Prepare first
Research the exact species, choose an appropriate enclosure plan, and have it fully prepared before bringing the tarantula home.
Spider People in Training • Course I
Foundations of Responsible Tarantula Care
A free, practical starting point for people who want to prepare well, avoid preventable mistakes, and put the animal’s welfare first.
- Free course
- Five modules
- Self-paced
- Welfare first
Start with the basics
Build a solid foundation for responsible keeping.
SPiT I is for future keepers, new keepers, and anyone who wants to strengthen the basics. It focuses on preparation, routine care, observation, and good judgment from the start.
Read the animal
Get familiar with a few basic body parts, normal behavior, premolt and molt signs, stress signals, and the limits of what behavior can tell us.
Care consistently
Build safe routines for feeding, water, maintenance, observation, records, transfers, and getting help when needed.
Course map
Five modules covering the basics.
The introduction and Module 1 are public. A free Spider People learner account and the Keeper Commitment unlock the rest of the course.
01
Meet the Animal
Recognize care-relevant body structure, behavior, and molting without getting buried in anatomy or taxonomy. Start Module 1
02
Prepare Before Purchase
Choose an appropriate beginner animal and build a species profile. Open Module 2
03
Build the Home
Create a secure, usable enclosure with the right orientation, substrate (the material covering the enclosure floor), hide, water, and climate.
Open Module 304
Provide Routine Care
Feed, water, clean, record, and respond correctly to fasting and molts.
Open Module 405
Keep Everyone Safe
Prevent handling injuries, escapes, bites, urticating hair exposure, neglect, and irresponsible release.
Open Module 5Module 1 of 5
Public lesson
Meet the Animal
Learning outcome: Recognize the care-relevant features and normal behavior of a tarantula without getting buried in anatomy or taxonomy.
1.1
What a tarantula is
A tarantula is a spider with an external skeleton. It doesn’t have bones protecting a soft abdomen, and it can’t grow gradually. To grow, it must periodically shed its old outer layer in a process called molting.
Tarantulas are predators, but they’re also vulnerable animals. Most would rather avoid a threat than fight. A fast retreat, raised legs, a defensive posture, or the release of urticating setae, commonly called urticating hairs, is communication: the spider is asking for distance.
Beginner translation: Defensive doesn’t mean mean or aggressive. Stillness doesn’t mean bored. Hiding doesn’t mean unhappy. A refusal to eat doesn’t automatically mean problems.
Did you know? Three common spider myths
MYTH: Spiders drink blood through their fangs and may bite people for food.
FACT: A spider’s fangs help capture prey and deliver venom. The spider then draws in liquefied prey tissues through its mouth. Humans aren’t prey, and tarantulas don’t seek people as a food source.
MYTH: Tarantulas are aggressive and want to attack.
FACT: Retreating, raising the front legs, kicking urticating hairs, and biting are defensive responses to a perceived threat. A tarantula may defend itself if it feels cornered, restrained, or handled, but it isn’t hunting or plotting an attack.
MYTH: Tarantula venom is either harmless or deadly.
FACT: Neither extreme is fully true. Every tarantula can bite, and bites can cause puncture wounds, pain, swelling, and other symptoms. Some species can cause more serious effects, and allergic reactions are possible. Severe outcomes are uncommon, but prevention and appropriate medical guidance are still important.
1.2
The body parts that change care
- External skeleton
- Falls and crushing injuries can be catastrophic. The body is especially vulnerable during and after a molt.
- Carapace
- The front body section is called the cephalothorax. Most keepers refer to it as the carapace, although technically the carapace is the hard upper shield of the cephalothorax. Comparing its width with the abdomen helps judge body condition and feeding needs.
- Abdomen
- The rear body section is soft and can rupture. Avoid handling and reduce fall distance for heavy-bodied ground dwellers.
- Sensory hairs
- Tarantulas read vibration and air movement. Sudden tapping, blowing, loud vibration, and rough movement can trigger retreat or defense.
- Fangs and venom
- Every tarantula can bite. The effects vary by species and person, so prevention is the standard.
- Urticating hairs
- Some tarantulas can release urticating hairs. Keep them away from skin, eyes, mouth, children, and pets.
- Spinnerets and silk
- Spinnerets are small appendages at the rear that guide and place silk as it exits through tiny spigots connected to internal silk glands. Tarantulas use that silk to line retreats, stabilize substrate, help with feeding, and make molting mats. Keeper slang: Their finger-like appearance has earned them the joking nickname “butt fingers,” which can help you remember what to look for. Webbing is normal and not a mess to remove automatically.
- Pedipalps
- Short, leg-like appendages beside the fangs that help the spider sense its surroundings and handle prey. They’re not an extra pair of legs.
