Many soon-to-be first time tarantula owners can stress themselves out when considering all of the options they have when getting a new tarantula – and one of the most common headaches is comparing new world vs. old world tarantulas. In this post, hopefully I can make this easier on some of you!

Generally, it is advised that beginners start off with a less advance spider, which is why New Worlds are often recommended at first. In the paragraphs below, I’ll explain some of the differences:

Location

New Worlds generally come from the Eastern Hemisphere, or the Americas. Old World tarantulas, on the other hand, come from the Western hemisphere and other areas of the world.

Temperament

While every spider is different, there are many New World beginner friendly species that are quite docile. New World tarantulas tend to be more tolerant of handling if you decide to do it and generally are more calm. Of course, some tarantulas that are labeled beginner friendly such as the Grammostola rosea have been known to be moody and sometimes act like an Old World tarantula, but more often than not a New World will allow you to ease yourself into the tarantula hobby at a good pace without any real emergencies to worry about.

Speed

One of the major reasons why New Worlds are recommended for beginners is because Old World tarantulas tend to be lightning fast. When you hear a story about a tarantula that has escaped or bolted up someone’s arm, it’ll likely be an Old World tarantula that is the naughty culprit. Their speed can be extremely intimidating and dangerous to someone who does not know exactly what they’re doing or know how to react in certain situations. The movements of New World tarantulas tend to be more predictable and easier to manage, which is why people tend to steer newbies in this direction – it’s simply the easiest way to avoid accidents.

Attacks and Venom

Another important reason Old World tarantulas are not recommended for beginners is that these guys are less hesitant to bite you. New World tarantulas have an extra defense mechanism that Old World tarantulas do not – they have urticating hairs on their backside that they will flick off their abdomens and will usually use this defense before biting. While these hairs are incredibly irritating and painful/itchy, it’s pretty mild compared to a bite. Unfortunately in the case of Old World tarantulas, they do not have these hairs so their only defense is biting. And not only is their venom much more potent than the venom of New World tarantulas, but they are much faster to strike. In the case of an angry Old World tarantula, there usually isn’t time to react or save yourself. With a New World tarantula, you might at least see it coming. Someone on a tarantula forum described it like this:

NW = Cute, fuzzy and cuddly then itchy.
OW = “Ouch, my finger!!”

So those are the things to keep in mind when considering the new world vs old world tarantulas argument. There are plenty of new tarantula owners who jump into getting Old World tarantulas and are fine – but you must be aware of the risks! If you’d like to learn more about tarantula care, feel free to check out my tarantula guide!