Avicularia avicularia (Amazonian red-toed tarantula)

Origin: Central and South America Type: Tree-dwelling tarantula
Body length: 6-7 cm Wingspan: 13-15 cm
Age: 10 to 12 years (males die around 3 to 4 years)
The Amazon red-toed tarantula is a very striking bird spider from Central and South America due to its color pattern and hair. The Avicularia genus is without a doubt the best known family of arboreal tarantulas from South America. The spiders are found over large parts of Central and South America. However, the colors can differ quite a bit depending on the habitat.

Grooming
Experience: Novice spider keeper
Food: Insects (crickets, dubias and mealworms)
Feed adult: Twice a week
Feed young: 2/3 times a week Water bowl: Yes Water change: At least 3 times a week

Nutrition
Like almost all other tarantulas species, the Amazonian red-toed tarantula also prefers to eat insects such as mealworms, crickets and dubias in captivity. In principle, the spider will eat anything that moves and is smaller than him / her, but it seems to prefer mealworms.

Water
The spider needs a fairly high humidity. Partly due to the placement of a water bowl in the accommodation, the humidity will also remain reasonably high. The spider will also not drink from the water bowl as quickly, because he / she also gets moisture from the fed insects. Make sure that when you provide the spider with water he / she cannot drown in it. It is best to put a very thin layer of water in the water bowl of no more than 2 cm. When you moisten the enclosure, it is important that you do not spray the spider wet or spray it too close to the spider.
Cleaning Since the spider likes to build webs, it is usually difficult to remove poo residues. It is best to empty the entire stay every 3 to 4 months and to clean everything well.
Handling As with many other types of spiders, the Amazon red-toed tarantula would rather not be handled. They can be very defensive and unpredictable at times. In search of an escape route, the animals sometimes dare to drop or make small jumps. The spider still wants to bite when it gets irritated or shoots burning hairs. Depending on the location of the bite and the amount of venom delivered, this can be a very painful experience. However, no scientific research has yet been done to confirm the potency of the poison.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for this animal: 20 * 20 * 50cm
Surface: 1x spider body length
Day temperature: 25-29C
Night temperature: 20-25C
Humidity level: 70-80% During 4 consecutive months per year this may increase to 80-90%.
Ground cover: Cocopeat, humus, bark or peat litter

Design
The interior of the residence is quite simple. The spider must have the ability to hide somewhere, placing a hollow piece of cork or a piece of tree bark is ideal for the spider to hide in or behind. It is also useful to have a soil in the enclosure that retains moisture well, since the humidity must be around 70-80%. The spider must also have a bowl of water at all times. You can place the container with water on the floor of the enclosure or attach it to the wall of the enclosure.

Behaviour
Diet: Carnivore
Lifestyle: Generally found in the wild in trees and shrubs
Character
The spider can be very defensive and unpredictable at times. So keep a close eye on the spider if you plan to put your hands in the terrarium.
Points of attention
The spider can escape (once active) quite easily. So keep an eye on your spider when you open the enclosure.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation: No CITES or transfer papers are required to own this spider.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating and decoration. This can be ready for a total of € 100, depending on the layout, etc. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, this is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred when your equipment breaks down.