Brazilian black tarantula Lifespan Calculator

Brazilian black tarantula lifespan

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, which keeps the species, says male Brazilian blacks typically live about 6 to 8 years while females can live much longer, often reaching up to 20 years. Battersea Park Children's Zoo in London also gives females up to 20 years. These two zoo figures are the basis for the Brazilian black tarantula lifespan in the calculator.

Some dealers and care sheets quote 20–30 years for females. We found no zoo, university or study that supports the upper end, so the calculator treats 20 years as typical and shows a "beyond typical" message after that — a long-lived female passing 20 is a success, not an error.

How long do Brazilian black tarantulas live as pets?

So, how long do Brazilian black tarantulas live in a home? For a female bought as a sling, expect two decades. Because she grows so slowly, she may still be a juvenile at 6 or 7 years old, which means most of her life is spent as an adult after about age 8. The long wait is one reason mature females cost more: Wikipedia notes that an export ban on wild-caught animals and the slow growth make adult females expensive.

Female vs male Brazilian black tarantula lifespan

Males are the shorter story. Beardsley Zoo's 6–8 years is longer than the totals given for male Chilean roses, probably because Brazilian black males also grow slowly before their maturing moult. After that moult, tarantula males in general live only one or two more years (Criscuolo et al. 2010), and no species-specific figure exists for this one.

In the calculator, a 3-year-old male that hasn't matured has used about 43% of the average male lifespan, and a 6-year-old about 86%. Once you mark him as matured, time left becomes the 1–2 year post-maturity range. To check sex from a moult, use the male vs female tarantula checklist.

Brazilian black tarantula growth rate and size

The Brazilian black tarantula size is impressive for such a calm spider: Beardsley Zoo gives up to about 7 in leg span, and Battersea Park Zoo and Wikipedia give up to 18 cm. It is dark brown to black all over, without the patterned hairs of many relatives.

The Brazilian black tarantula growth rate is slow. Both zoos make the same point: females take around 8 years to reach maturity (Beardsley Zoo), "up to eight years" (Battersea Park Zoo). Expect a juvenile to look much the same from one year to the next.

A Brazilian black's life, stage by stage

• First year (sling): moults come every few weeks at first, as in other tarantula spiderlings (ADW; Smithsonian's National Zoo).
• Years 1 to about 8 (juvenile): slow, steady growth with moults further apart each year; juveniles burrow if given the chance (Wikipedia).
• Around 8 years (maturity): females mature at about this age (Beardsley Zoo); males make their maturing moult somewhere before the end of their 6–8 year span.
• 8 to about 20 years (adult female): she keeps moulting about once a year or less (Cincinnati Zoo) and grows to about 7 in.

Compared with its relatives, that is a long childhood. The curly hair females in a lab study matured at about 5.6 years (Criscuolo et al. 2010), and Animal Diversity Web gives Mexican red-knee females 6–7 years. The Brazilian black's extra years as a juvenile are why a large female is worth so much to keepers — and why a sling is the cheapest way to own one.

Care that helps a Brazilian black tarantula live longer

Grammostola pulchra lives in grassland burrows in the wild (Beardsley Zoo). The University of Kentucky lists it, with the rose hair and the red-knee, among the species that need only moderate humidity, so the same simple setup applies:

• Burrowing depth: 3–5 in of organic potting soil, peat or coco fibre (University of Kentucky). Wikipedia notes that juveniles tend to burrow when they can.
• A water dish at all times: the university says it is usually enough to keep humidity right.
• Room temperature up to about 85 °F (29 °C).
• Ventilation: an escape-proof lid with air holes to reduce mould.
• A low enclosure: a heavy spider that falls onto a hard surface can split its abdomen (University of Guelph case report on a large tarantula).

Brazilian blacks have urticating hairs (Beardsley Zoo), though Wikipedia says they are less inclined than many species to flick them and would rather flee. Even calm spiders can bite, and a fall is a bigger danger to the spider than to you, so the University of Kentucky's advice not to handle tarantulas still applies.

Why the Brazilian black is known as a slow grower

Every source on this species uses the same words: it grows slowly. Beardsley Zoo says the tarantulas grow slowly, with females taking around 8 years to mature; Battersea Park Zoo calls it a slow grower that takes up to eight years to reach maturity. Wikipedia repeats the eight-year figure.

Slow growth fits a wider pattern in the Theraphosinae, the subfamily that includes Grammostola. In a lab study of a related ground species, females took over five years to mature and then lived about 16 more (Criscuolo et al. 2010); in the Brazilian black the juvenile phase is even longer. A long juvenile phase means fewer years as an adult for males, but very long adult lives for females.

In practice, slow growth means patience. A 1 in sling can take years to look like an adult, so price, size and age are closely linked. The upside is the reason people choose this species: a female bought small can be a companion for most of two decades.

How this Brazilian black tarantula calculator works

For the Brazilian black, the shared data table holds about 20 years for females and 6–8 years for males (averages 20 and 7). A 2-year-old female has used about 10%, an 8-year-old about 40% and a 15-year-old about 75%.

Females switch from "juvenile" to "adult female" at 8 years, the maturity age given by Beardsley Zoo. Males stay "juvenile" until you mark them as matured, because there is no published male maturity age. The moult note under each result explains what to expect at that stage, and the same numbers appear on the main tarantula lifespan calculator.

Frequently asked questions

General information only — no medication advice. For a stuck moult or injury, see an exotic vet who treats invertebrates.