Gresham Pet Supply Pet Care Guide
Brazilian Red and White Tarantula
Vitalius chromatus (formerly Nhandu chromatus)
Why We Love Them: The Brazilian Red and White is a truly striking tarantula. They feature bright white stripes running down their legs, a contrasting black/grey carapace, and vibrant red hairs covering their abdomen. Because they are bold and spend most of their time sitting out in the open rather than hiding in a burrow, they make for a phenomenal display animal.
Lifespan
Females 10-15 years / Males 3-4 years
Adult Size
5.5-7 inch leg span
Enclosure
10 to 20-Gallon Tank
Warm / Basking
72°–80°F
Cool Side
68°–72°F Night
Humidity / Water
65-80% (Moderate-High)
Species Profile & Temperament
| Trait | Overview |
|---|---|
| Origin | Tropical forests and scrublands of Brazil |
| Diet Type | Insectivore (Crickets, Roaches, Mealworms) |
| Activity | Nocturnal / Crepuscular (Considered an excellent "display" spider that sits out in the open) |
| Temperament | Skittish, nervous, and highly defensive. |
| Handleability | Absolutely not recommended. They are prone to bolting and flicking hairs. |
| Venom | Wash any bite that breaks the skin with soap and water. Ask your doctor about any health concerns. |
| Urticating Hairs | Yes (They have highly irritating hairs and are very quick to kick them) |
| Difficulty | 3/5 — Intermediate (Easy to keep alive, but their defensive nature requires a confident keeper) |
| Hardiness | 4/5 — Hardy (Robust and forgiving of minor temperature/humidity swings) |
Safety Information
Venom/Defense: They are highly defensive. If disturbed, their first instinct is usually to kick a massive cloud of urticating hairs into the air. These hairs are notoriously itchy and irritating compared to other species.
First Aid: If hairs get on your skin, wash with soap and water and keep your hands away from your face. Ask your doctor about any health concerns.
Handling Precautions: Do not handle this species. They are very heavy-bodied. If they bolt out of your hands and fall to the floor, the fall can kill them. Use long feeding tongs for all tank maintenance.
Housing & Enclosure
Enclosure Type & Size
- Type: Terrestrial / Opportunistic Burrower.
- Minimum: A wide, low enclosure with plenty of floor space. Ask us in store for the right size for your spider.
- The Height Warning (CRITICAL): Because they are large and heavy-bodied, you must prioritize floor space over vertical height. If the enclosure is too tall, you must fill it with deep substrate so the gap from the dirt to the lid stays short. A fall from the ceiling is fatal.
Substrate
- Recommended: Coconut fiber (Eco Earth), peat moss, or organic topsoil.
- Depth: Provide deep substrate. Ask us in store how deep for your spider. While they prefer to sit out in the open as adults, they still need the option to burrow, and the deep soil cushions them if they climb.
Décor & Enrichment
- Hides: Provide a large, curved cork bark hide or half-log.
- Water Dish: Provide a large, shallow water dish. Keep it filled with fresh water at all times.
Temperature
| Zone | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Ambient | Normal room temperature. No heat lamp. |
- Heating: Room temperature is usually fine, but they thrive in slightly warmer conditions. If your home runs cold, use a small heat pad on the SIDE of the tank on a thermostat, never underneath.
Humidity
- Target Range: Slightly damp lower substrate with a dry top layer.
- How to Maintain: The goal is to keep the lower layers of the substrate slightly damp while allowing the top layer to dry out. The easiest way to achieve this is to let their water dish overflow a little into the substrate. Ensure the enclosure has good cross-ventilation to prevent stagnant, swampy air.
Diet & Nutrition
This species is famous for having an incredibly aggressive feeding response. They grow fast and rarely refuse a meal unless they are molting.
Primary Diet
- Live crickets, dubia roaches, or mealworms. Ask us in store what size feeder to use.
Feeding Schedule
Young spiders eat more often than adults. Ask us in store for a feeding plan that fits your spider's size, and always remove uneaten live prey.
Pre-Molt Fasting
- If they seal the entrance to their hide with webbing and dirt, and refuse food, they are in pre-molt. Do not disturb them.
Molting
During the Molt
- DO NOT disturb the spider. It will flip on its back to molt. It is not dead. Do not flip it over.
- Remove any live crickets from the enclosure immediately. A live cricket can bite or chew a molting tarantula.
Post-Molt Care
- Wait before offering food. Their new fangs need time to harden after a molt, and feeding too soon can injure them.
What We Use & Recommend
These are products we use and recommend for this species. Stock varies by store, so ask us what we have in store today.
| Category | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Aqueon 10-Gallon or 20-Gallon Long Tank | Prioritize floor space over height |
| Substrate | Zoo Med Eco Earth (Coco Fiber) | Deep enough to dig and to cushion a climb |
| Hides | Zoo Med Natural Cork Bark (Large Curved) | The perfect starting roof for their hide |
| Tools | Zoo Med 10-inch Feeding Tongs | Highly recommended to avoid their itchy hairs during maintenance |
| Water Dish | Exo Terra Shallow Water Dish (Large) | Overflow this a little to keep the bottom soil damp |
Last updated: 2026-08-04
How We Keep Them at Critter Cabana & Gresham Pet Supply
- Oregon Winter Furnace Air vs. Molting Humidity: When Pacific Northwest furnaces kick on from October through April, indoor room humidity drops fast and dries out small enclosures from the top down. Rather than misting the spider or invert directly (which stresses terrestrial species and invites stagnant mold), we keep Brazilian Red and White Tarantula by using a deep moisture-retaining substrate bed (ReptiSoil + Coco Fiber + Sphagnum Moss), overflowing the water dish slightly into one corner, and maintaining cross-ventilation.
- Safe Room Heating in the Willamette Valley: If your house gets cold on winter nights, never stick a heat pad on the bottom of a burrowing invertebrate tank—they dig down to escape heat and will cook themselves. Use a low-wattage side-mounted heat mat on a digital thermostat or keep the room at a comfortable room temperature.
- Shopping at Newberg & Gresham: For enclosures, cork bark, substrates, springtails and feeders at Critter Cabana (Newberg) and Gresham Pet Supply, ask us what we have in store today.
Common Questions (FAQ)
How do I keep my Brazilian Red and White Tarantula warm and humid enough during an Oregon winter?
Keep your spider at a comfortable room temperature with no heat lamp. Keep the lower substrate slightly damp and the top dry by letting the water dish overflow a little. Never mist the spider directly. Never put a heat mat underneath the enclosure. Ask us in store for the right setup for your spider.
What size enclosure does a Brazilian Red and White Tarantula need?
An adult Brazilian Red and White Tarantula needs a low, wide enclosure with secure ventilation. Ask us in store for the right size for your spider. For terrestrial tarantulas and scorpions, floor space and deep substrate matter most (keep open fall height low so a fall cannot hurt your spider); for arboreal species, prioritize vertical cork bark tubes and cross-ventilation.
Can I put isopods in a Brazilian Red and White Tarantula bioactive enclosure?
Around molting tarantulas and scorpions, skip big, hungry isopods and stick to springtails, so a soft, newly molted animal is never nibbled.
Where can I find Brazilian Red and White Tarantula, cork bark, and feeder insects in Oregon?
Ask us what we have in store today at our two exotic animal stores: Critter Cabana in Newberg (514 E First St, 503-537-2887) and Gresham Pet Supply (2185 NW Burnside Rd, 503-665-7606).
Shop supplies for this animal
Everything for your Brazilian Red and White Tarantula setup, ready for pickup in store or shipped to you.
