Domestic spiders: main types, content features

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Spiders are found in any house or apartment. They can be on the floor, in the corners, under the ceiling. Always domestic spiders tried to drive out faster. But today, the spider can be a beloved pet and friend. Tarantulas often live with people who love the exotic and want to surprise their guests.

Habitat

On the planet, the tarantula is found in places with a warm climate: South America, Africa, Australia and Oceania. On the European continent, they live in Portugal, Italy and Spain.

Some arthropods love a humid climate and live in equatorial thickets, while others have chosen a semi-desert. So, before you get a furry miracle, you should know in what conditions he will be comfortable.

Arthropod species

Spiders are very popular, they feel great in captivity, are unpretentious, and most importantly, have an extravagant appearance:

Curly-haired tarantula or Brachypelma albopilosum. Night ambush spider. For those who have purchased a home spider for the first time, this species will be the most optimal. They are large and havecalm disposition, as well as an interesting appearance due to long hairs with black and light tips. Pet dim, brown. The size of the paws is 15-18 cm. The length of the body is about 90 mm

Acanthoscurria antillensis or Acanthoscurria antillensis. The species belongs to the real tarantula family. Found in the Lesser Antilles. This energetic miracle of nature, during the day is in its shelter and eats insects. Body size is 60-75 mm, leg span is 15 cm. Color is dark brown, a small metallic gleam can be seen on the carapace

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens or Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. This type is very popular. He is very handsome and resilient. The abdomen is red-orange, green carapace and bright blue limbs. Without food, such a spider can live for several months

The risk to he alth and life is the redback spider. It cannot be kept at home. This is the Black Widow, the most dangerous member of her family. It releases a neurotoxic venom. Anyone who dares to keep this dangerous creature should acquire an antidote.

There are a lot of domestic tarantulas. Each genus of spiders is interesting in its own way and has several dozen more species. Some species of tarantulas have not yet been studied. Therefore, when purchasing a furry creature, you should be careful.

Tips for choosing a spider

I want the tarantula to be beautiful, big and please the owners with their presence for a long time. There are some nuances to consider when buying a home spider:

• Arthropod activity. A spider lying all the time and picking up its paws under itself can be very sick. A he althy spider is in an excited state, the body keeps elevated. Responds to touch, puffing up "fur", raises front paws, attacks or runs away.
• The belly of a spider should be even and rounded. Some species are brought from tropical rainforests and have a shriveled abdomen when water is scarce. It is better to refuse to buy such.
• Sometimes you can see broken legs - this is not a defect. After a few links they will grow back. But if open wounds are observed on the limbs, then this may not be just an injury, but a fungus or a disease.
• If you do not have a goal to breed tarantulas at home, then you should not buy a male. They don't live long. Very large individuals may attract the attention of the buyer, but most likely they are already in old age.

When choosing a pet, it should be well examined. It usually has a fluffy belly, but when damaged or under constant stress, it loses hairs. The furry miracle combs them with its hind legs. Some species wash their hair on the ground or weave it into a web.

For certain species, the absence of hairs in some areas is not a sign of old age or disease. After shedding, the pet will become fluffy again.

Arthropods caught in the wild often have broken limbs. In females, after a while they are surewill recover, but not always in males.

Spider content features

Before you bring a spider into the house, you should find out which subspecies it belongs to and create suitable conditions. A spider in a jar is a mockery of a living being.

The content depends on which subspecies the future family member belongs to. There are tarantulas:

Ground. For such individuals, the bottom of the terrarium is covered with crushed coconut bark or soil of about 10 cm. The height of the dwelling should be at least 30 cm. The coating should be changed every 3 months. If the spider is young, then once a month. For a terrestrial species, a mink is required for hiding. Otherwise, the spider will be in constant tension and become aggressive

Norch. It is better to cover the bottom of the terrarium with ordinary earth and provide the pet with a house where he will spend more time. A cup or a clay flower pot with broken edges can serve as a mink, which, upside down, will serve as the entrance to the apartment. Such spiders spend a minimum of energy, because they are inactive, hence their poor appetite

Wood. In the terrarium, there must be a piece of a tree trunk, a snag or a thick bark. There is an impressive layer of soil at the bottom

The tarantula often changes its habits. If he used to dig minks, then over time he may prefer an “apartment” in tree bark.

