. Is her habitat in a place where she gets hit by hot sun, where there are sudden loud noises, where there is a lot of activity, or where she spends too much time in the dark?
Is she running around her habitat like she's on a mission all the time? Is she lethargic? Does she appear shriveled at all? Is she acting normally? Does she have any bald spots on her rear? If so, what color does her skin appear to be(dark, or light)?
Think about anything that has changed for her recently.
I'll be looking for your observations.
hey thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
I tried a slice of apple about 2 weeks ago but i couldn't see any signs that she even touched it.
I keep her in my bedroom which i only use for sleeping so there would be no loud noises and not much activity.
As i live in Ireland there is not much hot sun but she gets plenty of sunlight all day and she has a little cave to go into if she wants to get into the dark.
About 1 week before she stopped eating i noticed little mites in the terranium so i took her out and i washed everything (just with water, no soap or anything like that) and gave her fresh substrate and they haven't come back, i'm on constant look out for them.
Yes she has a small bald patch on her rear, its about one quarter the size of her ab right in the middle, her skin is kind of a light gray-white color. She has had this since i got her in july.
The only other things i have noticed strange is that she tends to tuck her legs in close to her body when she is staying still and she has never spun any web.
Thank you very much,
Joe.
Joe-
The only thing you can do is continue to offer her some food. If she doesn't seem shriveled up, and she's still moving around, and she has water, then keep doing what you're doing.
There are some pretty specific reasons a T doesn't eat: it won’t eat if kept too cold, if it is approaching a molt,if it has a fungal infection or is otherwise sick, or it's just not hungry.
Since she's had some mites, she may be not feeling well. Hopefully they didn't get into her joints, mouth, or book lungs. I want you to make sure you keep a very dry cage for her right now with a water dish until you can be sure the mite infestation is gone. Keep her cage super clean, and next time you clean it, use a mixture of 90% water to 10% bleach. She'll need a temporary home during this time, and when you clean it out, let it dry thoroughly for an entire day, then smell it. If you can still smell the bleach, rinse it again, let it thoroughly dry again for an entire day, and smell again. Do this until you smell NO bleach, as the fumes can hurt your T.
If you have any sort of wood ornamental stuff for her, you're going to either need to toss it and get new, or nuke it in the microwave for 2-5 minutes. Make sure you also put a cup of water in the microwave with the items, and NO METAL!! Don't ever put them back in with her until they are completely cooled and have NO hot spots.
The key to mites is to keep her habitat dry so they dehydrate before they get a chance to mate.
You can do this test once per week to see if there's still a problem: Turn out all the lights in the house at night for a while, then with a flashlight, shine it in her habitat. Be patient and let your eyes focus. If you see little points of light wandering around her subtrate, there are still some mites in there. It's best to set an alarm and do this in the middle of the night after the lights have been turned off for several hours.
Hopefully she will come out of it fine. It may be nothing. I hope this helped!
Hey thanks very much your a star, i'l do all that and hopefully she'l be fine. I'll keep ya updated on any progress. Thank your very much,
Joe.
Joe-we'll try anything until we get it right, right?
Good luck with her!
hey joe
just to let you no (from personal experience) its not rare that any tarantula may go weeks if not months with out eating. How long has he/she stoped eating for? please respond soon.
Please note that if your tarantula's are having little shakes or for some reason just occasionally shaking please let me no asap
if your tarantula is slow moving very docile and/or weak let me no.