1.3
How a tarantula experiences the room
A tarantula doesn’t experience an enclosure the way a human experiences a decorated room. Vibration, cover, access to a retreat, substrate condition, air movement, temperature, moisture, and the ability to choose where to sit matter more than whether the setup looks impressive online.
- Place the enclosure away from direct sun, loud speakers, slamming doors, heavy foot traffic, smoke, sprays, pesticides, and curious pets.
- Give the spider a ready-to-use hide or retreat appropriate to its lifestyle.
- Allow normal darkness and a regular day-night rhythm. Don’t keep display lights on continuously.
- Observe before intervening. A change is meaningful only when compared with that individual spider’s normal pattern and its molt cycle.
1.4
Normal behavior and warning signs
Often normal
- Long periods of stillness
- Hiding or closing a retreat with web or substrate
- Refusing food near a molt
- Lying on the back or side while molting
- Moving substrate, tipping decor, or filling the water dish
Pause and investigate
- Persistent leg curling under the body, weakness, or inability to stand normally
- A fall, visible wound, fluid leak, or damaged abdomen
- White material or unusual wetness around the mouth
- A molt that appears stalled, followed by worsening weakness
- Repeated escape attempts combined with unsafe heat, moisture, exposure, or lack of cover
Emergency principle: If the spider is injured, leaking fluid, unable to stand, or trapped in a molt, contact a trusted experienced keeper promptly. Don’t experiment with home surgery.
1.5
Molting
- Before: The spider may darken, slow down, hide more, web the floor, and refuse food.
- During: It may lie on its back or side and remain still for hours. Remove all live prey and don’t touch, flip, spray, or move it.
- After: The new outer layer and fangs are soft. Keep water available and wait until the fangs are fully dark and hardened before feeding. Large adults often need about 7-14 days. Small spiders may harden sooner. Feeding too soon after a molt risks breaking new fangs.
- Record: Note the date and any problems. The old outer layer, or molt, can be removed after the spider has moved away and hardened.
Key takeaway: The safest first response to a suspected molt is usually less disturbance, no live prey, and fresh water.
Module 1
Quick check
Answer each question before opening the answer. If you miss one, reread the related section before moving on.
1. Why are falls especially dangerous to heavy-bodied tarantulas?
Check answer
A fall can rupture the soft abdomen and cause a catastrophic injury.
2. Name two behaviors that may be normal before a molt.
Check answer
Possible answers include refusing food, darkening, hiding more, slowing down, or adding extra webbing.
3. What should you do if a tarantula is lying on its back and appears to be molting?
Check answer
Remove any live prey, keep fresh water available, and leave the spider undisturbed. Don’t touch, flip, spray, or move it.
Module 1 complete
Ready for the next step?
You’ve met the animal. Next, you’ll plan before bringing one home.
Module 2 of 5
Learner lesson
Prepare Before Purchase
Learning outcome: Choose a manageable beginner tarantula and document its needs before money or an animal changes hands.
2.1
The first question isn’t “Which color?”
A good first tarantula isn’t just one marketed as docile. Individual behavior varies, and sellers can be wrong. The safer beginner choice is a slower, ground-dwelling species with well-documented, forgiving care, a manageable adult size, and generally less defensive behavior.
Avoid fast, highly defensive, poorly documented, or medically significant species as a first animal. Avoid a tiny spiderling if you aren’t prepared for more frequent monitoring, smaller feeders, and enclosure changes as it grows.
Plain language rule: Choose the spider whose needs you can meet on its worst day, not the spider that looks coolest on its best day.
2.2
Readiness test
Everyone in the home agrees to the animal and understands that it isn’t a handling pet.
You can keep children and pets away from the enclosure and care tools.
You have a stable location away from direct sun, drafts, vibration, smoke, and sprays.
You can obtain safe feeder insects and care for them humanely.
You have identified at least one trusted experienced keeper contact.
You’re prepared for a long commitment. Some females can live for decades.
You have checked local rules and any housing or lease restrictions.
You can complete the species profile using more than a seller’s care card or one social post.
2.3
Species profile
Complete this before purchase. If a field is unknown, that’s a research task.
Staging note: Use these fields to draft your profile, but don’t rely on this page to save your answers yet. Saved learner profiles will be connected before launch.
2.4
Source the animal responsibly
- Prefer a reputable source that can explain its current care and answer basic health questions.
- Ask whether the animal was captive bred or wild collected/wild caught.
- Don’t buy an animal with an unknown identity just because the enclosure is on sale or the seller says all tarantulas need the same care.
- Inspect the animal and container for injury, mites, unusual material around the mouth, severe dehydration posture, or unsafe packing.
