Pink Toe Tarantula Care
Quick Facts
Common Name: Pink Toe Tarantula
Latin Name: Avicularia Versicolor
Native To: Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique
Size: Most adults will have a legspan of 5-6 inches.
Weight: Adults can weigh anywhere from 30g-80g.
Life Span: An average lifespan of 5-12 years can be expected, with females living for much longer than males.
Housing Your Tarantula
Pink Toe Tarantulas are an arboreal species, so require space in their vivarium to climb. A 2 foot wooden vivarium will provide space for your Pink Toe Tarantula to move in their environment, with care taken to ensure they have sufficient hides and pieces of wood to climb vertically on.
Temperature & Light
A temperature of 25°C to 28°C (78°F - 82°F) should be maintained in the vivarium, at all times. An infrared heat bulb can be used to provide heat, and allow you to be able to see into the vivarium. A heat mat, covering 40% of the vivarium, can alternatively be used to provide heat.
Humidity
Hydration plays a huge role in maintaining the health of a Pink Toe Tarantula. Humidity should be between 70%-80%, and can be boosted by regular spraying of the vivarium with water (every 2-3 days). Humidity should be carefully monitored. A shallow water dish should be present in the vivarium.
Substrate
Sedge Peat is an ideal substrate for the Pink Toe Tarantula as it is excellent for creating a damp, high humidity, environment.
Terrarium Moss can be used in hides and water dishes, to boost humidity.
Behaviour
Handling any tarantula comes with risks, both to the spider and the handler. Pink Toed Tarantulas can be docile, if handled with care and gently. However, as an arboreal spider, they are excellent jumpers, and very agile, so will move fast if startled. As a species, the Pink Toe Tarantula tends to rather flee than bite or flick hairs.
Diet
Offer small amounts of food regularly once a week to adult tarantulas, and every 3-5 days for spiderlings. They eat size appropriate invertebrates such as crickets, mealworms, wax-moth larvae, locusts, Do not leave uneaten live food to over run the vivarium as these will annoy, stress or damage the tarantula. Any uneaten food should be removed within 24 hours.
Maintenance
The vivarium should be inspected daily and any faeces removed. The water should be changed every day and the water dish cleaned on a weekly basis with a Tarantula safe disinfectant. The substrate should be changed on a monthly basis.
Moulting
For several weeks prior to shedding, a Pink Toe Tarantula will be growing a new skin under their old one. During this time it is not unusual for a tarantula to get become lethargic or even stop eating. Owners may also notice an increase in web spinning, during the lead up to the moult.
When they begin to moult, they lay on their backs with their legs up in the air. Be sure not to disturb your tarantula when you see this. The shedding process goes quickly and smoothly, provided the environment has adequate humidity of between 75%-85%.
Once they have shed, their new skin is pale and very soft. The amount of time it takes for your pet to fully recover and be back to eating well will vary from a day or so up to several weeks, depending on its size. Smaller spiders tend to recover much more quickly than larger ones.