and if your tarantula is becomeing abit agressive please do not disturbe her and respond asap
look out for these 3 simple sighns joe ok if she/he does not suffer any of these thats good due to 2 of these are very bad incurable illneses in tarantulas the last one may be premolt but dont take my word for it not till we no whats really going on
as for what sex for any tarantula look on the front legs (when mature) and look for pedlepalps (a nobly lump on the front legs) and hooks (also on the front legs) this indicates that you have a male. Also a good way of judgeing is the size of there arse lol males tend to be smaller than females. Regardless of weather you have male or female Chilean Rose Hairs there still rely on you (unlike some people i used to no killed there males because there life span was short) These T's are special i have 8 T's and i love every one of them unconditionally even when they give me a good nailing lol
i have 1 gramostola rosea (Chilean Rose Hair) 1 OBT (Orange baboon tarantula) or (Orange bitey thing lol) 1 Avicularia Avicularia (Pink Toe) 1 H.Lividum (Cobalt Blue) 1 B.Smithi (Mexican red knee) 1 Togo Starburst (2 inch spiderling) 1 goliath bird eater (she is huge lol) and a P.Regalise (4 inch) which i got bit by about 2 months ago :P yea that hurt lol i handle all my T's although some of them have massive warning sighns over there heads lol
some advice if any one does get an agressive species not that people recomend holding these but it is ok if you want to under extreem caution though i find with a couple of these if your hand towers over them they go into thret posture but if your hand is bellow them there fine theyll walk on your hand no problem my cobalt blue i handle like i would a chilean rose hair and she is very skidish but as long as i dont tower over her and im slow when picking her up she is fine
but yea joe please respond asap and let us no yea and radgirl your a star guys you can learn alot from her in all fairness she is amazing in the advice she gives
remember guys unconditional love for ya T's youll get so much more back from them n belive me tarantulas aint stupid your treat them with love and respect you get so much more back
high five to rad girl =]
joe your doing great but dont worry to much your Tarantula will be fine in time high five to you to =]
Hey radgirl. I am about to get a rose but i have some questions. When you feed yur tarantula, how many crickets do you feed it and how often. i have been looking at sum websites and they say to take any uneaten prey out of the cage in the next 24 hrs. Does this mean any dead prey, or just every all of the uneaten crickets whether they are living or not? And what do you do for the spiders heating? ANd just curious, have you ever been bitten be yur girl? Srry bout all those quesstions. LOL. Email me. Thx
How long do female rosies live? Males?
Thanks, Damo, you are a true tarantula fan!!
SoapYoyo, Most people start by putting two crickets in at a time and taking them out if they don't eat them after 24 hours. My Jenna is a piggy though, and over the years, I've learned that she'll eat more than 2 in a 24 hour period most of the time, so I do a big no-no and put in ten(I know, T owners everywhere, cringe, but she's ten years old and healthy) and she usually eats them over a week, and if any die, I take them out. The thing about her is that she really will only eat once every 2-3 weeks, and if I introduce crickets too soon, they'll all die, and she won't touch them.
The point of telling you that is this: Your spider will have an algorithm all its own. It may want to eat two crickets once a week, but you won't know that until you get to your spider, and that will take some time.
Until then, I would put two or three in, and if your T hasn't eaten them in 24 hours, take them out and wait 24 hours to put them back in. If she's new to her home, she may not want to eat, and they might really annoy her, and that's why you remove them after 24 hours at first. It's not rocket science, feel free to experiment with the time and amount after she's adjusted to her new home. Just see what happens. If any of them die without being eaten, remove them right away so you don't get icky stuff in your habitat.
As for heating, there are a bunch of different things that T owners swear by. I have a really good really small heat rock that I check for hot spots all the time. She sits on it when she's cold, and it's been that way for ten years. A lot of people freak out about heat rocks, and want you to get other systems, but I've always used heat rocks with no issues. Just buy a mid-line one or higher, not the cheapest one, should you go with a heat rock. Some people don't offer heat sources at all, and others have the heat things that go under the subtrate. I like that she can be in a cool place or a warm place, and she likes it too. She even webs it all the time so it won't get away, lol!
I have never been bitten, and that's something that still scares me, so I don't handle her if she flicks hairs at me, I don't handle her if she hasn't eaten in a long time, and I don't handle her for 2 weeks after a molt. She's never been aggressive to me, like raring up at me or anything, but I can tell when she's just like, "Really? Today you're leaving me alone, or face the annoying itch of my butt."
