What’s the ideal diet for a Venezuelan Suntiger Tarantula?
All tarantulas can eat a variety of feeders. Stick to crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, horned worms occasionally, and a superworm or mealworm as the occasional treat!
How should I keep a Venezuelan Suntiger Tarantula?
For this particular creature, you can start with the small Arboreal Bliss enclosure, and when they get to be about ⅓ the size, you will want to either go to the medium or large Arboreal Bliss enclosure. Feed them as slings once a week, twice if their opisthosoma (abdomen) looks small, but if the opisthosoma is wider than their prosoma (cephalothorax), then wait a couple of days to feed. For juveniles or adults, stick to feeding once a week, nothing larger than their opisthosoma. Make sure to keep a full water dish at all times; wider and deeper is fine. Your tarantula can’t drown; they float on water.
How long could a Venezuelan Suntiger Tarantula live?
Females are thought to live between 12 and 14 years, with males living 2 to 4 years. These are the best estimates from multiple sources.
Care Guide for Psalmopoeus irminia
Key Points
Diet: Varied and easy. Feed crickets, roaches, or hornworms. Avoid overfeeding to maintain visibility.
Habitat setup: Arboreal-like with depth. 3-4 inches of substrate for potential "dirt curtains."
Humidity: South American conditions. Mist regularly, but forgiving if mistakes occur.
Breeding: Captive-bred availability. Expect 100-500 babies per clutch.
Temperament: Females docile, males aggressive. Prepare for defensive behaviors.
Venom potency: New World species with stronger venom. Painful but not medically significant.
Visibility: Elusive nature. Provide cork bark hideouts; expect limited sightings.
Size: Impressive without being overwhelming. An ideal stepping stone to Old World species.
Some photos provided by iNaturalist and Wikipedia, credit to:
eamonccorbett, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Igor Balashov, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Quengsalinas, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA 4.0)