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Avicularia avicularia

🔤 Taxonomy

Avicularia avicularia is the currently accepted scientific name and the type species of the genus Avicularia. Older literature and trade labels may use several historic names, and many pinktoe-type tarantulas have been reclassified or separated from Avicularia in modern revisions.

Older names and combinations associated with the species include:

  • Aranea avicularia
  • Mygale avicularia
  • Avicularia vestiaria
  • Avicularia velutina

English common names used in the hobby:

  • Pinktoe tarantula
  • Common pinktoe tarantula
  • Guyana pinktoe tarantula

Because many pinktoe tarantulas look similar when young, avoid mixing uncertain Avicularia lines in breeding projects.

📌 Description

Avicularia avicularia is an arboreal New World tarantula from northern South America and nearby Caribbean islands. It has the classic pinktoe look: a dark body, lighter pinkish toe tips, and a webbed elevated retreat.

Adult size is usually about 11-15 cm legspan. Females are shorter-lived than many heavy terrestrial tarantulas, while mature males live much shorter lives.

This species is often sold to new keepers, but it is not a simple “starter spider.” The main care challenge is not aggression; it is ventilation. Poorly ventilated, wet enclosures have caused many avoidable losses in pinktoe tarantulas.

🌍 Distribution

Avicularia avicularia is native to parts of northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago, with records and range references including Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia.

In the wild it is associated with vegetation, tree trunks, bark spaces, and elevated retreats. Captive care should prioritize:

  • a vertical enclosure
  • strong cross-ventilation
  • elevated cork or foliage cover
  • fresh water
  • moderate humidity without stale wet air
  • secure doors and small-gap protection

Range map

⚖️ Legal status

Avicularia avicularia is not currently listed in the CITES Appendices. No specific current listing for this species is typically applied in Annexes A-D of the EU wildlife trade regulations.

The species is not relevant to the Bern Convention because it is not native to Europe. Local rules on import, sale, transport, exhibition, and breeding may still apply.

Keep purchase records and breeding-line information, especially because pinktoe tarantulas are frequently mislabeled in trade.

🤌 Husbandry

House Avicularia avicularia alone in a secure vertical enclosure.

Spiderlings need small arboreal containers with ventilation on more than one side. Adults need height, a secure upper retreat, anchor points for webbing, and a water source that can be serviced without disturbing the spider’s web tube.

Useful adult priorities:

  • Tall enclosure
  • Strong cross-ventilation
  • Cork bark or elevated hide
  • Foliage or web anchor points
  • Water dish
  • Drying surfaces between moisture additions

Do not keep this species in a sealed humid enclosure. A pinktoe setup should breathe.

💡 Lighting

Ambient room lighting is enough. UVB and basking lamps are unnecessary.

Bright lamps can overheat and dry arboreal enclosures quickly, so display lighting should be gentle and indirect.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Aim for steady warm room temperatures:

  • Daytime: around 24-27°C
  • Night: slight drop acceptable

Avoid hot stagnant air. If supplemental heat is needed, warm the room or use a controlled side-mounted approach rather than placing heat under the enclosure.

💧 Humidity and water

This species needs access to water and moderate humidity, but the enclosure must remain well ventilated.

Practical rules:

  • provide a water dish
  • lightly moisten part of the enclosure when needed
  • let surfaces dry between waterings
  • keep side and top ventilation open
  • avoid soaking the web retreat

Misting alone is not hydration. A water dish and good airflow are more reliable than repeated spraying.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use cork bark, branches, and artificial or live foliage to create elevated cover. The spider should be able to build a web tube near the upper half of the enclosure.

Substrate can be modest; it helps buffer humidity but should not become swampy. Avoid mesh that can catch claws and avoid heavy decor that may shift during maintenance.

🪳 Feeding

Avicularia avicularia is insectivorous. Suitable prey includes:

  • crickets
  • roaches
  • locusts where available
  • occasional mealworms or soft-bodied larvae in moderation

Spiderlings usually eat every few days. Juveniles can be fed once or twice weekly. Adults usually do well with appropriately sized prey every 7-14 days.

Offer prey near the webbed area when possible, and remove uneaten insects after feeding attempts.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems include poor ventilation, stagnant humidity, dehydration, falls, escape during maintenance, and stress from repeated web destruction.

Warning signs include a shrinking abdomen, spending unusual time on the floor, weak grip, failed molts, and decline after being kept in wet stagnant conditions.

If a pinktoe tarantula is doing poorly, check airflow, water access, temperature, and retreat security before adding more moisture.

📌 Conclusion

Avicularia avicularia is a classic arboreal display tarantula. It can do well for keepers who understand cross-ventilation, moderate humidity, and low-disturbance care, but it should not be treated as a simple handling pet.

📚 Sources and further reading