- Arrange the enclosure, water, temperature, and transfer plan before pickup or delivery.
2.5
Build before you buy
Finish the species profile.
Assemble and ventilate the enclosure if needed.
Add substrate, a usable hide, and a shallow water dish.
Place the enclosure in its permanent location and monitor temperature.
Test every lid, latch, gap, and access door.
Prepare a catch cup, soft paintbrush, feeder container, long tongs, and care log.
Plan the transfer with doors closed, pets removed, and the floor cleared.
Key takeaway: The species profile and finished enclosure come before the purchase.
Module 2
Quick check
Answer each question before opening the answer. If you miss one, reread the related section before moving on.
1. Why is “docile” not enough information for choosing a first tarantula?
Check answer
Individual behavior varies, sellers and marketing labels can be wrong, and the spider’s speed, adult size, care needs, defensive behavior, and risks still matter.
2. Name four fields that belong in a species profile.
Check answer
Possible answers include identity, current and adult size, life stage, sex, lifestyle, substrate depth, temperature, moisture and ventilation, feeding, speed and defensive behavior, urticating hair risk, lifespan, adult housing, and independent care sources.
3. What should be ready before the animal arrives?
Check answer
The species profile, finished and tested enclosure, water, temperature plan, transfer tools, feeder plan, care log, and a safe transfer area should all be ready.
Module 2 complete
Time to build the home.
Your research and supplies come together in the enclosure plan.
Module 3 of 5
Learner lesson
Build the Home
Learning outcome: Create a secure enclosure that supports the spider's natural behavior, movement, retreat, hydration, and climate while limiting preventable injury.
3.1
Start with lifestyle, not decoration
- Ground-dwelling, terrestrial
- More floor area, deep compactable substrate, a low ready-to-use hide, and minimal fall distance.
- Tree-dwelling, arboreal
- A secure taller enclosure, strong cross ventilation, vertical cork or another retreat, anchor points, and safe access that won't destroy the web.
- Burrowing, fossorial
- Deep compactable substrate, a starter burrow or angled cork, and patience. The spider may remain hidden for long periods.
SPiT I recommends: A first-time keeper should choose one well-documented setup pattern and follow species-specific guidance.
3.2
The safe enclosure checklist
Secure: The lid closes completely, can't be pushed open, has no escape-sized gaps, and cannot catch the spider’s feet or claws. Avoid loose or overlapping wire mesh and other snagging materials.
Ventilated: Fresh air can move without turning the enclosure into a dry wind tunnel. Species with higher moisture needs still require airflow.
Correctly oriented: Low and wide for a ground dweller (terrestrial), or taller and structured for a tree dweller (arboreal).
Usable: The spider can reach the hide, water, and normal walking surfaces without crossing sharp, unstable, or hazardous materials.
Observable: You can confirm water, food acceptance, prey removal, molt status, and obvious injury without tearing apart the habitat.
Protected: The enclosure is out of direct sun and away from children, pets, vibration, smoke, aerosols, and household chemicals.
3.3
Size and fall distance
A common starting rule is an enclosure with floor dimensions about two to three times the spider's legspan. That rule isn't a ceiling. In a preliminary PLOS ONE study, Stalter et al. (2024) found that 15 Brazilian black tarantulas used more space when it was available and made use of ready-to-use hides. The sample was small and limited to one species, so treat it as useful early evidence, not a universal enclosure rule.
For a heavy-bodied ground dweller, the most important dimension is often the distance from the substrate surface to the lid. Keep it low, roughly no more than the spider's legspan, and use deep substrate to reduce injury if the spider climbs and falls.
Don't optimize for display: A huge empty tank isn't automatically good welfare, and a tiny bare box isn't automatically safe. Prioritize usable space, cover, correct orientation, and monitoring.
3.4
Substrate, hide, and furnishings
- Use a clean, pesticide-free, fertilizer-free substrate that can be packed firmly and support a burrow where needed.
- Give the spider a ready-to-use hide big enough that it can enter, turn, and feel covered. Half-buried cork bark is simple and effective for most ground dwellers.
- Use more substrate for burrowing animals and for reducing fall distance.
- Keep hard or heavy decor stable. Remove sharp edges and anything that could collapse, pinch, snag, or trap the spider.
- Don't use cedar or other aromatic wood shavings, gravel as the main substrate, sand, sticky products, or pesticide-treated outdoor items.
Decor is optional. A retreat and safe structure are not.
3.5
Water, moisture, and ventilation
Provide a clean, shallow water dish whenever the spider is large enough to use one. A bottle cap or tattoo ink cup works for a smaller spider, and a stable low dish works for a larger spider. Keep it full, clean it as needed, and don't use sponges or insect water gel as a substitute for water.
