As if tarantulas weren’t fragile and complicated enough, there is even more stress once you add a baby tarantula to the mix! While we might believe that a baby tarantula (or sling) might be an easier way to get into the tarantula keeping hobby, nothing can quite prepare us for how tiny and vulnerable they are. So if you are thinking about getting a baby tarantula or have recently gotten one, I hope this will help you!

First things first. One of the most important things to know about baby tarantulas is that not all of them will make it. This is incredibly sad to think about and accept, but it is true. Some of them are just not meant to make it past a certain point and it’s not uncommon for them to pass away during a molt as they go through instars.

Another risk for baby tarantulas is that they are very good escape artists. Tiny tarantulas are well known for finding air holes big enough to squeeze through or parts of a tank that haven’t been sealed all the way. Many tarantula owners report that they have lost their slings and never found them because they are so dang tiny! So keep this in mind because your baby tarantula will be curious and take the opportunity to explore if they get the chance!

Believe it or not (and I just found this out) there is a risk of them drowning, which I found out through a really sad facebook post. Now, this isn’t common but it can happen. Tarantulas have lungs on the bottom of their abdomens so if they are too small for their water dish it is possible they can fall in and drown. In the scenario I spoke about, the water dishes were too deep so that when the slings fell in, they were unable to touch the bottom and get out. Their book lungs got wet and they eventually could not breathe and passed away. make sure that your sling has a water dish that is shallow and appropriate for their size.

Prey items can also be too big, turning them into a danger and threat. You want to make sure that the prey items you feed your baby tarantula are the appropriate size or you run the risk of your baby tarantula being hurt or not being able to take down its prey. You might even endanger its life. As a rule of thumb, I try to make sure prey items are about half the size. You definitely don’t want to give then something bigger than they are!

I hope that gives you some insight into what could go wrong with a baby tarantula and what kind of things you must look out for. If you are interested in learning more about slings and how to care for a baby tarantula, I cover the entire scope of tarantula care in my tarantula guide (sling care included)!