​All About Curly Hair Tarantulas!

Tliltocatl albopiloosus, commonly known as the curly hair tarantula or the wooly tarantula, is one of the most commonly kept pet tarantulas. Their cute appearance, calm demeanor and easy care makes them an amazing pet for anyone new to the tarantula or exotic pet hobby. Curly hair tarantulas are new world tarantulas that can be found in places such as Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Because they are new world tarantulas, their venom is not dangerous to people. They do have urticating hairs that they will kick if they are frightened or feel threatened. Depending on the person, these hairs can cause itching, burning or even blisters when they come in contact with your skin.These hairs can also be very irritating if they come in contact with your eyes. Because they are so docile, this species doesn’t tend to kick hairs very often, making them even less of a threat to people.

Curly hair tarantulas are calm and typically slow moving. These tarantulas can be easily startled so they thrive in a calm and quiet room of the house. They are so quiet that some people find them uninteresting or boring but we disagree! Handling should be kept to a minimum to avoid stressing your pet out. Frequent handling also increases the risk of losing or dropping your spider. They are very fragile animals and a fall, even from just a few feet, can be fatal for them. They tend to like to rearrange their enclosures such as moving dirt and decor around the enclosure. Most of the time, when you approach your tarantulas enclosure, you will find them sitting peacefully, minding their own business. They are so cute that they really don’t need to do much more than that to keep our interest!

Curly hair tarantulas are covered in long hairs that curl a bit, giving them a very fluffy and soft look. Although their colors can vary from one spider to another, many times they are a dark brown or black with some golden or blonde hairs that give them an overall bronzed look. Curly hair tarantulas typically get to be around six inches wide including their legs. Female curly hair tarantulas can live up to an impressive 25 years while males, unfortunately only live four to five years. Curly hair tarantulas grow pretty fast compared to other species. Females will reach their full size at three to four years of age while males will mature slightly younger than that. The rate that they grow at heavily depends on what diet they are being fed.

Curly hair tarantulas are insectivores which means they eat insects! Curly hair tarantulas can eat pretty much any of the common feeder insects that are available to us. Some of the most common feeders used for tarantulas are roaches, superworms, mealworms, crickets and waxworms but the possibilities are endless for giving these guys some variety. Young tarantulas should eat every couple of days while adults can eat around once every week. Any bugs that your tarantula doesn’t eat should be removed so as to not stress out your pet. Some feeders can also be dangerous to your tarantula and may bite them. You should keep a close eye on any feeders you drop into their enclosure as some feeders will quickly burrow into the bedding.

Cocoa fiber tends to be the best bedding for these guys as it does a good job of holding humidity and also allows for good burrowing for the spider. You can provide them with hides such as half log hides or pieces of cork bark. Sphagnum moss is good to throw in there to hold a little bit extra moisture as well. They require 65 to 70% humidity. They should be provided with a medium to large water dish with the water changed out every day. You can overfill their water dish a couple times a week to provide extra moisture but you don’t want the substrate to become swampy. They are known for filling their water dish with substrate so it is important to check daily to make sure they have fresh, clean water. They are happy in a five to ten gallon aquarium but it is important to add plenty of substrate to whatever enclosure you choose. Because they are a burrowing species, their tank should be filled about halfway to the top with substrate.

As you can see, curly hair tarantulas can make great pets for all kinds of hobbyists and T enthusiasts. They are calm, easy to care for and cute as a button! With the right set up and plenty of personal research you can give your curly hair tarantula a long happy life. No pet collection is really complete without a curly hair tarantula!

Sources:

Lianne McLeod, DVM. “How to Care for a Pet Curly Hair Tarantula.” The Spruce Pets, The Spruce Pets, 20 Dec. 2021, https://www.thesprucepets.com/curly-hair-tarantulas-as-pets-1237347#:~:text=Keep%20the%20tank%20out%20of,water%20in%20a%20spray%20bottle.

“Curly Hair Tarantula (Tliltocatl Albopilosum) Care.” The Tarantula Collective, https://www.thetarantulacollective.com/caresheets/tliltocatl-albopilosus.