Moisture is species-specific. Avoid chasing a separate humidity number in every enclosure. Keep the room at a reasonable ambient humidity to slow enclosure drying, then use substrate moisture and ventilation to match each species.
SPiT I recommends: Work from the bottom up. Surface spraying alone evaporates too quickly to maintain lasting moisture. Notice how the substrate changes color when hydrated and use that as a visual guide. If water pools on a dry surface, use a brush handle or similar object to make a narrow channel down one or two corners, ideally before adding the spider. If the spider is already housed, work carefully and keep track of its location. A channel behind the water dish gives intentional overflow a path into the lower substrate, where it can soak in and evaporate slowly. This creates a longer-lasting moisture gradient and gives a burrowing spider the option to move toward or away from it.
Common beginner mistake: Humidity without ventilation can create stagnant, mold-prone conditions. Ventilation without enough moisture can dehydrate the animal. Watch the substrate, condensation, and mold rather than relying on one number. Even arid spiders still need access to fresh drinking water, and the spider itself should never be sprayed.
3.6
Temperature and placement
Many commonly kept beginner tarantulas can live at stable room temperatures comfortable to people, often around 70 to 75°F (21 to 24°C). That's a starting range, not a universal prescription. Verify the exact species and measure the actual location with a thermometer.
- Never place the enclosure in direct sunlight. A closed container can overheat quickly.
- Avoid heat rocks, exposed bulbs, and unregulated heat sources.
- Don't use a heat mat under the enclosure, where it can dry the substrate and remove the spider's ability to retreat downward from heat.
- If the room is too cold for the verified species range, stabilize the room or use indirect, thermostatically controlled heating.
- Keep the enclosure away from drafts, vents, smoke, scented products, cleaners, and pesticides.
3.7
Pre-arrival enclosure audit
Check every item before the spider arrives.
- Identity
- The setup matches the exact species, size, and lifestyle.
- Security
- All lids and access doors close fully. No gap fits the spider.
- Fall risk
- Ground dwellers have deep substrate and low fall distance.
- Retreat
- A ready-to-use hide or species-appropriate retreat is present.
- Water
- A clean, stable, shallow dish is accessible.
- Climate
- Temperature has been measured. Moisture and ventilation match the species plan.
- Location
- No direct sun, vibration, smoke, or spray. Children and pets can't reach the enclosure.
- Transfer
- Catch cup, soft brush, clear floor, closed room, and helper plan are ready.
Key takeaway: A good enclosure is secure, species-appropriate, easy to monitor, and safe.
Module 3
Quick check
Answer each question before opening the answer. If you miss one, reread the related section before moving on.
1. Why should a ground-dwelling tarantula have a low fall distance?
Check answer
Low fall distance reduces the chance that a fall will rupture or otherwise injure the spider's soft abdomen.
2. What matters more than chasing one humidity number?
Check answer
The species' moisture pattern, substrate condition, ventilation, condensation, mold growth, and your actual observations all matter together.
3. Name the six qualities in the safe enclosure checklist.
Check answer
Secure, ventilated, correctly oriented, usable, observable, and protected.
Module 3 complete
The home is ready. Now learn the routine.
Module 4 covers feeding, water, observation, molts, and record keeping.
Module 4 of 5
Learner lesson
Routine Care
Learning outcome: Feed, water, clean, observe, and keep records without turning normal fasting or molting into an emergency.
4.1
Feeding basics
- Offer appropriately sized, captive-raised feeder insects such as crickets, roaches, mealworms, or suitable larvae. Avoid wild-caught prey because of potential pesticides and parasites.
- Use healthy, properly housed feeders. A hungry or poorly kept feeder isn't good nutrition.
- As a starting point, offer prey roughly half the spider's legspan or no longer than its body. Adjust for the species, life stage, and prey type.
- Offer one manageable feeding at a time until you understand the spider's response. Don't dump a week's worth of prey into the enclosure.
- Remove uneaten live prey within about 24 hours. Remove it immediately if the spider may be approaching a molt.
- Remove leftover prey remains when it's safe to do so. They attract mold and pests.
- Vertebrate prey is unnecessary for routine beginner care and is outside SPiT I.
4.2
A starting schedule
Young spiders often eat more frequently than adults. Northwest Zoological Supply's Basic Tarantula Care guide suggests offering food every 4 to 7 days for young spiders and every 10 to 14 days for larger specimens as a reasonable starting rhythm. Some adults may eat much less often, and fasting around a molt can last weeks or longer.
Use the species profile, the spider’s size, recent molts, temperature, feeding response, and body condition. For many tarantulas, an abdomen around the same width as the carapace is a reasonable baseline. A noticeably smaller abdomen may mean it is time to offer food, while a very large abdomen is a reason to wait. This is one clue, not the whole decision; sex, life stage, hydration, and molt cycle still matter. A calendar should remind you to check, not force you to feed a spider that’s refusing prey.
