Pet tarantulas are the best. One of the first questions I get asked when someone sees my tarantula collection, is how long do tarantulas live? Firstly, and provided they are kept in the correct conditions, female tarantulas often live longer than your average cat or dog for example. That’s a long time for a pet!
Tarantulas live for varying amounts of time depending on genera/species. Female tarantulas live longer than male tarantulas, averaging anywhere between 5-35 years whereas male tarantulas usually only live 3-6 years. They fare better in captivity than in the wild, obviously, as they are highly unlikely to fall victim to predators.
Now we’re going to delve into why females live longer than males.
Once males reach sexual maturity, their only goal is to find a female to mate with.
And once this has happened, if she doesn’t eat him herself, he will die naturally very shortly afterwards.
Females on the other hand, are able to live a long life producing multiple egg sacs. This is one reason hobbyists prefer to have a female over a male as they will not only live longer, but they’re also larger.
Added to that, if you’re lucky enough to be able to pair them with a male, you’ll have more baby spiderlings than you can count.
This varies from species to species so I’ve made a table for you which should give you some idea of how long any specific tarantula lives.
Please note, I have not included every species of tarantula in this list, there are too many, but you should get a rough idea.
| Genus | Species | Male (years) | Female (years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aphonopelma | Bicoloratum (Mexican Blood Leg) Chalcodes (Arizona blond) Eutylenum (California ebony) Hentzi (Oklahoma brown) Seemanni (Costa Rican zebra or striped knee) | 5-7 5-10 8-12 8-10 5 | 20-25 Up to 30 25 Up to 40 20 |
| Avicularia | Avicularia (Pink Toe) Juruensis (Amazonian pink toe) Minatrix (Venezuelan Redstripe) | 2-3 2-3 2-3 | 6-9 7-10 10-12 |
| Brachypelma | Albiceps (Mexican Golden Red Rump) Auratum (Mexican flame knee) Boehmei (Mexican fireleg) Emilia (Mexican redleg) Hamorii/Smithi (Mexican redknee) | 5 4-5 7-9 8 5 | 15-20 15 Up to 20 25 30 |
| Dolichothele | Diamantinensis (Brazilian blue dwarf beauty) | 3 | 12-15 |
| Encyocratella | Olivacea (Tanzanian black and olive baboon spider) | 3-4 | 12 |
| Ephebopus | Cyanognathus (Blue Fang tarantula) | 3-4 | 12-15 |
| Grammostola | Actaeon (Brazilian redrump) Grossa (Guarani giant tarantula) Pulchra (Brazilian Black) Pulchripes (Chaco golden knee) Rosea (Chilean rose) | 6 5-6 6-8 5-10 5 | 15-20 20 20 20-25 20+ |
| Lasiodora | Difficilis (Brazilian red birdeater) Parahybana (Brazilian salmon pink bird-eating tarantula) | 6-8 6-8 | 12-15 12-15 |
| Monocentropus | Balfouri (Blue Baboon Tarantula) | 3-4 | 10-14 |
| Poecilotheria | Metallica (peacock tarantula) | 3-4 | Up to 15 |
| Theraphosa | Blondi (Goliath Bird Eating tarantula) Stirmi (burgundy goliath bird eater) | 3-6 3-5 | 15-25 20 |
| Thrixopelma | Ockerti (Flame Rump Tree Spider) | 4 | 15 |
| Tliltocatl | Albopilosus (curlyhair tarantula) Vagans (Mexican red rump) | 5 | 20 15 |
| Xenesthis | Colombiana, immanis, intermedia, monstrosa | 3-4 | 12-15 |
Check out our list of 15 Tarantulas for Beginners
Keeping your Tarantula Healthy
There are a few things to keep in mind when keeping a tarantula and trying to maximise its lifespan.
Dehydration, falling from height, mite or parasites, humidity and obviously food are all extremely important factors to take into consideration.
Water Bowl
While tarantulas don’t drink often you should always make water available. A shallow bowl, (preferably not made of plastic) is ideal.
Be sure to wash the bowl and change the water regularly to keep it fresh.
Tarantula’s can swim so don’t be afraid that they’ll drown.
Delicate Abdomens
Be aware that your tarantula has a very delicate abdomen and any fall from height could cause it to burst and be fatal for your pet.
Mites and Parasites
Too many mites in the enclosure and they will start to cling to the tarantula as a means of transportation from one area to the next.
Whilst initially harmless, too many can cause trouble as they hitch a ride on the tarantula to take them to their next meal. Less food for your tarantula, more food for them. We have a full article on mites and parasites HERE.
Humidity
Dry enclosures can kill tarantulas, especially when they moult. A plant spray gun can be used to give the cage a gentle spray from time to time, helping to keep the inside humid.
“Be aware that tarantulas can be very sensitive to household chemicals. It is therefore a good idea to buy a new spray gun, and carefully label it, purely for your tarantula. In this way you can be certain that it is not used for other purposes around the house.”
Food
We have a whole article dedicated to the perfect foodstuff and how often to feed your tarantula here. Please take the time to read this article if you are considering getting into the tarantula keeping hobby.
Finally, remember that most tarantulas are cannibalistic and should be housed alone. There are a few breeds of tarantula that are communal, we have a list of them HERE.
We hope this article has answered your question “how long do tarantulas live” and look forward to bringing you more spidery content soon!