Lifespan differs between females and males. Males live about 5 years, give or take, and females live 15 or more. I have heard of many of them living to be 20. The first year is the hard part, because they're in a new environment and you don't know each other. They're hearty, but stress can be hard on them, especially if they came from a place where they weren't cared for very well. If you have excellent husbandry, and never fling her against the wall and kill her because she bit you(that's my fear, hurting her, not me), then you'll have a lot of years of enjoyment.
If you do end up with a male, love it for all of his years, because a male shouldn't be cast away just because he has a shorter life span. People choose beagles as pets every day, and their life span is significantly shorter than, say a German shepherd. Like Damo said, many people kill them if they end up with a male. Sad.
Hope this helps!
hey Radgirl,
I am getting a chile rose in a few weeks and was just doing my research (great site).I have just a few questions please.
firstly do tarantulas pee and poop?if so do you remove them?
secondly My kit has come with a heat mat do you use one?where to put it? and what temperature should it be at?
thankyou Deano
Hi Deano,
First, congrats on your decision to become a T owner. They are really neat pets, and it's a fun hobby.
Tarantula waste is not an issue so long as you clean the habitat regularly. They do make waste, but really, it's super tiny. There's really no way to remove anything a T might make unless you don't keep a clean cage forever.
I do not use a heat mat. I know people who do, and they love them. I also know people who have cooked their spider because it heated the whole cage too much, or the subtrate was too moist and it cooked them. DO NOT use it if it's not controlled by a thermostat, and never put it inside the cage. Don't use it at all if it's more than half the size of the cage. If you use it, keep it at about 70-75F. I have heard of people attaching them to the underside of the lid of the cage because ground dwelling Ts dig as a way to get away from heat. It's an instinct. Again, you run into the problem of them not having a cooler place to go.
I have used the same heat rock forever. I know, I know, hot spots, burns, and all the lectures, but it's a small rock, I check it all the time for hot spots, and I like the idea of her having a cool place and a warm place. I didn't buy the cheapest crappiest rock, I bought a mid-line one, and it's worked forever. She loves it, she even webs it so it won't get away. She only goes to it when it's really chilly, and otherwise, she hangs out on the cool side.
Many people just keep the temp in the room in the seventies. I know that's not super efficient on the heating bill.
Hope this helps!
yeah that helps alot thanks.I think I am going with the same idea as you having a hot place and a cold place.Thats what I done for my snakes in the past.
I am sure the heat mat has a gauge on it however if it doesnt I will be purchasing a heat rock.
will keep you posted thanks for the quick response.
Deano
Hi Radgirl,
Although we were successful in rehydrating Evie she still hasn't eaten. That is since April. However, since being rehydrated she was once again more energetic. So we were hopeful.
This morning my daughter pointed out that she had webbed everywhere around her - everywhere! like a bed. She looked like she was dying. I decided to not say anything to my daughter - just let her get on with her day at school. Deal with it later..
While she has been gone - Evie has suddenly started to molt! I am so excited! After all this time and we were so worried - maybe she was just getting ready to molt? Maybe that was why she wasn't eating?
Anyway - we are all looking in eagerly. I do hope she makes it - i know it's a risky time. Is there anything that I can do to make it safer for her? I have sprayed her cage in the hope she'll keep moist.
I know you may not get this in time - it might be all over by the time you read this but I just felt the need to include you as you were so kind and helpful!
I'll keep you posted.
Ali x
Ali-I'm so glad to hear that she's doing so well. There really isn't anything you can do to make her safer other than not touching her. Her exoskeleton will be soft and she can get injured really easily. I would give her a day then put in crickets, and do the whole remove if she doesn't eat them or if they die thing. I have a feeling that when she feels up to it she's going to have the appetite of a monster!