Refusal rule: One refused meal is information. Repeated refusal plus premolt (the period before a molt) signs usually means remove prey, keep water available, and wait. Refusal plus weakness, injury, abnormal posture, or mouth discharge deserves experienced help.
4.3
The safe feeding routine
- Check first: Look at the spider's position, the enclosure, and the care log. Don't feed if a molt may be near or underway.
- Choose one feeder: Select an appropriately sized feeder and confirm it's healthy.
- Prepare for access: Open the enclosure only as far as needed, keeping a catch cup ready.
- Release and close: Release the feeder away from the spider's face and close the enclosure completely.
- Observe: Watch from outside. Don't try to prod the spider into eating.
- Remove: Take out uneaten prey within about 24 hours.
- Record: Note offered, eaten, refused, and removed prey.
4.4
Water and cleaning
- Daily glance
- Confirm everything looks good, there are no obvious issues, and the lid is secure.
- Several times weekly
- Check and refill the water.
- As needed
- Clean the water dish, remove mold or leftover prey, and add water to a corner when the species needs it. This keeps the lower substrate hydrated so moisture is released slowly.
- During molts
- Stop feeding, remove prey, keep water available, and minimize disturbance until the spider has molted and hardened.
- Before rehousing
- Prepare the new enclosure completely and plan the transfer. Rehousing is stressful for spiders. Do it for growth, safety, or a husbandry problem, not just for fun.
4.5
Keep a simple care log
A log turns vague worry into useful information. Record the date, food offered and result, water, changes, molts, unusual behavior, and any intervention.
Quick working example: Entries below are temporary and aren't saved. For ongoing records, use one full-page worksheet per spider.
Log entry 1
Log entry 2
Log entry 3
4.6
When to get help
Visible injury, abdominal rupture, or fluid leaking from the body
Persistent inability to stand or a tight leg curl with worsening weakness
White material or unusual discharge around the mouth
A suspected stuck molt or trapped limb with declining condition
Possible pesticide, cleaner, smoke, or chemical exposure
Unexplained rapid decline
Don't wait for certainty: Contact a trusted experienced keeper or qualified exotic veterinarian promptly.
Key takeaway: Routine care is mostly water, appropriate food, prey removal, observation, restraint, and good records.
Module 4
Quick check
Answer each question before opening the answer. If you miss one, reread the related section before moving on.
1. When should uneaten prey be removed?
Check answer
Remove uneaten live prey within about 24 hours, or immediately if the spider may be approaching a molt.
2. Why is a feeding calendar a reminder rather than a command?
Check answer
The spider's species, size, body condition, recent molts, temperature, and feeding response matter more than a rigid date on the calendar.
3. Name three observations worth recording in a care log.
Check answer
Possible answers include food offered and the result, water, molts, behavior, physical changes, unusual signs, and any intervention or result.
Module 4 complete
One more module.
Finish with safety, welfare, transfers, emergencies, and long-term responsibility.
Module 5 of 5
Learner lesson
Safety, Welfare, and Responsibility
Learning outcome: Protect the spider, keeper, household, and community through low-contact care and clear emergency plans.
5.1
Handling is not routine care
Tarantulas don't need to be held for enrichment or affection. Routine handling creates risk without a clear benefit to the animal. A short fall can rupture the abdomen; a startled spider can bolt (move suddenly and very quickly), bite, or release urticating hairs. Observation remains the safest default.
For planned transfers, use a secure catch cup and a long, soft brush whenever possible. Before opening the enclosure, close the room, remove children and pets, work low over a clear or soft surface, and have the cup ready.
Direct contact is not routine care: If a spider must cross onto a hand, offer the hand in its path and let it choose whether to step on. Never grab, scoop, pin, or force it. Stay low, move slowly, keep it away from your face and eyes, use the other hand as a barrier against movement up the arm, and stop if it bolts, becomes defensive, or begins releasing urticating hairs. Let it walk off into the enclosure.
Last-resort fall prevention: If an escaped spider is moving toward a table edge and no catch cup is available, use open hands or forearms as low barriers. If it steps onto you, remain low and calm, block the route up your arm, and allow it to walk back into the enclosure. This is an emergency measure, not the preferred transfer method.
Videos may show experienced keepers allowing voluntary contact under controlled conditions. That doesn't make handling a care requirement or mean every spider or keeper is ready for it.
5.2
Opening and moving safely
- Close the room: Block gaps under doors if needed. Remove children and pets.
- Clear the area: Clear the floor and work low to the ground or inside a larger empty containment area like a plastic bin.
