I talk a lot about tarantulas and their silly observable habits, and one thing I know for sure that they are good at is hygge living! Someone who has never owned a tarantula or had the pleasure of observing and studying them might be quite shocked to discover this, but tarantulas are far from the aggressive bloodthirsty monsters they’re portrayed as. Actually, if we’re being totally honest, tarantulas are so nerdy and shy! Even the ones that tend to be defensive and throw a threat pose tend to do so just because they are scared and want to be left alone! Tarantulas are the ultimate introverts who love to be in their cozy spaces, and that’s exactly why they are hygge EXPERTS!

First, what the hell is hygge? Hygge is a Danish lifestyle trend and is the term for the concept of Scandinavian coziness and life’s little pleasures. When I’m not fawning over my beautiful tarantulas, I can usually be found looking at home decor or smelling candles somewhere – I’m obsessed with creating good vibes in my home and being cozy! So naturally, I purchased the book “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living.“

In learning about how the Danish spend time and effort making their homes “just right” and prefer coziness and staying indoors in their own spaces rather than going out and being more extroverted, I made the connection between hygge and my tarantulas right away.

My tarantulas, Spidey and Blinky, spend ridiculous amounts of energy making their spaces perfect. Whether it’s spending hours throwing dirt in their water dish or making the perfect tunnel (or tunnels) like Blinky, or webbing layers upon layers of spider silk over her substrate like Spidey, tarantulas are VERY particular about their space and do NOT like to be disturbed. If you ever want to see your tarantula stressed out like no other, clean their tank or move the decor around! Spidey HATES this and will literally throw a temper tantrum by refusing to touch the substrate for DAYS.

Blinky is a bit young to tell, but Spidey has some very peculiar habits that align perfectly with hygge. First of all, she’s pretty much like a cat in that she likes to sit herself in cozy things and be in areas of her tank that make her feel enclosed and safe. For example, she is absolutely obsessed with her water dish and loves to sit in there after the water has dried out. Sometimes she will even throw dirt IN the water dish to make it dry so she can sit in it! Unfortunately, Blinky has caught onto this and is 10x worse with this habit now lol. In the past, Spidey has also filled a little teacup with dirt so she could make a cozy little bed and lay in it all night long. If that’s not hygge, I don’t know what is! Spidey has also done things such as sitting in her jar lid much like a cat would sit in a cardboard box. She also loves hanging out in her glass house, which I believe gives her a feeling of being protecting and in a closed space. She will often even hang out in there with her beloved ping pong ball for companionship! LOL! If you want to see some pics of this silly behavior, watch the video above 🙂

It’s no secret that tarantulas love dark, warm, small spaces. If you have a ground dwelling tarantula, you may notice that they spend a large amount of their time in their burrows, hides, or in a log. Arboreal tarantulas can be very much the same, and even tarantulas that enjoy being on display more will spend a lot of energy and time on webbing their enclosure perfectly and making their environment comfortable. They are constantly remodeling their space to make it better, and will totally ruin your hard work if they don’t like it or it’s not up to their standards!

So now hopefully you not only know a little bit about hygge and how to beautify your space, but you also have learned a little bit about the secret habits and lives of tarantulas. If you observe them closely, they will show you that they are all wannabe interior designers and architects. They love being in their homes, and fortunately we get to look at them and enjoy their creations.

What cozy habits do your tarantulas possess? Let me know in the comments!