This tarantula is native to the coastal desert areas of central Mexico. It is a terrestrial species, living primarily on the ground, however it does live in burrows or under rocks in the wild. Often the burrow is located at the base of desert scrup plants and even cacti.
Brachypelma smithi females can grow as large as 6-7" in leg span with a 3.5-4" body, although they are usually a little smaller than this. These animals are commonly bred in captivity and are listed on appendix II of the convention in international trade of endangered species (CITES). This means they are a "threatened" species and it is illegal to collect them in the wild and import or export them without the necessary permits. It is perfectly legal to breed them in captivity and sell the spiderlings without any permits or other documents, but only in the country they are produced.
B.smithi is not really aggressive in general, but may bite if supprised or startled. In the same way a bee sting can be fatal to those with hypersensitivity to the venom of the bee, the venom of B.smithi has the potential to produce life-threatening symptoms via anaphylactic shock. This is very rare and to most people the venom is not very toxic at all. As an alternative and much more common form of defence this species will rub hairs off it`s abdomen with one hind leg very rapidly. These hairs are called urticating hairs and are essentially like barbed glass. If they get into the skin they will cause severe itching and possibly a rash. Symptoms will persist for about 4-16 hours in most people, however in some people the effects can last 2-4 days. These effects may be treated with creams containing antihistamines. It is very important that under no circumstances should anyone ever allow a tarantula near the face. If urticating hairs get in the eyes extremely severe itching, redness and there is a very slight possibly that temporary or even permanent blindness will result. This is true of all tarantulas from the Americas. If you get red, sore eyes after a Tarantula flicks hairs at you see a doctor as soon as possible.
Keep spiderling B.smithi from 1/2" up to 2" in legspan in a container with a secure lid measuring about 3-5" in diameter. Any bigger and it will be difficult for the spiderling to locate it`s prey, especially when very small. Use about a 2" depth of moist vermiculite as a substrate. Vermiculite is available from most garden centres. Use enough water to moisten such that the vermiculite just holds together after squeezing a handful, but is not soggy enough to drip water during squeezing. Then add twice the amount of dry vermiculite, as this species likes some moisture while small, but not too much.
Provide a retreat for your spider. This can be a piece of card or best of all a small piece of cork bark. Keep the tarantulas terrarium at around 70-80°F and also try to keep the humidity at around 60-70%. Carefully mist the enclosure once a week to maintain some humidity, but only mist sparingly. If any mold develops remove it as soon as possible with a long handled spoon and increase the number of air holes. It is absolutely essential to have plenty of air holes so that the air does not get stale; stale, fungal spore-laden air is often the kiss of death to very many, if not all species of Tarantula.
Feed with pinhead or small crickets twice a week (3 per feeding), depending on size. The crickets should be smaller than the body size of the spider, 2/3rds being ideal. If your spider jumps on the crickets immediately it is hungry, so feed 3 times a week under these circumstances. Always keep a small shallow dish of water in the enclosure and change the water daily. A bottle top is a good thing to use. Remove any uneaten food items within 1 day of adding them, whether alive or dead.
If your tarantula stops feeding don`t worry, it may be getting ready to molt. Depending on the animal this may take anything from 3 days to 3 months. If you find your tarantula on it`s back it is molting, IT IS NOT DEAD. Tarantulas die with their legs curled underneath themselves, not on their backs. It is very important not to disturb the spider at this stage as this can easily lead to either loss of limbs or even death. After a molt the exoskeleton of the tarantula is soft and takes anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks to harden sufficiently to resume feeding. When it does resume feeding it will be very hungry, so try feeding 2 crickets every day for 5 days or so and then resume the regular routine.
Many Brachypelma species grow very slowly. This is particulary true for B.smithi and a 1" spiderling may take up to 8 years to reach maturity. Once mature the spider may live for up to 30 years if it is female, so be prepared for a long commitment.
Adult and sub-adult B.smithi can be housed very well in the larger "critter keepers" or 10-15 gallon enclosures with screen tops. Use 4-5" of vermiculite as substrate and provide a shelter large enough for the spider to hide under with little excess room. Make sure there is always fresh water in a shallow dish containing a few small stones, thereby allowing crickets to get out of the water dish instead of dying in it. As long as water is constantly available the spider will thrive under fairly dry conditions with humidity in the 55-65% range. Always increase the humidity to 70% or so when the spider is not feeding, as this will help with the ensuing molt.
Mating B.smithi can be either very easy or very tricky. The females can be anything from very docile and willing to mate, to extremely aggressive and willing to tear the male limb from limb. There is no real way of predicting how the female will react, so always supervise the mating armed with a large paint brush, piece of stiff card or long forceps. At the slightest sign of female aggression interupt the pair and try again a few hours later. See the M.robustum details for more detailed conditions.
Eggsacs may be produced anywhere from 2-8 months later and the spiderlings emerge as 2nd instar within around 90 days. It is VERY common for female B.smithi to eat their eggsacs so make sure the female is in a very quiet, secluded place free from vibrations before she produces the eggsac. This is relatively easy to time as the female will refuse food as she approaches the big moment. Many breeders remove the eggsacs anywhere from 2 days to 30 days after laying and try to incubate them artificially. If one is lucky then somewhere in the region of 600-1200 spiderlings will result. Of course this is a nightmare for the breeder as housing and looking after this many spiderlings require a great deal of time and effort, not to mention a huge supply of pinhead crickets or fruitflies.
The guidelines above can be applied to most of the common Brachypelma species we see on the market with little modification.
Cury hair (B.albopilosum)
Mexican Red leg (B.emilia)
Mexican Fireleg (B.boehmei)
Mexican Redrump (B.vagans)
Costa Rican red (B.angustum)
B.emilia and boehmei may be treated the same as B.smithi. If one is lucky enough to have B.auratum, B.klaasi or B.baumgarteni then these may also be housed and treated quite successfully as indicated for B.smithi.
B.angustum, B.albopilosum and B.vagans are from more moist areas so they should be kept in a little more humid conditions than the other Brachypelma species. Instead of mixing the damp vermiculite with dry as described above, use the damp vermiculite alone. These species also grow much more quickly and can go from a 1" spiderling to maturity (4-6" depending on the species) in 2-3 years.
Kingdom of the Spiders: Great pictures and a few notes on this species.
ATS: Go to "Articles Online"; "ATS Eggsack"; "Third Time's a Charm" by Rhonda Moore
Lelles Tarantula Page (English version): A picture and a good intro
Bob's Spider Page: Good info on his experiences with this species
Jordan's Tarantula Page: Jordan's overview of the Mexican Redknee
Jon's Pet Arachnid and Insect Page: Go to "caresheets"
Trav's Tarantulas: Go to "Species info"; "Our Current Collection" for a good intro to this species
ArachnoCity: A very comprehensive caresheet with a picture
Tarantula Terrain: housing and habitat
Singapore Tarantula Page: A picture, size, behavior, and a brief note on care
Cobweb Corner: a little intro into this species; just some personal accounts of the author
Leon Bienvenue's Tarantula Page: A small intro (scroll down)