I will watch for her progress.
She's out! She's made it! Oh it was so amazing - I was spellbound by the whole process. I think I love her even more now! She was so good at it!
She managed to just "slide out" in under 2 hours. It was so fast!
She is resting now, but I will do just as you say and try the whole feeding routine thing soon. I'm really hoping this'll be a turn around and that like you say - she'll have an appetite of a monster!
So good to talk to someone who doesnt think I'm deranged for being so engrossed in her!
thanks Radgirl! Speak soon x
Ali-LOL, my own best friend won't go in the room Jenna lives in because she thinks I'm deranged. The exoskeleton scared her to death, I put it on my microwave and she freaked out!
Ahh, the life of a deranged spider junkie.
I'm glad to hear she did so well. I think she'll be fine, especially if she came through with all her legs.
hey radgirl,
i got my T named her Amber.Shes beautiful.i think she has settled in ok.not went near her burrow yet though.ate three crickets earlier.but I think i pissed her off because I kept looking at her and when I had the lid open she reared up but I think she may just be nervous.going to give her a few days alone.
So happy though Deano
Deano-
Congrats on your new T, she's going to be so fun!!
If she rears up, let her have some space for sure!! It's good that she's already burrowing and eating. I think you have a healthy spider!
hey just to give you an update and let other T owners know something.
I was changing Ambers water today she was in her burrow with head sticking out i put my hand in to pick up the dish and she raced at my hand and bite me.it was only a dry bite and she let go really quick.shes pretty aggressive.
firstly those people that say its like a wasp sting are wrong it hurts like hell lol
secondly I respect her more for defending her territory and shes something special I get attached to her more and more each even if she is a bitch.
deano
Deano-
Hmmmm.....it's very rare that they act like that at all. They are the 'teddy bears' of the T world.
I'm wondering if she was either wild or abused before you got her.
I would be very careful with her from now on, because that is strange behavior. You may want to put a barrier in when you're cleaning or changing water to keep her in one half of the cage so she doesn't attack you any more.
She may just be a display spider. I hope she calms down for you.
Ive got a divider built onto the tank so going to use it from now on.
I thought they were meant to nice and docile too thats why a choose this species.She was a captive breed.A dont know maybe she will calm down shes still a sub-adult.
It would be nice to handle her but Im not fussed if she just wants to be a display spider then a
Im fine with that shes still beautiful.lol
deano
Deano,
Generally speaking, they are totally docile. It's very rare for them to be aggressive. I would just let time go on and see how she does. She may calm down.
Does she pace the tank at all?
not at all.she seems quite content in her tank.eating fine,burrowing,drinking.its only the aggression that seems wierd.
deano
im in need of ergent help !!
my friend has brought his T round to mine and the poor guy is in seriouse need of attention it is very dehydrated and could say unless somthing is done very soon it will die =[
i have been hydrateing it and kept high humidity to help but thats not the problem
the dip stick cut the fangs of his G.Rosea because he was scared of him/her biting him... i no this is abit of a long shot but is there any way that they could grow back with in the next malt or is there any way i can keep him/her alive ??
The Rosea is 3 inch leg span she/he still got plenty of life to live
please help if you can
damo
Hey there,
I waited a little while before I put any locusts in - and you were right...as soon as I turned my back and walked away she had it! She was one happy spider! YAY!(And we are very happy too!)
I am going to put another one in in case she is still hungry after it being so long since she's eaten - although I have to say she looks great!
I was a little concerned that I would put her off again if I put another in too soon - but I guess the worst that can happen is that I have to take it out again.
hi.
i got my spider last week for my birthday just got a few queries as i think everything else is spot on!
the humidity is currently at 60%
and temperaturt at 78 degrees
is this a good mix etc
incy has ate everything i have put in for her since last week which has been a cricket every other day so i assume shes doing ok.
just need to get some tips for ensuring that she has another source of water for the humidity in case she is literally drinking it all whilst i am out at work etc i have read about spraying the substrate and a lot of people conflict each other so a bit confused!!!!!
