Becoming a new tarantula owner comes with a lot of responsibility when it comes to tarantula care. While there are species that are pretty hardy and many of them are species who are good for beginner T owners, much of tarantula care involves being prepared and ready for the unexpected as well as emergencies. This article is going to be about preparing for extreme weather or emergency conditions.

Many new T owners don’t know this when they’re first starting out, but tarantulas cannot regulate their body temperature. Many of us keep our tarantulas in the basement. Be mindful that this will be a little colder than the rest of your home. Tarantulas are cold blooded, and will need an environment of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit to function well. Generally between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for most species. Most Ts are ok with a slight temperature drop however slings tend to be a little more sensitive. So when it becomes winter, many tarantula owners will face the issue of having to keep their tarantula warm – or even worse, deal with an emergency.

When getting prepared for temperatures dropping, you have a few options. Here’s a great video by The Tarantula Collective which walks you through how to use heat mats safely and insulate a tarantula enclosure properly:

There’s a lot of controversy surrounding the use of heat mats, mostly due to the risk of burning or overheating the tarantula, but this can be made more safe with the use of temperature gauges. However, heat mats are not the only way – they’re just one of many so you have to choose what’s right for you and your set up. I personally do not use heat mats, instead I use a method that Jon3800 endorses, which is a space heater method. This is a decent option if you have an enclosed space with a lot of spiders – but you must be careful to get a modern space heater that has safety features such as automatic shutoff at high temperatures or if it falls over. Here’s a video where I talk about that and what I do for my spiders in the winter:

Taking your tarantula care to the next level also means being prepared for emergencies, even if you think it’ll never happen to you. Here are things that you should also have a plan in place for:

• Natural disasters – things like snow, flooding, earthquakes, forest fires, etc. where you may need to evacuate your home or move your tarantulas quickly.

• Manmade disasters – getting evicted or a last minute change in living conditions like a falling out with a roommate/partner, the power getting shut off, etc.

Whether this means having a backup plan by talking to some friends or family members who might be able to watch and house your tarantulas/pets temporarily while you relocate or recover from an emergency to having a backup generator in case the power goes out in the winter, you should always be thinking a few steps ahead. By the way guys, Richard Stewart stated that there are actually temperature controlled storage units, so this is something you can look into in case you need it. Richard calls this his “Plan C” in case his Plan A or B fails, and I think it’s genius.

In case of an emergency of inclement weather, it’s a good idea to have backup supplies such as food, substrate, water, etc. in case you can’t go to the store for a bit. Also having supplies such as rubbermaid containers in case you need to transport a bunch of tarantulas quickly is a great idea. Here are some other great tips by Richard of The Tarantula Collective:

One of the most important parts of responsible tarantula care is being prepared for the unexpected. While many of us will likely not experience emergencies like this, if you have been in any tarantula Facebook group you will know that these things DO happen and its very rare that a plan was put in place or given any thought to. Unfortunately, this often results in several deaths in a collection or a tarantula owner having to frantically give away or sell their entire collection. This is completely avoidable with some planning and communication, so do not let this be you!

Do you have any other suggestions or things you do for tarantula care in extreme conditions?