Mexican Bloodleg Tarantula Care Sheet

Mexican Bloodleg Tarantula
SUB-ADULT MALE
Specimen provided by Frank Somma.
Photo taken by Jon Fouskaris.

The Mexican Bloodleg Tarantula is easily one of the best beginner tarantulas on the market! A combination of the color and gentle disposition makes the Mexican Bloodleg Tarantula an excellent pet species. These tarantulas are docile, and they don't flick urticating hairs very often. Due to their extremely slow growth, Mexican Bloodleg Tarantulas are also one of the longest lived tarantula species! Unfortunately, this species is rare, so many beginners won't be able to go into a pet shop and take one home with them. Also, captive breedings are not frequent. When Mexican Bloodleg Tarantulas are available for sale, the price is high. The Mexican Bloodleg Tarantula is a fairly new species to the hobby, another factor when the price is involved. A unique thing about this species, is the males, upon maturity, loose all the orange and gold that you see in the picture to the left, and become completely black! This tarantula does not get very large, but it makes up for it's size in beauty. In conclusion, desirable Mexican Bloodleg Tarantulas can be expensive and hard to find, but for a beginner, they are well worth the money, and yours will be with you for a long time!

Range	Pacific side of southern Mexico, in scrubland and deserts.
Type	Terrestrial, but will burrow to some extent.
Diet	Spiderlings will eat pinhead crickets, and other small insects. Adults will eat crickets, and other large insects.
Full Grown Size	3.5 to 4 inches.
Growth	Slow speed.
Temperature	75 to 90° F.
Humidity	70 to 75%. All tarantulas that have at least a 3" legspan may drink from a shallow, wide water dish.
Temperament	Docile and calm.
Housing	Spiderlings can live in a clear plastic deli-container with air holes. Adults can live in a 5 to 10-gallon tank. Floor space is more important than height.
Substrate	4 to 5 inches of potting soil or peat moss mixed with vermiculite. Some sort of hiding spot is a good addition to the tank set-up.
Decor	No decorations are really needed, but you can add a log, or cork bark.
Other Names	N/A.

*Please note that ALL tarantulas have a certain amount of venom. Although most people are not affected by this species, some people may be allergic to the venom, or just more sensitive, making it a dangerous situation. This is one of the reasons that people should not handle this tarantula. Also, New World species of tarantulas like this one can flick urticating hairs off of their abdomens, which can also cause a reaction, depending on the person. Affects of this tarantulas' natural defenses may vary between people. All tarantulas should be considered dangerous, so be careful, because you don't want to find out if you are allergic or more sensitive the HARD WAY!