For everyone who read Damo's post, please, please, never ever clip your spider's fangs. This would be like clipping your teeth and only giving you jaw breakers to eat. Unfortunately, the spider in his post has passed away. It was too late to save her. She likely starved to death since she wouldn't be able to liquefy her prey. She was severely dehydrated as well due to her torturous fang clippings. Had she made it to the next molt, she may have survived, but sadly, she did not. If you are afraid to have a spider as a pet, please, do not get one. They are not a fad, they are not a toy, and they are alive with blood and nerve endings too. They feel the pain you put them through with mistreatment. It's a sad day when some one would do such a thing.
I'm so sorry Damo, that you had to experience that.
Ali-I am so happy to see that she is doing well!! Good job on your husbandry, I think you will make a fine tarantula owner!! Now that she's doing well, you guys will get to know each other, and the rest will be fun!!
Steve-Humidity isn't an exact science for them. As long as they have some, they will do fine. spritz the tank once every day lightly(not soaking), and watch your subtrate for mold, and you should be fine. Make sure that she does have a water source for drinking. While you're at work, any fluctuation in the humidity isn't going to kill her, they are very hardy. It would take more time than that. If she's a tiny baby, make sure your water dish isn't big enough for her to drown in. I use a small lizard dish, and it's what I've always used, and I have to fill it once every 3-4 days.
It's kind of like a fish tank, the more times a day you are checking the PH and adding this and that, the more fish you'll kill. Just look over the habitat every day to make sure there's nothing funky, give a spritz once every day, and make sure there's food and water available as she needs it, and you'll do fine.
Over the next couple of years you'll really get a feel for her needs, feeding habits, molting habits(Jenna flicks all the hair off one spot on her rump, and it goes from light to dark as she gets closer to a molt. It's like she's showing me), and make sure you remove any dead food or exoskeleton.
Most of all, have fun. They are rewarding pets. I love Jenna, and I feel like she's part of my family.
Hope this helps!
thank u very much for the response to be honest regarding her grub she seems to be munching up every last drop of the crickets she is a sub adult but i think shes going to be a fine specimen as her abdomen looks spot on etc etc nice long hairy legs too!
i will keep a eye on the humidity but i assume as long as she is eating she should be fine i also have noticed her to be checking the lair out a bit more too she was walking the walls yesterday and for the first time in a week she has gone in her bark thing..... the shop advised leaving it a week before trying to handle her so ill be giving tht a shot tommorow now but can not wait to try her with it....
thankyou rad girl i tried to help the little guy as best as i could but she just passed away and there was nothing i could of done or any 1 could of done to prevent such a nasty act on the poor little rosey, The person that did this to that spider we had a massive massive fall out through it wich some say is abit over the top and maybe it was but that what he did to these gourgess tarantulas was cruel and spiteful and pure torture for the spider thanks for you comment it means alot and hope that no 1 has to see 1st hand of what this does to a tarantula because well its very sad and i found it very very upseting so
thanks again radgal your great
how long do males usualy live?
toad-Males usually live 4-5 years. Since it is considerably shorter than females, many people kill the males. If you have a male, please, love him for all of his years.
I think mine is a female but im not sure but if it is a male I will love it just the same and is forest bark a good subtrate?
great site radgirl......i've had my rose for only 3 weeks now and she's been great eats like a pig though bit worried about overfeeding if i throw them in there will she eat them if she's hungry or not i dont know....her name is petra i think she's a female not sure the guy in the petshop said she was but i think he wanted rid of her she was in such a tiny cage i felt sorry for her but i think i have fallen for her now lol
toad-Great! I'm glad. I use bark because it holds humidity better, and Jenna seems to like it better because she spins webs all over the ground so her heat rock won't run away =] Just watch it for mold if you live in a humid place, and make sure you are diligent about removing dead crickets. You have to change it more often than other subtrates, but it's my choice. Jenna hated the sandy stuff. She spent all her time trying to get it off of her feet.
