Spider-tarantula: keeping and caring (photo)

More often than not, people bring home more or less familiar pets. In the first place, of course, cats, dogs, on the second - birds, on the third - aquarium inhabitants (and not only fish, here also include turtles, geckos, toads and frogs, although they are preferred, of course, less often than guppik and swordfish ). Spiders, probably, are on the last lines of the list of animals that people are ready to see next to each other. Arachnophobia is a very common fear. However, if a person decided to equip the houses with arachnids, he most of all likes the goliath tarantula as an inhabitant of a glass house . The main argument is the size of the spider. The largest representative of these animals is well marked and represents a rather curious object of observation.

How to choose a spider

In pet stores, where it is sold, you can, of course, ask whether it is brought or received, so to speak, on the spot, but not the fact that the answer will be honest. Therefore, in any case, we must first of all focus on how the spider tarantula-goliath looks like . The main sign of his health is mobility and activity. If a spider is lying all the time or picking up limbs, most likely, it is sick, and it is difficult. The second version is that the specimen is shedding. During this process, spiders can even fall on their backs and straighten their paws. When the tarantula-goliath molts, take it is not worth it - it recovers then for a long time and is prone to disease. Add to this state addiction to a new place - and get a lot of problems.

A very telling sign - the condition of the abdomen. It must be round and elastic. The wrinkled testifies to dehydration, that is, you again have to take care of your purchase.

Sometimes a tarantula can flaunt its broken legs. Inexperienced owners frighten off this fact, but in fact it is not an obstacle to purchase: in a couple of three lines they will be restored. The main thing is that there are no open wounds on the paws.

Two more caveats. If you are not going to breed spiders, buy females - they live much longer. And do not take too much - quite possibly, it's already old men.

How to equip a house

Most spiders are born single-minded people, as the comparison "like spiders in a bank" (they can not coexist peacefully). So it is better to provide the aquarium at full disposal of one individual. The capacity, where the spider of the tarantula tarantula will be settled, can be both plastic and glass, in principle, that it should be closed - either with a tight lid or with doors. Spiders perfectly climb the glass, so if you do not want your pet to get out, take care of it. The bottom should be covered with litter of gravel, moss, coniferous sawdust, the best choice will be vermiculite.

Correct temperature and humidity

If you are chosen as a pet favorite tarantula, the maintenance of it requires above all to maintain the right conditions for existence. The temperature should vary between 23-28 degrees. Decrease to 15 ^o Spiders survive, but it's best not to leave them in such extreme conditions for long. Especially if the Goliath tarantula is full: low temperatures cause rotting in the stomach.

Equally important is the humidity. If it is inadequate, teraphosis of the blond (or tarantula) can not be poured, and in case of overdrying it does not die at all. The aquarium is necessarily equipped with a bathtub with water or a reservoir with moistened moss. If temporarily neither that, nor another is not present, even sprinkle every day litter.

Too high humidity, in turn, stimulates the development of mold, which affects the body and respiratory organs of spiders. So it is better to observe a constant humidity of 75 percent.

Regarding lighting

Note that the Goliath tarantula has very poor eyesight, but it excellently sees in the dark. So for him it does not matter what you cover his home. For observation, low-voltage (up to 25 W) lamps or red light are suitable. However, if there are plants in the terrarium, you will need a bio-lamp to survive.

What, how and when to feed

The name "bird-eating Goliath" is misleading. The main food of these spiders are still large insects. When they reach a certain size, they are fed naked mice, give small pieces of low-fat meat. Insects that go into food should not be more than a third of the spider's size, otherwise there may be digestion problems. Since it lasts a long time (a day or more), feed spiders twice a week (grasshoppers, big cockroaches, crickets, flour worms), while they are young and often molt. Adults eat once a week (sometimes less often). Most often they are fed only before reproduction.

Not eaten food is necessarily removed from the terrarium - if the spider is full, it can be frightened by the vigorous movements of large insects, while in the molting goliath they can damage the soft shell.

If the spider does not eat, then it either soon transfuses, or is full, or in the aquarium is too cool.

Attention - molting!

Spiders can not do without it. At a young age, the exoskeleton changes frequently, the adults moult around once a year. During moulting, spiders hardly move or eat. The day before the change of "skin" generally freeze, lying on his back. Do not worry and check to see if your pet is alive, just wait. When the old "clothes" get off, under it will be a new, soft; The spider becomes totally helpless. Normal humidity at such a moment is vital if the air is too dry - the animal is dying. There will not be until the cover hardens, which lasts for several days.

The content of large spiders, as we see, is a troublesome business. However, it is interesting to observe them. And few of your friends can boast of such pets. And if you overcome the prejudice, you will see how beautiful the tadpole is (see the photo above).