Brazilian Whiteknee Tarantula

It does best at about 20-25°C, so in a cool UK room some supplementary heat may be needed. If the room regularly falls below 20°C, fit a small heat mat to one side of the enclosure (never underneath) on a thermostat so the spider can move away from the warmth. No basking spot or heat lamp is needed.

No UVB or special lighting is needed. Keep it in a room with a normal day and night cycle and out of direct sunlight, which can overheat the enclosure quickly.

Coco fibre or a coco fibre and topsoil mix at least 12 cm deep, ideally 15-20 cm for adults, with the lower layers kept slightly damp but never swampy. It is a heavy spider, so keep the drop from the substrate surface to the lid within about 1.5 times the leg span.

Feed slings small crickets or roach nymphs once or twice a week, juveniles every 5-10 days and adults 4-5 large crickets, locusts or a large roach every 10-21 days, adjusted to body condition. It has a very strong feeding response, so use long tongs, keep fingers out of the enclosure at feeding time and remove uneaten prey or leftovers within 24 hours. Refusing food before a moult is normal, so wait about a week after a moult before feeding.

Keep a large, shallow water dish full at all times from about 2.5 cm leg span and overflow it regularly to keep one area of substrate damp. Smaller slings can have a few drops of water on one corner of the substrate once or twice a week instead.

Provide a cork bark hide with a starter burrow, which juveniles in particular will use. Adults are usually out in the open, so keep decor simple and sturdy.

Hardy and fast-growing, but it moults often when young, so dehydration or very dry substrate in premoult can cause bad moults. Avoid swampy, stagnant conditions that encourage mould and mites, watch for falls in tall enclosures, and seek specialist advice for jerky uncoordinated movement (DKS).

Hands-off is strongly recommended. It kicks urticating hairs that can be very irritating to skin and eyes, so wear long sleeves, use tongs and a catch cup, wash your hands after maintenance, never rub your eyes and wear eye protection when rehousing. Its venom is not medically significant to people, but its large fangs can give a painful, deep bite and allergic reactions are possible.

No licence needed in the UK. It is not on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act schedule (no tarantulas are), is not listed by CITES or in the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations annexes, and is not a UK invasive species.

Growth is fast, with slings reaching about 10 cm leg span in just over a year, males maturing in about 2-3 years and females in about 3-5 years. Sex from a moult or the ventral epigastric furrow, and mature males develop tibial hooks and palpal bulbs and are smaller and less vividly marked than females. It is also sold as the giant whiteknee, and its appetite and boldness make it a superb display species for keepers who do not handle.