Costa Rican Tiger Rump Tarantula

Quick Facts
Good for Experienced Owners
Size: Small
Activity Level: Medium
Sociability: Low
Diet: Carnivore

History:
The Costa Rican tiger rump tarantula is an arachnid native to Costa Rica, but can also be found in Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Costa Rican tiger rumps are fairly popular tarantulas with experienced arachnid owners due to their attractive appearance.

Temperament:
The Costa Rican tiger rump tarantula is an active fast moving spider that tends to be a little skittish and aggressive. With daily socialization and gentle handling they can become moderately comfortable around their owner; however, they will never become extremely friendly. Costa Rican tiger rumps are easily injured so should always be handled with care. Costa Rican tiger rump tarantulas are nocturnal so are more active at night and usually sleep during the day.

Like all tarantulas, Costa Rican tiger rump tarantulas are moderately dangerous. Costa Rican tiger rumps are New World tarantulas and like all New World tarantulas they are bombardiers. Bombardier tarantulas are covered in barbed hair that they can launch at threats. The barbed hairs can cause skin irritations, rashes, and partial blindness if they get in the eyes. As Costa Rican tiger rumps tend to be a bit more aggressive than the average New World tarantula they tend to kick their hairs more than normal.

Habitat:
A single adult Costa Rican tiger rump tarantula requires a 20 square foot aquarium; the focus of the aquarium should be more on length and width than on height. However, the aquarium should be high enough that the spider can not touch the top as they are excellent escape artists. The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with about four inches of peat moss or potting soil and should include a hollowed log or cave for the spider to sleep and hide in. The aquarium should also include a large shallow water dish, some flat rocks and possibly some fake or real plants.

The temperature in the aquarium should be around 76-80 Fahrenheit in the daytime, and around 70-75 Fahrenheit at night time. The humidity should be around 60-70 percent, but the water evaporating from the water dish should provide enough humidity, so misting usually is not necessary.

Appearance and Care:
The Costa Rican tiger rump is a one of the smallest types of pet tarantulas. Adult Costa Rican tiger rump tarantulas have an average leg span of 4.5 to 5 inches; females are larger than males. Costa Rican tiger rumps are dark brown with dark orange or red stripes on their rumps.

Diet:
Like all spiders, the Costa Rican tiger rump tarantula is a carnivore. While some owners are able to trick their Costa Rican tiger rump to eat dead food, most will only eat live prey. The Costa Rican tiger rump eats crickets, small lizards, grasshoppers, cockroaches, pinkie mice, and small beetles. They require fresh water daily.

Health:
Costa Rican tiger rump tarantulas have an average life span of 5-20 years. Female tarantulas live significantly longer than male tarantulas do; females live 15-20 years, while males live around 5 years. Most veterinarians do not have the training to treat tarantulas, so owners will need to find a specialty veterinarian encase of emergency.