- Prepare everything: Have the destination, catch cup, lid, soft brush, tongs, and helper ready before opening anything.
- Check the spider: Find its location and likely escape route. Don't open blindly into a web retreat.
- Protect yourself: During enclosure work, keep your hands away from your face and wash them afterward. For species that release urticating hairs, consider gloves and eye protection, especially when cleaning old substrate or webbing.
- Guide gently: Move slowly. Use the cup as the destination and the brush as a gentle guide. Never pin or grab the spider.
- Close and verify: Secure every lid before leaving the room.
- Record and observe: Note the move and watch from outside for injury or unusual behavior.
5.3
If the spider escapes
- Stop: Don't chase or grab.
- Keep watching: Keep an eye on the spider while another person grabs a catch cup and soft brush.
- Cup and guide: Place the cup over or in front of the spider and gently guide it inside. Slide a stiff lid or card into place without pinching legs.
- Secure: Return the spider to a secure enclosure.
- If it disappears: Keep the room closed, reduce clutter carefully, search dark edges and retreats, and contact an experienced keeper for species-appropriate help.
5.4
Bites and urticating hairs
All tarantulas can bite, and some tarantulas can release urticating hairs. Effects vary by species, exposure, and person.
- Bite
- Move away safely, wash with soap and water, and contact Poison Control or a medical professional for guidance. Seek urgent care for severe pain, spreading symptoms, breathing difficulty, faintness, or signs of a severe allergic reaction.
- Urticating hairs on skin
- Avoid rubbing. Wash exposed skin and clothing. Sticky tape may lift superficial hairs. Seek medical advice for persistent or severe symptoms.
- Urticating hairs in eyes
- Do not rub. Prevent further rubbing and obtain prompt professional eye care. Embedded hairs may require specialist treatment.
- Pet exposure
- Secure the tarantula, move the exposed pet away, and contact a veterinarian or animal poison resource, especially for eye, mouth, or breathing symptoms.
For a human bite or exposure to urticating hairs in the United States, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use the official online Poison Control tool at Poison.org. Outside the United States, use the local poison information service. Seek emergency help for trouble breathing, collapse, seizure, or a severe allergic reaction. Urticating hairs in the eyes require prompt professional eye care.
5.5
Welfare is more than survival
- Provide choices the spider can use: cover, a retreat, appropriate substrate, and room to do normal spider things.
- Don't disturb a hidden spider just to prove it's alive or create content.
- Don't withhold water, force-feed, provoke defensive behavior, or stage unsafe handling for pictures or content.
- Don't breed without advanced knowledge and a plan for spiderlings.
- Never release a captive spider or feeder insect outdoors. Rehome responsibly. Reach out to an experienced keeper for help.
- Correct misinformation clearly and kindly. Animal welfare matters more than winning an argument.
Module 5
Quick check
Answer each question before opening the answer. If you miss one, reread the related section before moving on.
1. Why is handling not routine care in SPiT I?
Check answer
It adds fall, escape, bite, and urticating-hair exposure risk without a clear care benefit. Planned transfers should use a catch cup and soft brush when possible.
2. What are the first three actions after an escape?
Check answer
Stop and don't chase or grab, keep watching the spider while a catch cup and soft brush are brought over, then place the cup over or in front of it and guide it inside without pinching the legs.
3. What should someone do after a bite or eye exposure to urticating hairs?
Check answer
After a bite, move away safely, wash with soap and water, and contact Poison Control or a medical professional. For eye exposure, don't rub, rinse gently, and obtain prompt professional eye care.
Module 5 complete
Ready for the final knowledge check?
It’s open book, retakes are allowed, and the SPiT I knowledge standard is 25 out of 25.
Free, with a standard
Free to start. Make the commitment to continue.
Anyone can read the introduction and first module. To continue, sign in with a free passwordless account and accept the Keeper Commitment.
Joining SPiT is separate from joining a marketing list. You don't have to receive promotional emails to take the course.
The Spider People Keeper Commitment
I will put the animal’s welfare ahead of content, convenience, or impulse. I will research the exact species, prepare before bringing it home, avoid unnecessary provocation, never release a captive animal, and ask for help when I am unsure.
Completion standard
Completion shows readiness for basic care. It doesn't make someone an authority.
SPiT I gives learners a strong starting framework. Experience, species-specific research, humility, and ongoing learning still matter.
To complete SPiT I
- Read all five modules
- Score 25 out of 25 on the final knowledge check
- Complete a species profile
- Complete an enclosure audit
- Accept the readiness sign-off
What learners receive
- A saved completion record with the learner's name, score, and completion date
- A downloadable completion certificate after the final certificate design is ready
- The option to order a premium printed certificate
- Invitations to future courses and community opportunities, if requested
Spider People learner access
Prepare first. Keep responsibly. Stay curious.
