Spider Odyssey

There is a commonly circulated belief that tarantulas do not require large enclosures because they won’t use the space. It is often said that they will rarely venture more than a few inches from their burrow or web for the entirety of their life.

And for some species, this is absolutely true.

But there are many species of tarantula that while largely sedentary by day, are very avid nighttime wanderers. If given the space to do so, they will readily make use of, roam, and hunt throughout larger areas.

If you don’t already do so, I fully recommend making use of surveillance cameras to observe what your tarantulas get up to at night. Some species will prove quite sedentary, preferring to simply wait for food to wander by the mouth of their burrow or web. But others you will find exploring every inch of their enclosures on a nightly basis.

This female Psalmopoeus Cambridgei prefers vertical retreats by day, but readily ventures out to explore the bottom of her enclosure at night.

I encourage people to observe and identify which species they own that are more prone to roaming and consider providing larger enclosures to observe how they will make use of that extra space. Some species will surprise you with the behaviors that develop.

When offering larger enclosures to your tarantulas, always ensure that it doesn’t introduce dangerous fall risks or other safety concerns, meets the recommended care requirements of a given species (and growth stage), and that you include additional sheltered areas and ground coverage. If it’s simply a lot of excess open space, this can inadvertently leave your tarantula feeling exposed.