Habitat of the Cobalt Blue Tarantula

Cobalt blue tarantulas live in Asian rain forests in countries like Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Because these rain forests are dwindling in size, many species that depend on these habitats face extinction. The cobalt blue tarantula is also kept as a pet, and it is important to know something about its habitat so that it can be accommodated in captivity.

Climate

• Most rain forests in Asia where the cobalt blue tarantula is found get about 100 inches of rainfall each year. The animals in these environments are accustomed to wet conditions, but they are not accustomed to cold winters in their native habitats. Temperatures stay within about a 10-degree range, from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to about 77 degrees. People who keep cobalt blue tarantulas as pets place a heating pad beneath its aquarium to keep it warm.

Soil

• The moisture of the rain forest causes the soil to decompose quickly, but the excessive rainfall causes the nutrients to quickly wash out of the top soil, and that leaves it very low in nutrients. The cobalt blue tarantula burrows into the soil to make a nest in which to raise offspring. People who keep cobalt blue tarantulas as pets provide about 5 inches of bedding for it to burrow into. The cobalt blue tarantula is about 4 to 5 inches long.

Trees and Foliage

• Trees in the tropical rain forests of Asia are about 82 feet to 115 feet tall and often broad-leafed. Palms, ferns, vines and mosses make up the undergrowth. Even in these darkened conditions, cobalt blue tarantulas stay inside during the day and venture out to find food at night. The male cobalt blue tarantula does not build a burrow but wanders the floor of the rain forest in search of a female. People who keep cobalt blue tarantulas reproduce the effect by supplying their tarantula's environment with a lot of foliage similar to its rain forest home.

Food Sources

• Cobalt blue tarantulas are the most aggressive tarantula species and eat several types of insects that are found in the rain forest understory. The cobalt blue tarantula will sometimes spin large webs to catch its food. The floor of the rainforest is covered in grasses, dead plants or parts of tree limbs and forest debris. The cobalt blue tarantula hides under, behind and within these items to hunt or stalk. People who keep cobalt blue tarantulas as pets will buy feeder insects such as crickets to feed to it, but they will also provide the protective comforts of the rain forest.