The Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula is a stunning species with vibrant colors and a docile nature. They are sometimes referred to as the Martinique Red Tree Spider or the Martinique Pink Toe Tarantula.
It is a species of ‘New World’ Tarantula. Other new world species include the Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula, the Mexican Red Knee Tarantula and the Salmon Pink Birdeater.
Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula Taxonomy
The Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula belongs to the Family Theraphosidae. This essentially means that the spider is a tarantula and over 1,000 different spiders have been identified as part of the family Theraphosidae.
Theraphosidae belongs to the infraorder Mygalomorphae. While many of the other species in this infraorder are often referred to as tarantulas or ‘false tarantulas’, the species in the family Theraphosidae are considered the ‘true’ tarantulas.
Tarantulas can be found throughout the American Continent (excluding Canada), Africa, parts of Mediterranean Europe, South-East Asia and Australia.
Until recently, the Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula belonged to the genus Avicularia. This genus contains species such as the Guyana Pink Toe Tarantula and the Yellow Banded Tarantula.
However, in 2017 it was reclassified under the genus Caribena along with the Peurto Rican Pink Toe Tarantula which was also moved from the Avicularia genus.
The scientific name for the Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula is Caribena versicolor. This translates to ‘Caribbean’ and ‘changeable in color’. Therefore, it is the Caribbean color changing spider.
Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula Description
A spiderling Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula generally has a vibrant metallic blue coloration with a dark tree trunk like pattern on their abdomen. As the spider grows, its color changes.
Adults of this species generally have a green carapace and a red abdomen. Their legs are covered in purple, pink or red hairs while their toes are pink.
A male Caribena versicolor generally doesn’t grow as large as a female and has a smaller abdomen, in proportion to its size. This is common among tarantula species.
This is a medium sized tarantula that obtains a leg span of around 5-6 inches. While males are typically smaller, they are also thinner than the bulkier females.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula is native to the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. These islands are part of the Lesser Antilles islands.
They are likely found on other nearby islands such as Dominica, St. Lucia and Barbados but we couldn’t find any verifiable information to confirm this.
Caribena versicolor As Pets
The Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula is known to be a docile species of tarantula but they are quite fast, have a mild venom and also have a tendency to jump.
They should be considered a display species that you only handle when necessary, such as during cleaning and pairing. This is due to their ‘skittish’ nature.
Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula Feeding
The Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula is an aggressive feeder and will feed on a variety of different insects. In the wild, they are even known to eat small anole lizards, but this isn’t necessary in captivity.
A spiderling can be fed one small pre-killed cricket two times a week. You can also offer them a number of flightless fruit flies 2-3 days a week instead of crickets.
You will need to remove uneaten crickets or leftovers from the meal after 24hrs. As the spider grows, the size of the meal will need to increase.
A juvenile Caribena versicolor can be fed one medium cricket twice a week. Alternatively, you can offer them 2 crickets at a time but only feed weekly.
An adult can be fed 2-3 roaches every week or two. It can be easy to overfeed these tarantulas as they generally have a great feeding response so care should be taken not to allow them to get obese.
If you have an adult that looks like they need to put on a bit of weight, offer them 2-3 crickets weekly. If they are a good weight, offer them a meal every 10-14 days. Don’t confuse a good feeding response with hunger.
Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula Housing
While these tarantulas generally live in humid environments, they spend almost all of their time in the trees where they are exposed to the fresh Caribbean breeze. In captivity, ventilation is key to prevent damp, stagnant conditions.
Spiderlings can be housed in small containers with a small layer of substrate. The enclosure should be taller than it is wide with some vertical twigs or cork bark to allow them to anchor their webs.
As the spider grows, they will need to be housed in a larger enclosure. You should aim for an enclosure that is 3-4 times taller than the length of the spider to allow them to climb.
These spiders will spin webs off the ground so include some cork bark to give them a surface to anchor off of. This will also double up as an area to hide behind.
Try to keep humidity levels high but don’t allow the conditions to become damp and stagnant. Ventilation is a key factor in keeping these spiders healthy.
Temperature
You can keep your Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula at room temperature. If the temperature is comfortable for you, it will be comfortable for them. This adds to their ease of care as you don’t need any special heating equipment.
However, if you live in a cold climate, you may want to add some supplemental heat during the winter months. You typically want to keep them between a temperature range of 75F-80F.
Caribena versicolor Behaviour
The Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula is considered a solitary species and shouldn’t be housed with other tarantulas. They should only be kept together while attempting to breed.
While there are reports of these spiders living communally in the wild, they have the space to get away from each other. This isn’t possible in captivity.
