Origin: Central America
Type: ground-dwelling tarantula
Body length: 5-6 cm
Wingspan: 13-15 cm
Age: up to 20 years. (males live up to 4 to 5 years old.)
Brachypelma hamorii is a spider, which belongs to the tarantulas. This bottom-dwelling species occurs in the semi-deserts and forests of Central America, mainly in Mexico. The spider is not territorial and will rarely scatter stinging hairs when invading their territory. She only bites prey that invade the territory.

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

Nutrition
Like almost all other tarantula species, the Mexican red knee tarantula in captivity prefers insects such as mealworms, crickets and dubias. The spider will in principle 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 by placing a water bowl in the enclosure, the humidity will also remain fairly 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 dish of no more than 2 cm. When you moisten the enclosure, it is important that you do not spray the spider wet or spray too close to the spider nearby.

Cleaning
Since the spider is very fond of building webs, it is usually difficult to remove poo remains. It is best to empty the entire accommodation every 3 to 4 months and to clean everything well.
Handling
Like many other spider species, the Mexican red knee tarantula prefers not to 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 will still bite if he/she becomes irritated or shoots fire hairs. Depending on the location of the bite and the amount of venom administered, this can be a very painful experience. To date, however, no scientific research has been done to confirm the strength of the poison.

Housing
Minimum size stay for this animal: 30*30*30cm
Surface: 1x body length spin
Day temperature: 25-28C
Night temperature: 22-25C
Humidity: 70-80% During 4 consecutive months per year this may increase to 80-90%.
Ground cover: Cocopeat, humus, bark or peat litter

Design
The layout of the residence is quite simple. The spider must have the opportunity 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 should be around 70-80%. The spider must also have a bowl of water available at all times. You can place the container with water on the floor of the accommodation, or attach it to the wall of the accommodation.
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 enter the terrarium with your hands.

Points of attention
The spider (once active) can escape quite easily. So keep a close eye on your spider when you open the enclosure.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation: Owning this spider does not require any CITES or transfer papers.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating and decoration. This can be done for a total of one hundred euros, 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, which is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs are incurred when your equipment breaks down.