Pink Toe Tarantulas as Pets: Lifespan, Size and Care Info

Pink Toe Tarantulas as Pets-Everything You Need to Know

If you have a fascination with spiders, and especially tarantulas, and would like to have one as a pet your choices may feel overwhelming because there are a lot of kinds available. While there are many great choices, we’re going to tell you all about the pink toe tarantula and what it would be like to keep one as a pet.

Pink toe tarantulas not only look cool, but they have very interesting molting methods and are one of the few types of spiders who don’t mind being handled. But, it’s important to note that they do require a high level of care and attention before you get one.

Are Pink Toe Tarantulas Good Pets?

As far as spiders go, pink toe tarantulas actually make decent pets because they’re a very pretty creature and they’re not prone to biting. However, as you can see, they require a lot of care. Their cages must be kept hot and humid, you must find and keep live crickets as food, and since they’re quick to jump they can injure themselves.

You can generally find pink toe tarantulas at pet stores who specialize in reptiles and spiders, or through online sources.

How Long Do Pink Toe Tarantulas Live?

Pink toe tarantulas typically live to be between 4 and 8 years old, with some living as long as 10-12 years in captivity. Female pink toe tarantulas generally live a few years longer than male ones.

What Size Are Pink Toe Tarantulas?

Pink toe tarantulas are considered small compared to other tarantulas, and females are typically larger than males! Females have a leg span of 4.75 inches, while males have a leg span of only 3.5 inches. Males are typically a spindly creature with long thin legs, while their female counterparts remain quite stocky during their lives.

What Color Are Pink Toe Tarantulas?

When pink toe tarantulas are young, they have lighter bodies with darker tipped legs but once they mature (in about 2 to 3 years) their appearance basically reverses itself. Their bodies darken to a dark black color with a greenish iridescent sheen on the hard shell of their upper body with lighter tipped legs.

Males are generally more colorful than females. They are quite hairy, even for a spider, with the tip of each hair having that iridescent sheen and silver tips — which makes them look even hairier than they truly are.

Their abdomens are a deep red or purple color. And yes, pink toe tarantulas have pink toes. Although it’s not just their toes that are pink, it’s the bottom tips of their legs (all 8 of them!) which are pink.

Why Do Pink Toe Tarantulas Have Pink Toes?

There are many theories about why these tarantulas have pink toes, but no firm reason why. It’s also interesting to many reptile lovers how they typically don’t get their pink toes until they reach maturation.

How Many Eyes Do Pink Toe Tarantulas Have?

Pink toe tarantulas have an astounding 8 eyes! They are all closely grouped — 2 larger round eyes in the middle of the head, with 3 eyes on each side.

Is A Pink Toe Tarantula Poisonous?

Although their fangs may look quite scary, the pink toe tarantula is considered to have low venom and is quite a docile creature, so the chances of being bitten, and therefore poisoned, by a pink toe is lower than with a lot of other spiders.

However, since different people react differently to any amount of venom it’s wise to use caution around even the pink toe tarantula and seek medical attention if you do get bitten.

Are Pink Toe Tarantulas Friendly?

Pink toe tarantulas are mostly docile and friendly. They are one of the more commonly chosen species of tarantula to keep as pets because of this reason.

But you must use caution when you’re holding them because of their nature to live in trees in the wild they will jump. Sitting down while you’re holding your pink toe tarantula is a good idea so they won’t injure themselves if they do jump.

However, if your pink toe tarantula feels threatened, they may flick their hairs at you, and occasionally will spray fecal matter at the source of their threat.

Can Pink Toe Tarantulas Live Together?

Not only are pink toe tarantulas friendly to their owners, but they’re also friendly to other pink toe tarantulas! They’re one of the only kinds of tarantulas who don’t mind being kept in groups. You must have a large enough tank to house the number of pink toe tarantulas you have to give them all enough room to build webs and to give them independent space to eat.

Are Pink Toe Tarantulas Nocturnal?

Pink toe tarantulas are typically nocturnal creatures and because of this, they prefer to be fed at night. They will spend time spinning their webs and prefer to be active at night.