Module 1 is open to everyone. Sign in with email to use your Spider People learner account. Your free learner account unlocks the remaining modules and keeps your place, course work, final score, and completion record saved.
SPiT I web edition • Nothing here replaces species-specific research or qualified veterinary guidance.
SPiT I final
Final Knowledge Check
Circle one answer for each question. This check is open book, and retakes are allowed. A score of 25 out of 25 (100%) is the SPiT I knowledge standard. Review every missed topic and retake the check before completing the readiness sign-off.
Before you begin
Welcome to SPiT I
SPiT I is the first step in learning how to care for a tarantula safely and responsibly. It’s written for people who are curious, preparing for a first spider, or trying to understand what good basic care looks like.
This course is intentionally narrow. It doesn’t teach advanced classification, breeding, medically significant species, communal keeping, or bioactive systems. Those subjects can wait. A new keeper first needs to know how to choose an appropriate animal, prepare a safe home, provide water and food, recognize a molt, prevent accidents, and ask for help when something’s wrong.
The SPiT I standard: Keep the animal safe, make species-specific decisions, disturb it as little as possible, and never let confidence outrun competence.
What completion means
- Read all five modules.
- Complete the final knowledge check with a score of 100% (25 out of 25). Review any missed topic and retake the check as needed.
- Complete a species profile for the exact spider you plan to keep.
- Audit the enclosure before the spider arrives.
SPiT I completion shows readiness for basic care. It doesn’t make someone a breeder, taxonomist, emergency responder, or authority on every species.
How this guide uses care advice
Published evidence about pet tarantula welfare is still limited, and care needs differ among species. This guide separates general safety rules from species-dependent choices. When reliable sources disagree, SPiT I favors the lower risk option and tells the learner to verify the exact species before acting.
Non-negotiable: Don’t buy the animal first and figure out the enclosure later.
Please read
Risk Notice and Personal Responsibility
SPiT I provides general educational information. It isn’t medical, veterinary, legal, or emergency advice, and it can’t account for every species, animal, keeper, household, or situation.
Tarantulas are living animals. Any tarantula can bite, escape, fall, or be injured, and some can release urticating hairs. Bites can cause puncture injuries, pain, swelling, allergic reactions, or more serious effects. Urticating hairs can irritate or injure the skin, eyes, and airways. Any handling, transfer, feeding, enclosure work, or emergency intervention carries risk. No method described in this course can guarantee safety.
By using this course or choosing to keep or interact with a tarantula, you accept these risks. You’re responsible for researching the exact species, deciding what’s appropriate for your household, following applicable rules, using suitable equipment, supervising minors, protecting children, pets, and bystanders, and seeking qualified medical, veterinary, Poison Control, or experienced-keeper help when needed.
To the fullest extent allowed by law, you release and agree not to hold Spider People Network or its owners, authors, contributors, reviewers, photographers, volunteers, hosts, or affiliates liable for injuries, illness, bites, venom effects, urticating hair exposure, allergic reactions, escapes, animal injury or death, property damage, medical or veterinary expenses, lost income, or other losses connected with the use or misuse of this course, whether or not its guidance was followed. This includes claims of ordinary negligence, meaning that the course or its creators were careless, incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date.
If you don’t understand or accept these risks and responsibilities, don’t keep, handle, transfer, or otherwise interact with a tarantula.
Module quick-check answers
Module 1: Falls can rupture the soft abdomen; premolt may include fasting, darkening, hiding, reduced activity, or extra webbing; remove prey and leave a molting spider undisturbed.
Module 2: Temperament varies and “docile” doesn’t define care; the profile covers identity, size, lifestyle, environment, food, risk, lifespan; the enclosure and transfer tools must be ready first.
Module 3: Low fall distance protects against fall damage; moisture pattern, substrate condition, ventilation, species, and actual observations matter together; the enclosure should be secure, ventilated, correctly oriented, usable, observable, and protected.
Module 4: Remove uneaten prey within about 24 hours; observation overrides a rigid calendar; record food, water, molts, behavior, changes, and interventions.
Module 5: Routine handling adds fall, escape, bite, and urticating hair exposure risk without a clear benefit; planned transfers should use a cup and brush; if a spider is about to fall and no cup is available, stay low and use open hands or forearms as barriers; wash a bite and contact poison guidance, and obtain prompt eye care for urticating hair exposure.
Readiness sign-off
Check each statement when it’s true for you.
