Tarantula may not be able to feel emotions, but they definitely show signs of stress – and pretty often! What many people don’t know about tarantulas is that they are actually big, dorky babies who get nervous about pretty much anything and everything! They are the neurotic introverts of the spider world, prone to having anxiety attacks at a moment’s notice.

But since they can’t talk to us or make sounds like a cat or dog, their signs are very unique and specific to them and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you may miss some of these important warning signs that your tarantula is having a full blown panic attack. Of course, certain signs (like trying to bite you) will be incredibly obvious but some signs of tarantula stress are quite subtle, so I’m going to cover everything here.

Threat poses

One of the biggest signs a tarantula is getting stressed out or wants to be left alone STAT is the threat pose. This is pretty much the pose you’re going to get as a warning, right before your tarantula tries to lunge at you for a bite. Your tarantula will raise its upper body and put its front few legs in the air, making itself look bigger and flashing its fangs. If your tarantula is doing this, get out of there and leave it the hell alone.

Flicking hair (defensive behavior) or baldness on abdomen

Another obvious sign of stress from your tarantula is if it is flicking hair off of the back of its abdomen – this is a common defense mechanism in New World tarantulas. Even if they are not being directly threatened by something, tarantulas may flick the hairs off their abdomens when in stress. If you see bald spots on your tarantula’s abdomen and they are not in premolt, they could very well be stressed out.

Hiding behind their legs

Sometimes, tarantulas do this incredibly cute thing where they curl their legs into their body (NOT a death curl) and pull their legs over their little faces so they look like they’re “hiding”. This is adorable, but it’s actually one of the many signs of stress! This means your tarantula is scared and is literally trying to “disappear.”

Inappropriate climbing

Owners of tarantulas like the G. rosea and other terrestrials will know this all too well. If your terrestrial tarantula suddenly wants to act like an arboreal and is desperately trying to climb its tank, it may be more than an adventurous streak. When something in a tarantula’s tank is not quite right (like the substrate being damp or a tank change), a tarantula might try to “escape” the problem area and start climbing. They may also do this if there are uneaten prey items that are bothering or annoying them.

Abnormally high activity or pacing

It’s worth noting that happy tarantulas usually do a whole lot of nothing. A tarantula that is moving around an abnormal amount may be experiencing stress from something in their tank. This could be food items, new substrate, a new decoration, anything! Tarantulas are extremely sensitive to their surroundings and environment, and if even just a tiny thing is “off”, they will throw a little fit!

If you want to learn more about tarantulas, feel free to check out my big tarantula guide (I talk about lots of tarantula facts and enclosure/care tips).

By the way, check out my new tarantula magazine for more cool spider stuff:

I’m putting out issues every 2 months! If you’d like to be a part of that, you can visit the magazine’s Patreon page to subscribe or make a submission! You can also contact me at theavenmag@gmail.com for more info!

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