Brett - 2010-06-01 How do you determine a tarantula's gender?
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marian miner - 2010-06-12 the male will have hooks on the front of his legs you will notice them and they will not shed as much, they will be a little smaller, and they will spin a small area that they sit on like a blanket. They also will tap their front legs. females,they are larger,they spin the webs,thats all I can say about the females I hope that helps you.
poli - 2012-03-31 You should wait until your spider is a good size. Once it molts spray the molt with a spray bottle until its moist enough so that it will unfold. Then looking at the molt, gently spread out the outer layer of the abdoman that would be the spiders tummy. The 2 white sacks are their book lungs. It's how they breath. The best way to tell if its a female or male is right in between the book lungs. There should be a large slit, an opening that if you were to take a toothpick you would be able to easily insert it into this slit and see it slide right through the skin and out the other side. This is characteristic is strickly FEMALE, its how she collects the male sperm. A male spider will not have this slit! Best to wait until your spider molts. Check youTube for a step by step video of this process!
sox - 2010-12-02 Ours has molted for the second time and its f*$*in massive and beautiful can't wait til we get our second tarantula idk what we are getting yet but hopefully a chilian white knee.
lisa - 2011-11-30 Hi, I could do with some advice please. I have a 3 year old red knee and she is lovely. I've only had her about a month and she would let me hold her and she was quite happy, but she has now turned. She will flick, hairs and rear up her front legs, and that's only when I change her water bowl. If I try to touch her she runs. She is feeding really well, to well I think as she always eats what I put in her tank x
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Charlie Roche - 2011-11-30 Could just be a phase for reaching sexual maturity. She also could be starting a major molt although they usually stop eating then. Possible stress - have you moved the enclosure or major temperature change. Anything different?
lisa - 2011-12-01 When my husband got her from the pet shop she was just in a plastic box with a water bowl,but her new tank is all set up right for her. I don't know how long she was in there for or why they got rid of her? Do you think she could be hungry? The first week she ate 10 crickets. I've read that you can over fed them so I haven't feed her this week. thanks for your advice x
simon - 2011-12-18 The tank you have put her in is not to large is it? We find the mexican can get stressed in large enclosers unlike our white knee and goliath who love to roam round looking for trouble .
Anonymous - 2011-12-22 No, the tank is quite small and the pet shop recommened it. She just seems to have the hump the whole time, she even reared up when i changed her water the other day, shame as she is so lovely i just wanna hold her,
Megan - 2010-06-07 I have just, today, purchased a mexican red knee. It is my first tarantula but my dad had one when I was really little. Due to it being a private sale, there was little information given out. She appears to have just molted as there was a skin in her tank. However, at the base of the abdomen, is an orange patch which should be black and has no hair on it. Should I be concerned or will this change as she appears to have just molted?
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Nate - 2011-02-08 I can't say for sure, because I don't have a picture and your description is a little vague, but I believe what you are seeing is a "bald spot" on the abdomen where the spider has kicked off its urticating hairs. As this usually takes a while, I doubt that the tarantula has recently molted. Dealers often leave the previous "skin" in the container with the spider so the buyer can attempt to sex it from the previous molt. This "bald spot" should not be a problem and the hairs will be replaced during its next molt.
PF - 2011-10-12 I'm not an expert yet but if your T has just molted it should not have a bald patch. If your talking about the cephalothorax that is orange, it's maybe a Brachypelma bohemei instead of a Brachypelma smithi. Heres a web site with pictures of Ts, you can look and see if this is what you see on your T: http://www.tarantulacanada.ca/English/English.htm
Good luck! PF
Josh - 2011-10-27 My red knee does the same thing... About 2-3 weeks after she molts the hairs both black and orange fall right off of her. This has happened to me the last three molts. I'm wondering if it's temperature change or tank surroundings?
PF - 2011-11-03 Hello, I know what you are talking about, if you click on the picutre of the Antille pink toe tarantula at the top of this page, does the bald patch look like the bald patch on the T? If yes, all my Ts have that, I thought my rosies had dandruf then I noticed that all my new slings have it, although my Ts still have hair on that spot. I haven't looked into it but I will. Here's a hypothesis: maybe the hairs on this spot has a more irritating effect on the skin since they are rougher and have more barbules. And when they are irritaded, they reach that spot specifically when they flick hairs. Maybe someone has an exact explanation.
PF
PF - 2011-11-03 I got the info. I was looking for and my hypothesis is right. The bald spot on the abdomen is due to the excess hair flicking. That spot contains rougher hairs with barbules that irritates the skin compared to the rest of the body. When a T is really nervous, it will flick it's hairs more up to a point that it becomes simply a bald spot.
Tammy Mansfield - 2010-09-19 I am currently babysitting a Texas Brown for a couple of weeks. I am extremely terrified of spiders but have become quite attached to this little guy. After doing a lot of research on the different species, my husband and I have decided to purchase the Mexican Red Knee. We have it ordered from a local pet shop and will picking it up next week. I can't wait to watch it grow. Thanks to all for sharing your experience with this beautiful spider.
Amber - 2010-01-06 I've had my redknee for a year now, she's molted three times. The first two were quick and easy, the third time took her a bit longer and she didn't shed her whole "skin" at once. She is at least twice as big, right now she's all skinny from just moulting and looks funny with her long, long legs. Her name is Black Magic, and she's got a feisty temperament. She flicks her bristles at me often, but it doesn't take much to calm her down. She's so brilliant she looks like a toy. I'm madly in love with her, she is the most evil of my 6 pets, lol. She's very easy to care for, I use potting soil for substrate. She doesn't burrow, but she wanders all over her cage (10 gallon). She hasn't escaped on me yet.
The Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula is a gorgeous, friendly tarantula that's great for beginners!