How Long Does It Take For A Pink Toe Tarantulas To Molt?

When a pink toe tarantula molts it loses not only the skin they’re outgrowing, but the lining of their mouth, stomach, respiratory organs, and even their sexual organs.

Several weeks before they start their molting processyour pink toe tarantula will likely start to act a bit strange. They will grow a new skin underneath their current one (which may or may not be noticeable to you), they may develop some bald spots or start to look a little dull in color, and they may act quite lethargic. They may even stop eating. Their usual web-spinning activities may ramp up during this time as well.

When the actual molting process begins your pink toe tarantula will often lay on their backs with their legs right up in the air. This is totally normal so please do not worry they’re dying. Don’t disturb them during this time — keep extra noise and movements around their habitat limited, and don’t try to touch them or help them in any way. They know what they’re doing!

As long as the environment they’re in has the right level of humidity the shedding process should be fairly fast (typically only a few hours) and go smoothly. Once they have shed their new skin is very soft and will be quite pale.

They typically go back to eating and acting like their old selves within a few days or a few weeks. The older and larger a pink toe tarantula, the longer it will take them to recover from their molting process.

It’s very important to ensure there is no food in their tank during the time they molt and during their recovery period. Even something like a small cricket can be very dangerous to a pink toe tarantula who has fresh skin because they may scratch or bite.

Try feeding them about 5 days after their molt is complete, or when you notice they resume their normal behavior — whichever comes first.

How Often Do Pink Toe Tarantulas Molt?

Molting is done when the pink toe tarantula requiresa new shell because they are outgrowing their old one. So, young pink toe tarantulas will molt a lot more often (generally about 5 to 6 times a year, and even as much as once a month!) because they are still growing, and older ones will only molt once every year or two.

Do Pink Toe Tarantulas Web?

Pink toe tarantulas are arboreal which means they’re prone to spinning elaborate webs in trees and bushes. They continually spin elaborate, silky, funnel type webs and spend most of their time in there.

Make sure they have plenty of room in their cage to build and be careful not to wreck their precious webs when you’re adding food, cleaning their cage, or pulling your pink toe tarantula out.

Do Pink Toe Tarantulas Burrow?

While a pink toe tarantula occasionally likes to play in and under yard scraps, leaves, as well as branches and plants, and they should have those things in their habitat, they are not known to continually burrow or spend a lot of time out of their webs.

How Do You Take Care Of Pink Toe Tarantulas?

The pink toe tarantula requires a fair bit of care and must be housed in an environment that’s comparable to their natural habitat. Continual attention must be given to their living conditions and how they are handled.

Temperament of Pink Toe Tarantulas.

As mentioned above, pink toe tarantulas are quite docile creatures and are one of the better spiders to keep as pets, but they require you to have a little patience until they get used to you.

Handling your pink toe tarantula is alright so they can get to know you and your surroundings, it generally won’t make them get used to you faster or create any sort of bond.

They are usually fine being handled but remember that handling can lead to more injuries than if you left them alone in their cage. You run the risk of pinching or dropping them, and if there is a loud noise or other sudden movements, they possibly could spray their feces or bite you.

If you are going to handle your pink toe tarantula remember to always squat or sit down when handling them, especially at first. They do have a tenancy to jump, especially if they’re not used to being handled, and they may get injured if they fall too far.

Terrarium Size.

Pink toe tarantulas actually need a bigger tank than other terrestrial species to give them enough room to climb and build their vast webs. You’ll need at least a 10-gallon tank to properly house your pink toe tarantula. Look for tanks that are quite high since your pink toe tarantula won’t be too happy limiting their webs to the width of the tank rather than the height.

It’s best to get a tank with a side opening since pink toe tarantulas like to build their webs up high. If you get a top opening tank you risk disturbing all their hard work. You must also make sure the doors and latches are secure as well! Not only will this prevent your pink toe tarantula from escaping, but their food as well if they don’t eat it right away.

