Tliltocatl albopilosus
Curly Hair Tarantula
Curly hair tarantulas are among the calmest, most commonly recommended beginner tarantula species, valued for their tolerance of husbandry variation and their unhurried, easy-to-observe temperament.
TheraphosidaeLifespan Females 10–15 years, males 3–5 yearsCare complexity 3/5Suitable for beginners
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Tliltocatl albopilosus
- Family
- Theraphosidae
- Origin
- Tropical forest floor of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras
- Lifespan
- Females 10–15 years, males 3–5 years
- Adult size
- 12–14 cm leg span
- Weight
- Not typically measured
- Temperament
- Calm and slow-moving for a tarantula, tolerant of minimal, careful handling by experienced keepers
- Activity level
- Low; long periods of stillness with occasional nocturnal activity
- Social needs
- Solitary; must be housed alone as adults are cannibalistic toward each other
- Intelligence
- Basic instinct-driven prey detection through vibration sensing
- Noise
- Silent
Housing and environment
- Housing
- Ventilated terrestrial enclosure roughly three times leg span in floor length, with a secure lid
- Space requirement
- Floor area more important than height, as this is a ground-dwelling species
- Temperature
- 22–27°C
- Humidity
- 60–70%
- Exercise
- Provided by floor space and a shallow burrow or hide
- Grooming
- Not applicable; periodic moulting handled independently and best left undisturbed
Diet and feeding
Appropriately sized crickets or roaches every one to two weeks for an adult; less for juveniles
Behaviour and compatibility
Kicking urticating hairs from the abdomen when threatened rather than biting, burrowing, silk-lining retreats
- With children
- Not a child's handling pet; the urticating hairs can cause skin and eye irritation, and any bite carries venom
- With other animals
- Solitary housing only
- Training difficulty
- Not applicable
Health
- Dehydration in low humidity
- Injury from falls during handling or escape, which are frequently fatal for tarantulas
- Failed or stuck moults
Very few vets treat invertebrates; an exotics vet with invertebrate experience should be identified before acquiring one
Special care requirements
Avoid handling wherever possible, as falls from even modest heights are frequently fatal to tarantulas due to their fragile exoskeleton