Is it possible to breed a pink toe tarantula with a red knee tarantula?
No, they are two separate species, so can't reproduce. Also, they have different breeding habits.
My mexican red-knee has has developed a white patch on its abdomen, have you any ideas what it could be please!
How do you determine a tarantula's gender?
the male will have hooks on the front of his legs you will notice them and they will not shed as much, they will be a little smaller, and they will spin a small area that they sit on like a blanket. They also will tap their front legs. females,they are larger,they spin the webs,thats all I can say about the females I hope that helps you.
You should wait until your spider is a good size. Once it molts spray the molt with a spray bottle until its moist enough so that it will unfold. Then looking at the molt, gently spread out the outer layer of the abdoman that would be the spiders tummy. The 2 white sacks are their book lungs. It's how they breath. The best way to tell if its a female or male is right in between the book lungs. There should be a large slit, an opening that if you were to take a toothpick you would be able to easily insert it into this slit and see it slide right through the skin and out the other side. This is characteristic is strickly FEMALE, its how she collects the male sperm. A male spider will not have this slit! Best to wait until your spider molts. Check youTube for a step by step video of this process!
Ours has molted for the second time and its f*$*in massive and beautiful can't wait til we get our second tarantula idk what we are getting yet but hopefully a chilian white knee.
Hi, I could do with some advice please. I have a 3 year old red knee and she is lovely. I've only had her about a month and she would let me hold her and she was quite happy, but she has now turned. She will flick, hairs and rear up her front legs, and that's only when I change her water bowl. If I try to touch her she runs. She is feeding really well, to well I think as she always eats what I put in her tank x
Could just be a phase for reaching sexual maturity. She also could be starting a major molt although they usually stop eating then. Possible stress - have you moved the enclosure or major temperature change. Anything different?
When my husband got her from the pet shop she was just in a plastic box with a water bowl,but her new tank is all set up right for her. I don't know how long she was in there for or why they got rid of her? Do you think she could be hungry? The first week she ate 10 crickets. I've read that you can over fed them so I haven't feed her this week. thanks for your advice x
The tank you have put her in is not to large is it? We find the mexican can get stressed in large enclosers unlike our white knee and goliath who love to roam round looking for trouble .
No, the tank is quite small and the pet shop recommened it. She just seems to have the hump the whole time, she even reared up when i changed her water the other day, shame as she is so lovely i just wanna hold her,
I have just, today, purchased a mexican red knee. It is my first tarantula but my dad had one when I was really little. Due to it being a private sale, there was little information given out. She appears to have just molted as there was a skin in her tank. However, at the base of the abdomen, is an orange patch which should be black and has no hair on it. Should I be concerned or will this change as she appears to have just molted?
I can't say for sure, because I don't have a picture and your description is a little vague, but I believe what you are seeing is a "bald spot" on the abdomen where the spider has kicked off its urticating hairs. As this usually takes a while, I doubt that the tarantula has recently molted. Dealers often leave the previous "skin" in the container with the spider so the buyer can attempt to sex it from the previous molt. This "bald spot" should not be a problem and the hairs will be replaced during its next molt.
I'm not an expert yet but if your T has just molted it should not have a bald patch. If your talking about the cephalothorax that is orange, it's maybe a Brachypelma bohemei instead of a Brachypelma smithi. Heres a web site with pictures of Ts, you can look and see if this is what you see on your T: http://www.tarantulacanada.ca/English/English.htm
Good luck!
PF
My red knee does the same thing... About 2-3 weeks after she molts the hairs both black and orange fall right off of her. This has happened to me the last three molts. I'm wondering if it's temperature change or tank surroundings?
Hello, I know what you are talking about, if you click on the picutre of the Antille pink toe tarantula at the top of this page, does the bald patch look like the bald patch on the T? If yes, all my Ts have that, I thought my rosies had dandruf then I noticed that all my new slings have it, although my Ts still have hair on that spot. I haven't looked into it but I will. Here's a hypothesis: maybe the hairs on this spot has a more irritating effect on the skin since they are rougher and have more barbules. And when they are irritaded, they reach that spot specifically when they flick hairs. Maybe someone has an exact explanation.
PF
I got the info. I was looking for and my hypothesis is right. The bald spot on the abdomen is due to the excess hair flicking. That spot contains rougher hairs with barbules that irritates the skin compared to the rest of the body. When a T is really nervous, it will flick it's hairs more up to a point that it becomes simply a bald spot.
I am currently babysitting a Texas Brown for a couple of weeks. I am extremely terrified of spiders but have become quite attached to this little guy. After doing a lot of research on the different species, my husband and I have decided to purchase the Mexican Red Knee. We have it ordered from a local pet shop and will picking it up next week. I can't wait to watch it grow. Thanks to all for sharing your experience with this beautiful spider.
Can u plz let me know what food can I feed my spider?
See care and feeding above. As for large insects, crickets are the most common large insect available at pet stores.
feed them crickits or pinkies, grasshoppers moths thats what I feed mine I hope that helps.
Crickets depending on the size of the tarantula, bigger species could eat locust but for slings and juveniles stick to crickets.
I also had rear my spider for a year. Just molt 3rd time...... look so beautiful and cute la.
I've had my redknee for a year now, she's molted three times. The first two were quick and easy, the third time took her a bit longer and she didn't shed her whole "skin" at once. She is at least twice as big, right now she's all skinny from just moulting and looks funny with her long, long legs. Her name is Black Magic, and she's got a feisty temperament. She flicks her bristles at me often, but it doesn't take much to calm her down. She's so brilliant she looks like a toy. I'm madly in love with her, she is the most evil of my 6 pets, lol. She's very easy to care for, I use potting soil for substrate. She doesn't burrow, but she wanders all over her cage (10 gallon). She hasn't escaped on me yet.