You’ll also want to make sure you have room to have live plants in the enclosure to help with the humidity levels, although since they spend most of their time in their webs, they don’t require a huge amount of greenery. And be sure to leave plenty of room for your pink toe tarantula’s food and water.

Food & Water.

The favorite food of pink toe tarantulas is crickets. They like other insects like grasshoppers and roaches as well, but crickets are their favorite. Adult pink toe tarantulas have sometimes been known to eat a pinky mouse a small lizard, or occasionally a small frog, but these should only be given as an occasional treat — if at all. And always make sure that what you’re feeding them is smaller than them.

Not only do pink toe tarantulas like crickets — they like lively crickets. So, you must have a source for live crickets you can rely on. You can probably keep and feed them for small periods of time to prevent having to find crickets to feed every few days.

No matter where you source or catch your crickets make sure they come from a safe environment — one where they haven’t been exposed to any chemicals or plants which have been sprayed with pesticides.

Young pink toe tarantulas who are still growing require a feeding of few crickets every two to five days, while adults only require a few crickets every three to ten days. Keep an eye on how often your pink toe tarantula likes to be fed and feed them accordingly.

There’s no huge risk of overfeeding your pink toe tarantula, but if they won’t take food for longer than usual and you’re sure they’re not in the process of molting, keep a close eye on them and consider consulting a professional.

As they are nocturnal, feed your pink toe tarantula at night and remove all remnants of food after 24 hours. If they haven’t eaten it by then, they don’t want it, and leaving it there can cause your pink toe tarantula undue stress, plus it can upset the balance of their environment.

You also must make sure your pink toe tarantula has clean, fresh water that is replaced often. Put a few bowls around their cage so they always have access.

Temperatures.

Pink toe tarantulas are native to rainforest regions of southern Central America as well as Northern South America. They’re commonly seen in northern Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana. Their ideal living conditions mimic the temperatures and humidity found in these regions.

You must keep a close eye on the temperature in your pink toe tarantula’s cage. They can survive in temperatures from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but ideal conditions for their tank are between 78 degrees Fahrenheit and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heating.

As just mentioned, it’s very important to maintain the correct temperature in your pink toe tarantula’s cage. If you live in a climate that doesn’t stay very warm all year you must invest in a heater.

You can find under tank heaters, heat tape,or infrared heating bulbs at most reptile or pet stores, as well as online. Buy one which safely meets the standards of the cage you have chosen and watch the temperature closely to make sure it doesn’t get too hot.

Humidity.

Since pink toe tarantulas are native to areas with extremely high humidity this is what they crave and need. Humidity levels must be kept continuously between 75 and 85 percent. If humidity levels are lower than this it can interfere with their molting and potentially be fatal. Humidity levels can be monitored by using a hygrometer.

Now, it’s important to note that keeping your tank at these humidity levels can take quite a bit of time and energy to keep these levels optimum. Soaking a sponge and keeping it in the cage and mist the cage with a spray bottle every 2 to 3 days.

Be careful not to spray directly on or near the pink toe tarantula as it could scare them. Keeping the humidity levels high will also benefit the plants living in the cage as well.

You do need to keep a close eye out for mold growth and clean it up immediately if you notice any. As little as a few spots of mold can disturb the eco-balance in the tank and can seriously harm, or even kill your pink toe tarantula.

Lighting.

Pink toe tarantulas don’t require extra light, beyond natural light. They like the sunshine, but be careful not to have their tanks exposed to direct sunlight. If you do choose to put a light in the tank watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t affect the heat of the tank.

Reproduction.

After maturation, the male pink toe tarantula develops hooks or “fingers” on the underside of their first set of legs which is used to hook onto the female pink toe tarantula as they mate. Females must have recently molted in order to take the sperm and adequately reproduce because if they molt during the process, the sperm will be lost.

After mating the female builds a web where she lays anywhere from 50 to 200 eggs which are fertilized as they pass out of her body. The eggs are then wrapped into a ball and she guards this egg sac under her abdomen until they hatch in roughly 6 to 8 weeks.