Having settled into a new home and calmed down, the eight-legged miracle of naturelooks homey. Man and spider may well coexist together.

Feeding the tarantula

These predators are omnivores. Anything that moves and is smaller than their size will definitely be tasted. House spiders eat a portion the size of a third of their body. Young individuals are fed 2 times a week, and adults once every 7–10 days. The menu includes various types of insects: cockroaches, crickets, grasshoppers, small frogs.

Breeding

The tarantula can continue its genus at home without any problems if there is a partner of the same species. First, a ritual dance is performed. During mating, the seminal fluid, placed on a web specially woven by the male, is transferred to the female.

At the end of the process, if the male gapes, he will be safely eaten by the female. Therefore, immediately after the mating games, the spider should be deposited.

In a few months, the female will have a cocoon with eggs. She will protect him in every possible way. The number of eggs can reach up to 200 pieces. A week later, nymphs are born, they move onto their mother's back and stay there for a while, and then spread out.

Gender of the spider

How to determine who is more in the offspring - boys or girls? For this, the spiders need to grow up. Adults are viewed through a magnifying apparatus. Examining the abdomen of a male in the area of the epigynum, you can see special spider glands. Females don't.

tarantula venom

Don't forget, the domestic tarantula is still poisonous. Therefore, whenIt is best to be careful when dealing with him. The poison, getting into the human body, causes fever, convulsions and pain. If you have a severe allergy, you should rush to the doctor.

The content of poison in tarantulas is also observed in the hairs. In poor conditions, he can become stressed and lose hairs, which, when in contact with the skin, nasal mucosa or eyes, cause itching and irritation. And when it enters the lungs, suffocation. But everything passes by itself in a few hours.

Shedding season

The most difficult period in the life of domestic spiders is molting. The old exoskeleton is being replaced with a new one. Before molting, the spider stops eating and lies on its side or back almost all the time. At such times it is better not to touch it. Young animals molt regularly, and mature individuals - once every few weeks.

The new exoskeleton is soft and easily damaged. To maintain the he alth of the spider, the humidity must be sufficient to prevent dehydration. Sometimes the old "skin" is hard to shed, and this leads to wounds and diseases. Often such individuals do not completely shed their cover, which leads to death.

Spider in hand

Domestic spiders in the photo look, though intimidating, but very attractive. Many would like to touch them. It should not be forgotten that this is not a fluffy animal, like a cat or a dog, it is a completely different creature. And you have to treat him right. The spider is taken into the hands only after it has been tamed. Otherwise, it will cause him stress, the house spider will begin to defend and attack.

You need to tame him immediatelyafter purchase. At first, the spider is gently stroked on the back. Over time, he will realize that no one threatens him, he will go to the hand and begin to crawl along it.

Now the main task is to make sure that the tarantula does not run away. Otherwise, he will hide in an unknown direction, and it will be very difficult to find him.

Pet Escape

Tree spiders are prone to this kind of antics. Top Reasons:

• Opening the terrarium when the spider is not in the nest.
• Retracts paws quickly when touched.
• During feeding, the spider makes a throw with its entire body in any direction.
• Recent molt.
• There is an object too large for lunch in the terrarium.

If the spider has escaped, there is no need to panic. It's best to keep an eye on where he goes. When the spider stops, without delay, cover it with any large container (basin, bowl, pot).

A sheet of thick cardboard is carefully placed under the container. The fugitive is then transferred to the terrarium.

The tarantula is very beautiful and interesting. It is not difficult to keep him in apartments, but do not forget that this is a poisonous predator, and communication with him will always keep the owners in good shape.