The Curly Hair Tarantula is a terrestrial, burrowing species of tarantula that is native to the Central America. They can reach 4-6 inches in length and have curly hairs that cover their bodies.
Curly Hair Tarantula Taxonomy
The Curly Hair 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.
The Curly Hair Tarantula was first described by Carlos Valerio in 1980 when it was initially placed in the Brachypelma genus. However, in 2019 the Brachypelma genus was split into Brachypelma and Tliltocatl, with this species moving to the Tliltocatl genus.
The scientific name for the Curly Hair Tarantula is Tliltocatl albopilosus. This genus can be found from Mexico to Central America and contains relatively large burrowing tarantulas.
Other species in the Tliltocatl genus include the Mexican Red Rump Tarantula and the Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula.
Curly Hair Tarantula Description
The Curly Hair Tarantula is a medium sized tarantula that can reach 4-6 inches in length. They have 8 legs and 4 appendages near their mouths.
The first two appendages are called pedipalps and are used to hold prey, transport eggs and dig burrows. The other two fang-tipped appendages are called chelicerae. These are used to inject venom by striking downwards on their prey.
They have a golden-brown carapace, a black abdomen and black legs. They have light brown curly hairs covering their body, which gives this spider its common name.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Curly Hair Tarantula is native to Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua where they are primarily found on the Eastern Coast. Their primary habitat consists of rainforests and tropical scrublands.
This species is often found near rivers, at the base of trees, amongst their root systems or on the clearings at the edge of the rainforests.
It shares part of its range with species such as the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula, Central American Banded Gecko, Blacktail Cribo and the Yellow Spotted Lizard.
Curly Hair Tarantula as Pets
Before you purchase a Curly Hair Tarantula, you need to remember that this is a long-term commitment. Males can live for 4-6 years while females can live for up to 15 years.
It is not always easy to rehome a tarantula so you need to be willing to take care of the animal for the duration of its life before taking home one of these amazing spiders.
Tliltocatl albopilosum are one of the most popular species kept in captivity for a number of reasons. They are easy to take care of, don’t grow too large and in general can be quite docile.
Curly Hair Tarantula Feeding
The Curly Hair Tarantula is a fast-growing species so you will need to feed them enough to for them to grow at an appropriate rate.
Juveniles can be fed pre-killed small crickets two times a week. At this age thd spiders will scavenge so feeding pre-killed isn’t an issue. You can also offer them flightless fruit flies if you have access to them.
Any uneaten or discarded crickets will need to be removed from the enclosure within 24 hrs. This is even more important in a humid environment as bacteria will quickly develop.
Juvenile Tliltocatl albopilosum can be fed 3-4 small or medium crickets or roaches once every week, depending on the size of the tarantula. This can be supplemented with other insects such as mealworms or locusts for variety.
A general rule of thumb is not to feed them anything that is greater then two thirds the size of the spider’s abdomen.
A fully grown tarantula can be fed a number of crickets every 2 weeks or so. You can judge how often to feed them based on the size of the spider.
Tarantulas can go weeks without eating, especially when molting so don’t worry if they refuse a feed. Simply remove the prey and try again in a week or so.
Housing a Tliltocatl albopilosus
As the Curly Hair Tarantula is a terrestrial species, floor space is more important than height. In fact, it isn’t recommended to have excessive height in a terrestrial tarantula enclosure. This is because a fall from height can be fatal to these spiders.
Due to their activity level, a small enclosure measuring around 18″ x 12″ x 12″ is enough for this species. They will also do well in the plastic critter keeper enclosures.
As this is a burrowing species, you will want to use around 5-6 inches of substrate. This will also ensure that there isn’t too much height in the enclosure.
You can add a piece of cork bark to provide a hide on the surface if your spider chooses to use it. You should also offer a shallow water bowl, although tarantulas get most of their water from their food.
Tliltocatl albopilosus Temperature
You can keep your Curly Hair 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, such as a heat pad during the winter months. You typically want to keep them between a temperature range of 75F-80F.
Tliltocatl albopilosus Substrate
As the Curly Hair Tarantula is a burrowing species, you will want to use around 5-6 inches of substrate in their enclosure. These tarantulas like humidity levels of around 70%, so keep this in mind when choosing your substrate.
Coco Fibre and Potting Soil are two commonly used substrates for these tarantulas. They work well as they retain humidity well while also making it easy for the spider to burrow.
You will need to lightly mist your substrate to ensure the humidity levels are maintained. However, you do not want to have soggy, saturated substrate in the enclosure.
Curly Hair Tarantula Handling
Handling a Curly Hair Tarantula is a matter of personal preference. These tarantulas are known to be quite docile and their bite isn’t considered to be medically significant so it is a species that many people like to handle.
However, it is important to keep in mind that it is a very fast spider so you need to be alert while handling them. A fall from any kind of height can be fatal to a tarantula.
Tliltocatl albopilosum also have urticating hairs which can be irritating and itchy if they get on your skin. This can also lead to swelling if you are sensitive to them.
