Zebra Knee Tarantulas Pet Care

The Zebra Knee Tarantula is beautiful with a black body, dark red hairs, white stripes on its legs, and orange spinnerets. As a pet, the Zebra Tarantula is a low-maintenance creature. It adapts to a wide range of living conditions, but it is skittish. If your beginner spider keeper, you may want to start with a different Tarantula. The Zebra Knee requires an intermediate level of care.

About Zebra Knee Tarantulas

Zebra Knee Tarantulas Pet Care: Habitat Set-Up

Habitat

• A small 5-gallon to 10-gallon tank or terrarium is usually suitable. To choose your tank size, keep in mind that the Tarantula’s habitat should be two to three times wider than its leg span, and the height should be as tall as the spider’s width. Be sure to allow room for a thick substrate for burrowing.
• The enclosure needs to be escape-proof. Since spiders spend most of their time climbing, specially designed spider terrariums better fit the spider’s needs as opposed to a standard terrarium.
• The Tarantula needs a hiding space. The hiding space can be a hollowed-out log, branches, or cork bark.
• Artificial or live plants provide good additional coverage, making your pet Tarantula feel calm and safe.

Heating

• Terrarium Temperature 70-85 F. An under-tank heating pad is recommended when the temperature in your home falls below this range.
• The Zebra Knee Tarantula needs a humidity level of 75 to 80 percent.
• Evaporation from your spider’s water dish should provide enough relative humidity, preventing the need to mist inside the enclosure.

Lighting

• For the Zebra Knee Tarantulas pet care keep the tarantula in a darker part of the room, away from sunlight. Avoid incandescent lights that can dry out a tarantula, instead use a nocturnal or infrared light to watch your Tarantula after dark.

Substrates

• For an excellent substrate, Tarantula needs two to three inches of dampened sphagnum moss, soil, vermiculite, coconut fiber bedding, or reptile bark. Do not use gravel and artificial turf because it’s too harsh for their skin.
• The bedding that lines the floor of your spider’s tank allows the Tarantula to burrow.

Maintenance

• Thoroughly clean and disinfect the habitat at least once a week.
• Place your Zebra Knee Tarantula in a separate, secure space when cleaning your habitat.
• The tank and furnishings need scrubbing with a 3% bleach solution.
• When finished, rinse thoroughly with water and remove all traces of the bleach smell.
• Dry the tank and furnishings before adding a clean substrate.

Zebra Knee Tarantula Pet Care: Temperament

• The Zebra Knee Tarantula moves very fast, making them a less likely candidate for those who like to handle their pet spiders. 
• While docile in demeanor, this spider displays darting speeds when startled. The Zebra Knee Tarantula is a pet that is hard to catch and difficult to contain. Trying to capture and pick up this type of tarantula often leads to an animal injury when the spider falls into its cage or onto the floor from a substantial height.
• However, with daily socialization and gentle handling, the Zebra Knee Tarantula can become moderately tamed.

Diet and Nutrition

• The Zebra Knee Tarantula’s pet care digestive tract, designed for digesting liquid food, happens when the spider vomits digestive enzymes onto its food to break it down into a liquid before slurping it up.
• Zebra Knee Tarantulas enjoy live crickets and other giant insects as their prime food source. Be sure that food is smaller than the tarantula, and remove any uneaten live feed as it may cause injury to a resting tarantula.
• Adult tarantulas usually eat once or twice a week, whereas immature spiders feed more often. Since they are nocturnal, feeding should occur at night.

Water

• A small water bowl placed inside the Zebra Knee Tarantula’s enclosure should keep it well hydrated. Keep the clean, chlorine-free water fresh and change it daily.
• Add climb-out rocks to prevent accidental drowning because the book lungs (air-flow vents) are located on the spider’s lower abdomen.
• Remove any substrate that becomes soaked with spills to prevent rot and bacterial growth.

Pet Safety

• Use caution when handling pets and remember they may bite or scratch (especially when stressed).
• Supervise children around pets.
• ALL ANIMALS can potentially carry viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases contagious to humans.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with warm, soapy water before and after contact with any pet or its habitat.
• Adults should assist children with handwashing after contact with a pet, its habitat, or aquarium water.

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