Pink Chilean tarantula is considered one of the most prominent representatives of the family of tarantulas. It is also often called the pink Chilean tarantula. Large sizes, unusual coloring, kind nature and unpretentiousness make the pink Chilean tarantula popular with those people who keep terrariums at home. In this article, we will take a closer look at the features of this spider, its habitat, photos and much more.
Where does the pink Chilean tarantula live?
In the natural habitat, this species is found in Argentina and Chile. In addition, the pink Chilean tarantula can be found in Bolivia. These spiders choose mainly humid places for living in areas where there is loose soil. Some populations of the pink Chilean tarantula have also mastered the Atacama Desert, which is the driest planet on Earth.
These spiders are distinguished by their nocturnal lifestyle. In places where the pink Chilean tarantula lives (photo above), there are strong diurnal changes in air temperature. With the advent of summer heat, spiders hide in the upper layers of the soil, making holes for themselves at a depth of 1 meter. In winter, when the air temperature drops below 10 degrees, they hibernate. These creatures love warmth. That is why they are waiting for the first sunlight to appear in the bowels of the earth. It should be noted that these individuals do not approach each other, since cases of cannibalism in their environment due to insufficient food are very frequent.
Description of a pink Chilean tarantula
The color of spiders can range from bright red to dark brown. The body length is from 5 to 7 cm. On the back, the cephalothorax is framed by chitinous carapace. In adult males, it acquires a pinkish tint. The hairline on the body is short. On the legs - two light stripes, which are more noticeable in representatives of a dark shade. Young spiders are distinguished by pale pink paws. After each molt, they begin to darken more and more. The back of the body is dark brown. Chelicera and abdomen are covered with burning hairs.
Is pink Chilean tarantula dangerous for humans? It should be noted that the bite of this spider is painful, but it is absolutely harmless to humans. Therefore, you can safely get this pet, if at home you have all the conditions for this.
Food
Chilean spider predominantly consumes insects that live on the surface of the soil. A pink tarantula can wait for a long time for its prey, being at the entrance in front of its burrow. As a rule, a pink Chilean tarantula preys on cockroaches, crickets, and on the most successful days scorpions and even small mammals can act as food. A spider grabs its victim with powerful pedipalps. He pacifies his prey by injecting a small dose of the poison directly into the bite. Poisonous gland is excreted through the channel located in the chelicerae. Sometimes a predator does not use poison to pacify a prey, but simply destroys prey due to the strength of its jaws.
Propagation Features
As for the mating season, it occurs in tarantula spiders in the spring, when winter hibernation has already ended. The soil at this time warms up to 15 degrees, and the males begin to search for a pair. In this case, they rely entirely on the strength of their own sense of smell. The female pink tarantulas are found by the pheromones that she exudes. After 3-6 weeks after mating, the female can lay from 100 to 200 eggs, which she entangles in a cocoon using her web. In the event of a favorable combination of circumstances, clutches can occur up to 500 eggs. Small spiders are born already on the 8-10th day.
Several stages of development take place in the cocoon, during which molting is carried out twice. Closer to 10 weeks, small spiders form. Hatching young individuals live near the mother for another couple of days, after which they disperse on different sides.
Offspring, like their mother, are driven by the instinct of self-preservation. In case of food shortage, a starving mother is able to eat her own offspring as food, while ignoring her parental duty.
Little spiders eat small insects. Since babies are the most vulnerable during this period, they often become victims of some large predators. Most often they are attacked by scolopendras, ants and wasps. Puberty in young individuals occurs very late - at the age of 6-8 years.
Features of keeping at home
If you like exotic animals, then you probably want to get a Chilean pink tarantula. Its content will be very simple. It is only necessary to remember that individuals should be kept separately from each other. The fact is that cannibalism may one day prevail, and for some of them it will all end very sadly. To keep one adult at home, it will be enough to purchase a 40-liter aquarium. But, taking into account the hermitian lifestyle of spiders, as well as night walks, a terrarium of 20 liters will be enough for him. Despite the fact that pink tarantulas can not climb on slippery surfaces, they can weave a net from the web, and then get out of the terrarium. That is why you have to worry about having a mesh cover made of metal with ventilation on top. Such a cover must be tightly adjusted to the size of the terrarium.
As mentioned earlier, young spiders are happy to eat crickets. Also, as food, they can be given waxworm larvae, newborn mice and rat pups. It will be useful to add to the diet fillies, grasshoppers, bugs and other insects. If you collect food on the field, be aware that insects can be poisoned by pesticides, as well as other chemicals. This may cause the death of your tarantula.
