Pink toe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia) is a small, tree-dwelling species native to the rainforests of South America and the southern Caribbean. It has a dark body with pink coloring at the tips of its legs. It is mostly found in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago to Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. This species is sometimes called the Guyana pink toe, or South American pink toe. They are a group in the genus Avicularia and Caribena. Nearly all these tarantulas exhibit incredible blue, pink, purple, and red coloration, along with their signature pink toes.
The pink toe tarantula is a small to medium-sized tarantula that prefers to build its web in the crevices of trees. Its more docile nature makes it an ideal species for beginners, and they are fascinating pets to interact with and watch. Pink toes are flighty and fast, so don’t scare them. They rarely flick itchy hairs or bite.
Treat them carefully because even the slightest sound or movement can startle them and make them run or jump. If the tarantula is held too high in the air and falls to the ground, this could be disastrous. Their exoskeleton may burst if they fall from a safe height. To avoid stress, make sure you are close to the floor when handling them and don’t handle them for too long.
Physical Description
The pink-toed tarantula is a tiny, tree-dwelling spider. Mature specimens have a dark body and pinkish feet, as the name suggests. Juvenile specimens, on the other hand, have pinkish bodies and dark-colored feet and undergo a reversal in their coloration as they approach adulthood at 4–5 years. A fully grown pink toe tarantula can grow up to six inches in length. They have a short lifespan, with males living 2-3 years and females living 7–10 years, though under human care, females can live 10–12 years.
Tarantulas have four pairs of legs, or eight legs in total. They also have four other appendages near the mouth called chelicerae and pedipalps. The pedipalps are used as feelers and claws, both of which aid in feeding, and the male uses the pedipalps for reproduction. Female tarantulas have leg spans of approximately 12 cm, while males typically have leg spans closer to 9 cm.
In contrast to other tarantulas found in the new world, their venom is deemed to be rather moderate. Cannibalism for sex has also demonstrated in females. Males and females exhibit dimorphism in their mature stages; males have universally barbed urticating hairs, while females are restricted to the proximal end. Males who have reached adulthood also have two hooks on the final section of their pedipalps, which are utilized for building “sperm webs” and engaging in wooing activities.
The tarantula’s hard-shell upper body is mostly black, with hints of green iridescence and pink coloring at the tips of each leg. The tarantula must strike downward to impale its victim since its fangs fold under its body. The pink-toed tarantula has the ability to defend itself by spitting hairs from its body.
Tarantula can live in temperature range of between 20⁰C – 25⁰C year-round. The above temperature create favorable environment for them to live at home.
Food and Feeding
The tarantulas are active predators, feeding on a variety of invertebrates as well as small vertebrates. They use their web as a trap and to sense movement from prey. With an enriched environment, they can display an array of behaviors such as active hunting, foraging, and even construction such as nest and tunnel building with nearby debris. The pink toe tarantula consumes mostly insect prey and is an aggressive feeder. Some of its prey includes crickets, wax moths, grasshoppers, mice, frogs and lizards, cockroaches and small tree frogs. They sometimes consume small lizards such as Anolis, but vertebrates usually are not a major contributor to its diet. Tarantulas hunt at night and rely on their large size to subdue prey.
Common threat-responses include running or leaping away, but they may react aggressively if provoked. Defensive mechanisms include type II urticating hairs (which must be transferred via direct contact, rather than kicking the hairs into the air), propelling feces toward perceived threats, adopting a threat posture, and biting.
They consume a wide range of invertebrates in captivity, including dubia roaches and crickets. It is recommended to provide feeder insects with Zilla Gut Load Cricket Drink together with a nutritious gut-load insect meal.
You may improve the nutritional content of your feeders and assist in providing the tarantula with essential nutrients by feeding these goods. For extra calcium and vitamin D3 during feeding, as well as other vital minerals, mist the insects 1-2 times each week with Zilla Calcium and Vitamin Supplement.
Habitant of Pink Toe Tarantula
The pink-toed tarantula is native to rainforest regions of northern South America, including Venezuela, northern Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname. This species spends its time in trees and other plants throughout the rainforest.
As arboreal animals, they need a tall habitat in captivity with lots of climbing room. They live in trees in these tropical regions and are a very tropical species. They construct their web nests between clumped branches or other detritus and in tree cracks. Contrary to popular opinion, this species needs cross ventilation and should be housed on dry substrate with a water dish to provide appropriate humidity. This stops the potentially deadly conditions of germs, stagnant air, and high humidity from developing.
Method of breeding and Development
Males develop an appendage-like structure on the underside of the first set of front legs that is used to hook and lock the female’s fangs and to steady themselves while they mate after their maturation molt. Males die within a few months of mating.
Reproduction requires that the female have recently undergone a molt or acquired sperm will be lost during the molt. The female constructs a web after mating, in which she deposits a huge number of eggs that fertilize as they leave her body. After that, the female protects the egg sac by balling the eggs.
In order to grow, the hatched spiders must go through several molts. Spiderlings can be expected to molt five or six times in their first year.
Pink Toe Tarantula as a Pet
The place of abode should be sealed and protected from any possible attempt to escape. For young tarantulas over 1.5”, the Zilla Arboreal Micro Habitats are an easy, secure, and beautiful way to display these beautiful invertebrates.
Your adult tarantula will love living in the Large Arboreal Micro Habitat, but if you’d rather to give them more space, the Zilla Front Opening Terrariums are also excellent choices. The secret to keeping them healthy is humidity. The surroundings should have a minimum humidity of 70–90%.
The humidity can be raised by using tropical substrates, such Zilla Jungle Mix, and applying Zilla Terrarium Moss on top of it and in terrarium cracks. Make sure there is a sufficient amount of water accessible for them to drink. To establish anchoring sites for the tarantula to build its web, make sure you cross a few of the many tree branches that reach the top of the terrarium.
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