Care Sheet For Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas

This species of tarantula is perfect for beginners because in general it has a forgiving nature and relatively easy temperament. Mexican Red Legs come from Mexico and Panama and live in semi-desert scrublands. By spider standards they are attractive looking. At Big Apple Pet Supply, all of our Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas are bred in house as we maintain a strict quality control. Please note that Imported or Wild Caught tarantulas of this species are illegal.

Housing
Some people keep Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas in as small as a 5 gallon enclosure but we prefer to see a 10 gallon used (20" x 10" x 10"H). A secure screen top is a must to keep your Mexican Red Leg Tarantula from escaping the enclosure.

Substrate
Most people use a combination of substrates including coconut fiber, such as Zoo Med Eco Earth; cypress mulch, such as Zoo Med Forest Floor; and Big Apple's Imported Premium Grade Sphagnum Moss.

Heating
Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas need a thermal gradient which varies by species but consists of a warm side around 83° Fahrenheit and a cool side around 74° F. The best way to heat your Mexican Red Leg Tarantula's enclosure is with a combination of a heat mat and ceramic heat emitter. We recommend the Intellitemp Heat Mat and Big Apple Black Heat Infrared Ceramic Heat Emitter. The heat mat and ceramic heat emitter should be on one side while the other side should not have any heat source. We recommend controlling the ceramic emitter with a thermostat, such as the BAH-500 or BAH-1000DC, and monitoring the temperatures with a thermometer.

Lighting
Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas are not known to require a UV bulb to keep them healthy but if you decide to use any type of lighting make sure your temperatures do not go above 84° F.

Shelter
Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas need a dark hiding place plus items like cork bark, driftwood or bamboo tubes. The shelter can be anything from a Big Apple Basic Reptile Hide Box to a decorative reptile shelter, hiding hut or cave. It is always a good idea to have one shelter on the warm side and one on the cool side. If you choose to make a hiding place yourself, please make sure it is sturdy enough that there is no potential for collapsing and crushing your Mexican Red Leg Tarantula.

Water
It is essential that you provide your Mexican Red Leg Tarantula with a shallow water bowl with saturated cotton balls or other similar item. The bowl should be large enough that it helps to humidify the cage but not so big that your tarantula might have a difficult time getting in or out of the bowl. Place the water dish on the cool side of the cage so that it does not evaporate quickly. IMPORTANT: This species requires humidity in the 60 percent plus range so make sure to mist if needed.

Food
Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas enjoys most insects like crickets, mealworms, silk worms and wax worms.

Vitamins
It is important to feed high quality live feeders to your Mexican Red Leg Tarantula but it is always a good idea to coat the feeders with a bit of vitamin and calcium powders, such as such as Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 or Rep-Cal Calcium before feeding them to your tarantula.

Cage Maintenance
Mexican Red Leg Tarantulas require minimal maintenance. Using one of our scoopers you can perform this task when cleaning becomes necessary. The bedding should be completely thrown out and the entire cage (including all accessories) should be washed with hot water at least once every four to five months.