Deathsniper-Thanks, I'm glad you find it helpful. Don't worry about over feeding her, she'll stop eating when she's full. I'm so glad you are liking her, they are really fun.
Hope this helped!
I dont have to worry about dead crickets she eats superworms but the damn things burrow down almost instantly but they do come up at night and she gets them. I saw her eating one last night I would rather have them in like a bowl but a pill bottle cap isnt deep enough to keep them in and I don't want something to high that she won't try and catch them.
toad-
I have a funny story about superworms. They turn into beetles, and one day one was just walking around with Jenna. She didn't eat it or flick hairs at it or anything, they paled around for weeks. Then one morning, Jenna was staring at her water dish, and you don't know it yet, but over time your spider will actually communicate with you in a way I can't explain. I could tell she was sad, and I looked in and there was her beetle buddy, floating drowned. I took him out, but she didn't move for almost 2 days, then she went in her cave and hid for a week.
I guess that's not a funny story at all, but it's funny that she had a beetle buddy.
You'll be able to remove the bodies of any she doesn't get when you clean her habitat, or when they pop up as beetles. If she's already eating them, then she knows how to catch them, so I wouldn't worry at all.
hi all got a bit of a weird query for u all to ponder!
chilli my sub adult female i tried to pick her up today in the way all have suggested to lay hand flat and let her walk on to it at her own will she came over slowly but gained confidence each step she finally came on but then with no warning or signs of stress or aggression started to sink her fangs in to my finger i obviously pulled away but did not harm her but if i had left it another second she would have done some damage,now the only thing i cn think of is maybe she was hungry the shop suggested feeding her 1 cricket every other day..... if anyone has any help regarding this please get back to me as i still love her and would love to try again...
regards SK
Steve,
I bet she was hungry. If she didn't show any signs of aggression, and she just bit you for no apparent reason, it's the only thing that makes any sense.
Try putting a few crickets in at a time and see if that helps her not think you're food.
I know people suggest picking her up that way, but I always put my hand in and pet her a bit, and she lets me know if she's up for it or crabby.
Then I sort of put her feet on my fingers and she climbs on.
If she's crabby, she flicks hairs at me and runs away. At that point, I close the lid and walk away.
Hope this helps!
ok great thanks ill try putting a few more crickets and try the next day etc i did the same she started walking on to my fingers and just started to insert her fang lol poor cow thought i was food then she is biting the hand that feeds hope she did not like the taste
Steve, I should hope she didn't! She might be addicted to fingers!!
;]
im am kinda worried that my rosie is gun starve the superworms instantly go down and there are 2 in there but they never come up only the first one I put in was dumb enough to come up so should I keep trying with the superworms cuase thats what they fed her or should I switch to crickets
toad-If you're worried, get some crickets. They're the easiest in my experience.
is there anything I could do to make the superworms work like put more in the tank or lower the level of forest bark so that the worms cant burrow?
Toad-In my experience, your T either loves chasing after them, or doesn't even notice they're there. Jenna doesn't bother with them, because I think she's either too lazy or just doesn't like them.
Some people put them in with tongs right next to the T so that she sees it and watches it burrow. She either goes after it, or she knows it's there.
One super worm can make your T full for a while, so if she's not going after them, she may just not be hungry.
Keep an eye on her, and if she goes a couple of weeks, or a month without eating another one, then start thinking about alternate foods.
Hope this helped!
andrew says:
2 years ago
i just got a rose hair i was so scared at 1st but i found out there not too scary so i hold him all the time ....my mom hates him but hes grate...also my sister hates him....and my dad....and my friend....ME AND 1 FRIEND WILL ONLY NHOLD HIM LOL he eats crickets and on occasion pinkies