Dot Jot Brainstorming: #4

Essential Question: How do you care, mate, feed, etc  for a pet tarantula properly and appropriately?


Foundation Question: In what ways could you care for a tarantula appropriately?
NOTES
(In own words; one line long)
SOURCES
(Author’s Last Name or “Full Article Title”)
Main Idea 1: Supplies

  • Heating lantern above enclosure to apply heat onto specimen
    • All specimen need a different temp & humidity in enclosure
      • Depends on species - temp around 25 degrees c
        • Use heat map on cage/bulb on top of cage
          • NO direct light! - it’ll be too hot
        • Depends where they usually lived in wild
      • Humidity is given by spraying water in the enclosure
        • Moist dirt is key for the tarantula
        • Tarantulas are used to these environments
        • Like rain forest tarantulas especially
          • 60-70% humidity level
          • Have a thermometer to know
(Videojug).
  • Get different species of bug to feed pet weekly/monthly - give variety
    • Feed them twice per week or more/less - hunger level
    • Each bug gives a type of protein, pets need all protein
    • To make a healthy pet, give a variety in food & protein
    • Use mealworms, wax worms, crickets, etc.
      • Meal worms - calcium, wax worms - fat
      • Wax worms make the pet much fatter to abdomen
      • Crickets give plenty of protein & more variety of bug
    • Do not give bugs that are not too small nor too big, just right
(Videojug).
  • Big space and a big enclosure for bigger tarantulas
    • Big space is needed to a big tarantula, they’ll need it for webs
    • They will need space to burrow, eat and use as webbing
    • It all varies what age (molt)  it is & species
      • Need space for molting as well
      • DO NOT OVERCROWD! Spider would turn aggressive
(Videojug).
  • Get a type of soil that is best fit for your tarantula & wood bark
    • Research & see their natural environment, replicate it in cage
    • Possibly make it seem more natural, make soil slightly deeper
      • Don’t make it too deep because of feeding
        • It may stay down there & not feed much
(How to Care for a Tarantula).

Main Idea 2: The Knowledge: cleaning, species & cannibalism

  • Pet owners need the knowledge that all tarantulas are different
    • Different species of tarantula are differ from their conditions
    • Few  are more docile than others, research species before pet
      • Spiders are cannibals, don’t keep 2 in same cage
        • If it’s a male & female, male will die
(Fruchtpudding).
  • Learn how to keep caring, avoid abuse & give it frequent care
    • Check up on temp & humidity levels like it’s your own kid
    • You have to be responsible for cleaning, feeding & checking
      • If physically abused, tarantula will die
(How to Care for a Tarantula).
  • There are two types of tarantula: old world and new world
    • New world spiders are located around North & South America
    • New world includes more of domestication & calmness
      • Compared to old world
    • Old world are more aggressive located around Europe
(Videojug).
  • A tarantula pet owner needs to have at least basic  information
    • Tarantulas need water & lowered to spider’s “eyes” level
(Fruchtpudding).
Main Idea 3: Mating and Slings Knowledge (including molting)

  • When mating your tarantula with another, research if same species
    • Hybridization could hurt the tarantula community
      • No one would know every species anymore
      • Species wouldn’t be a “solid” species anymore
(Fruchtpudding).
  • Slings are baby spiderlings, in wild, very few would survive
    • Domesticated, hundreds would survive & live by prey in cage
    • Sling caretakers (people) have various strategies to feed:
      • Keeping small bugs w/ slings to have unlimited food
      • Keeping them full w/ food to not cannibalize
(How to Care for a Tarantula).
  • Mating one another -
    • Do not breed it w/ wild specimen, breed domesticated
    • Males could get hurt/die from female bites
      • Males don’t even try to hurt the female
    • There are YouTube channels that videotape courtship
      • People send their tarantulas to breed to YouTube
      • Youtubers film to show owner how it went
        • & to show it wasn’t hurt/not in the process
(How to Care for a Tarantula).
  • Slings will grow rapidly in a few years then slows like molting
    • Like adults & slings, they won’t eat before molting possibly
(Fruchtpudding).
DIRECT QUOTE: “Once you get your tarantula home, you’ll want to create a comfortable habitat with a stable
temperature, high humidity and nice hiding places. You’ll need to follow a feeding schedule, but tarantulas don’t
need the daily feeding that more conventional pets require” (“How to Care for a Tarantula).

PRIMARY SOURCE: A picture that shows no one should ever put their hand in the enclosure because it might possibly
think the owner is bringing it food! - The spider may jump and bite the hand in front of it.



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