Origin And Natural Habitat
The Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula, also known as Megaphobema Robustum, is a tarantula species found in Brazil and Colombia. In their natural habitat, they can be found in various environments, such as savannas and rainforests.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum | Chelicerata |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Araneae |
| Infraorder | Mygalomorphae |
| Family | Theraphosidae |
| Genus | Megaphobema |
| Species | Megaphobema Robustum |
Species Overview
| Common Name | Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula |
| Origin | Columbia |
| Category | New World |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Temperament | Nervous |
| Minimum Tank Size | 2 X The Size Of The Tarantula (In Each Direction) |
| Temperature | 75°-80° F (23°-26° C) |
| Humidity | 70%-80% |
| Diet | Carnivorous |
| Leg Span | Up to 8 inches (20cm) |
| Urticating Hairs | Yes |
| Venomous | No |
| Growth Rate | Medium-fast |
| Lifespan | Females: 16-20 years Males: 3-5 years |
| Experience Required | Beginner |
Appearance And Size
While they are considered large spiders, with a leg span of 6 to 8 inches, their size is average compared to some other tarantula species, which makes their name somewhat misleading. Nevertheless, tarantula enthusiasts greatly value Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas due to their stunning coloration, which features a combination of velvet black, orange, and crimson hues.
Housing
The Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula lives on land in the wild, so ensure you provide a terrestrial cage for it as soon as you get one. The cage’s surface area must be at least two times the spider’s diagonal leg span in each direction. Placing a Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula in a smaller cage will make it extremely uncomfortable. However, don’t get a cage that’s too tall since a fall from a great height can be pretty fatal to a Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula.
Nevertheless, you need to be more cautious if your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula is young because spiderlings need to be placed in small enclosures, unlike their adult counterparts. You can use small containers like vials or small jars with lids with your spiderlings. Just make sure whatever enclosure you use is adequately ventilated. You can often provide ventilation ports by drilling holes in the container you’re using to hold them. Shoeboxes and deli cups are also common enclosures for young Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas.
Most exotic pet stores sell really sturdy tarantula cages, so you can quickly find one for your tarantula if you want. If you don’t have the money or just want to build a custom cage for your tarantula, then you can go ahead and build one for your little buddy if you’re good with your hands. You can construct the cage from glass or a sturdy plastic tube.
Enclosure’s Decorations
It’s recommended that you incorporate various decorations into the enclosure to create an optimal habitat for your tarantula. It’s essential to include at least two separate cork bark pieces to provide hiding spaces for your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula. These tarantulas appreciate secluded areas, and having a place to retreat to can make them feel more comfortable and secure. It’s also always a good idea to put a couple of artificial and natural plants in the enclosure too to enhance the natural feel and make your tarantula feel like it’s in the wild.
Substrate
It would be best if you also place several inches of mildly damp substrate in your tarantula’s enclosure. You can build this substrate with a mixture of coconut coir, sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, and commercial organic soil. The substrate should be deeper in adult cages to make it easier for them to burrow whenever they want to.
Water And Humidity
It’s important to maintain the humidity levels in your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula’s enclosure between 70%-80% in order to keep it healthy. A digital hygrometer can be used to measure this, so it’s advisable to get one as soon as possible. Keeping the enclosure’s humidity within this range is relatively easy as long as you spray the enclosure and substrate frequently.
Additionally, ensure you provide a shallow water dish in the enclosure so your tarantula always has access to water so it doesn’t get dehydrated. You should also spray the substrate often since doing this will help to keep it moist and allow your spiderling to drink the water droplets since spiderlings cannot use water dishes. Spraying the enclosure also prevents the enclosure from becoming too damp and attracting fungus and mites. You can also use small containers like bottle caps as a replacement for water bowls for your spiderlings if you prefer to go that route.
Heating And Temperature
Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas originate from the tropics, so they don’t really do well in cold environments. That’s why it’s best to always keep your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula’s cage heated at all times, just the way they like it. To do this, you can set a small heat mat beneath the cage as a constant heat source. Just ensure you place the heat source in the cage in a way that one portion of the cage is significantly warmer than the other. Doing this will give your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula the freedom to scuttle about the cage and find the ideal temperature it wants at that particular time.
It might be quite difficult to place a heat mat or a light bulb in a younger Megaphopelma robust container, though, since these enclosures are smaller than the ones used for adults. In that case, you can place whatever type of enclosure you’re using to house your tarantula inside a larger enclosure that’s currently heated.
Remember to purchase a thermometer to check your tarantula enclosure’s temperatures whenever you want. A thermometer is the easiest way to check your tarantula’s cage temperature to ensure it’s not too hot or cold but perfect. Keeping the temperature in your tarantula’s enclosure within the range of 75°-80° F (23°-26° C) is crucial to maintain your pet’s comfort.
Diet And Nutrition
Feeding your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula appropriate prey is essential to ensure it is well-fed and healthy. This means feeding your tarantula bigger prey when it’s an adult and small-sized ones when it’s still a spiderling or a juvenile. Flightless fruit flies are a good option when Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas are young. As they mature, you can feed them slightly larger prey like small pinhead crickets. It’s important to note that insects can harm your spider if given the opportunity, so it’s recommended to crush their heads before feeding them to your tarantula. Additionally, it’s best to avoid leaving uneaten insects in the cage for an extended period of time, as it can cause stress to your tarantula.
When feeding your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula, the size of the prey item should be roughly equivalent to the length of its carapace. So you don’t necessarily have to kill the food if it’s far smaller than the tarantula and can easily be subdued.
Adult Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula typically eats every 10-14 days, while older ones may eat less frequently. Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas generally have healthy appetites, so frequent feeding is recommended for younger specimens to encourage growth. A variety of prey items such as crickets, roaches, mealworms, and locusts should be offered so they don’t get stuck eating only one stuff.
Social
It’s important to house Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula separately since they are solitary creatures that prefer living alone.
Behavior And Temperament
Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas possess many urticating hairs, which can be utilized both defensively and offensively. Despite their intimidating appearance, this species is not typically aggressive. Instead, they tend to be quite timid and will only flick their urticating hairs when they feel threatened. While they have the capability to defend themselves, they prefer to flee from danger rather than engage in a confrontation.
Handling
Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas are skittish animals that don’t enjoy socialising. They are not the type of pets that are meant to be constantly touched and held. Rather, they should always be left in their enclosure and studied. For one, lifting them far above the ground level is a horrible idea. They might not look it, but they are pretty feeble, so one sudden drop can be disastrous if care is not taken. This is one reason why it’s a bad idea to lift your tarantula far above the ground. Also, the Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula’s urticating hairs can easily irritate a human being’s skin if they come in contact with it.
If you still decide you want to lift your Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantula up for whatever reason, you can try trapping it in a small container with a secured lid so it can’t easily bolt out. Doing it this way protects both the tarantula and you from harm. You can also wear clothes that cover major parts of your body they can reach if you want to be extra careful. Long sleeve shirts and hand gloves are some that can help.
Health And Lifespan
Male Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas typically live for 3 to 5 years, while females can live up to 16-20 years. Maintaining their health is relatively easy, as long as you provide them with store-bought feeders and keep their enclosure clean.
Price
Colombian Giant Redleg Tarantulas are pretty popular pets, so they are usually available for sale in exotic pet stores and breeders both online and offline. They cost about $40 to $80 each, so they aren’t expensive to buy.