Risk notice acknowledgment
By signing below, I confirm that I have read and understood the Risk Notice and Personal Responsibility section of SPiT I. I understand that interacting with a tarantula carries inherent risks, including bites, venom effects, urticating-hair exposure, allergic reactions, escapes, animal injury or death, property damage, and related expenses. No method guarantees safety. I voluntarily accept these risks and responsibility for my decisions, research, preparation, supervision, equipment, and actions.
This staging version keeps the sign-off on this page only. Account saving and certificates will be connected later.
References
Sources and Further Reading
SPiT I is a practical beginner guide, not a substitute for species-specific research. Published evidence about tarantula welfare remains limited, so this draft uses cautious general rules and identifies choices that must be verified for the exact animal.
- Stalter, L., et al. (2024). Tarantula welfare may be improved with greater environmental complexity: A preliminary behavioral study with Brazilian black tarantulas. PLOS ONE, 19(12), e0314501. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314501
- Northwest Zoological Supply. Basic Tarantula Care. Concise Care Sheets. https://nwzoo.com/pdf/NWZoo_Basic_Tarantula_Care.pdf
- National Capital Poison Center. Are Tarantulas Dangerous? https://www.poison.org/articles/tarantula-scorpion-bite-sting-treatment-181
- Garcia, G., et al. (2020). Best Practice Guidelines for the Montserrat Tarantula. European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. https://doi.org/10.61024/BPG2021MontserratTarantulaEN
- Scottish Animal Welfare Commission. (2022). Welfare of Exotic Pets: Evidence Scoping Review - Tarantulas. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scoping-review-evidence-welfare-exotic-pets-scotland/pages/4/
- Kong, E. L., and Hart, K. K. (Updated May 1, 2023). Tarantula Spider Toxicity. StatPearls / National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557667/
Credits
Writing contributors
DeeAnna Ownby
DeeAnna is a career educator, a Spider People Network manager, and an exotic pet breeder and keeper. She shares her animal-care experience and keeper journey on social media at @Ambasspooders.
Jesse Hurlburt
Jesse is a career educator, exotic pet keeper, and founder and co-host of the family-run Arthropod Adventures Podcast. Follow his keeper journey on social media at @ArthropodAdventuresPodcast.
Kevin Lingenfelter
Kevin is a co-founder of SpiderPeopleOfficial and Spider People Network, a spider keeper and breeder, and the creator and lead editor of SPiT I. He focuses on practical, welfare-first care and approachable education for new keepers. He is also a house-goat keeper, because eight legs apparently weren’t enough. Follow his keeper journey at @SpiderPeopleOfficial.
Photography contributors
Kristin Lingenfelter
Kristin is a hobby photographer, exotic pet keeper and breeder, co-founder of @SpiderPeopleOfficial, and co-founder and manager of Spider People Network. She shares her photography and keeper journey as @Kristin | Spider People.
SPiT I course path
Review anything you need.
You can move back through any module, change answers, and score the check again.
Spider People Care Log
Use one page for each animal. Record food and water, molts, changes in behavior or condition, and anything you did in response.
| Date | Food and water | Observation | Action and result |
|---|---|---|---|
Free learner account
Save your place in SPiT I.
Module 1 is open to everyone. A free passwordless Spider People learner account unlocks the remaining modules and saves your progress on Shopify.
This account is separate from the marketing list. You don't have to subscribe to promotional email to take the course.
Before you continue
Accept the risk notice.
Module 1 is the public portion of the course. Your saved course begins after you read and accept this notice.
SPiT I provides general educational information. It is not medical, veterinary, legal, or emergency advice, and it cannot account for every species, animal, keeper, household, or situation.
Tarantulas are living animals. Any tarantula can bite, escape, fall, or be injured, and some can release urticating hairs. Bites can cause puncture injuries, pain, swelling, allergic reactions, or more serious effects. Urticating hairs can irritate or injure the skin, eyes, and airways. Any handling, transfer, feeding, enclosure work, or emergency intervention carries risk. No method described in this course can guarantee safety.
By using this course or choosing to keep or interact with a tarantula, you accept these risks. You are responsible for researching the exact species, deciding what is appropriate for your household, following applicable rules, using suitable equipment, supervising minors, protecting children, pets, and bystanders, and seeking qualified medical, veterinary, Poison Control, or experienced-keeper help when needed.
To the fullest extent allowed by law, you release and agree not to hold Spider People Network or its owners, authors, contributors, reviewers, photographers, volunteers, hosts, or affiliates liable for injuries, illness, bites, venom effects, urticating hair exposure, allergic reactions, escapes, animal injury or death, property damage, medical or veterinary expenses, lost income, or other losses connected with the use or misuse of this course, whether or not its guidance was followed. This includes claims of ordinary negligence, meaning that the course or its creators were careless, incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date.
Learner account