Velvet Spider Care Guide: The Exotic Pet You Need to Know About
Velvet Spider Care Guide & Benefits: Expert Tips from Exotics Unlimited
When people think about getting a new pet spider, other spiders tend to steal the spotlight. But, if you are looking for an extremely low-maintenance, colorful spider that’s fun to engage with (and will eat out of your tongs), a Velvet Spider might be your perfect match! If you're searching for a Velvet Spider for sale, you're in the right place.
What are Velvet Spiders? Facts, Appearance, Species & Behavior Overview
Velvet Spiders are considered true spiders, not tarantulas, and have a plush, velvety appearance. Lady Bird Spiders are popularly known Velvet Spiders due to the males’ bright red coloration with black spots (similar to a ladybug). However, they do come in many color variations like orange, gold, blue, and white.
Many keepers describe Velvet Spiders as looking almost cartoonish due to their big forward-facing eyes, bright colors, compact round body shape, and slow movements.
These spiders are native to Europe, parts of the Mediterranean, Asia, South America, and Africa, with some African species known for their communal behavior.
Velvet Spiders' Natural Habitat: How They Live in the Wild?
Velvet Spiders live in shrubs, grasses, and low vegetation just off the ground. Some species, like the Eresus, are more brush-dwelling, while others may inhabit tree bark or dense grass. The natural preference of all Velvet Spiders is a dry, well-ventilated area, which makes them an ideal spider for keepers who prefer minimal misting and easy husbandry.
For a detailed scientific perspective on Velvet Spider social behavior and ecology, check out the research published in the National Library of Medicine.
Want to Learn More About Velvet Spiders?
For detailed photos and additional facts about Velvet Spider habitat, natural behavior, physical characteristics, genera, life cycle, and more, including their fascinating maternal care, check out this Velvet Spider Guide by SpiderIdentification.com.
Looking for a Velvet Spider for sale? Browse our healthy captive-bred Velvet Spiders for sale at Exotics Unlimited.
Why Velvet Spiders Make Amazing Exotic Pets: Care, Maintenance & Habitat Tips
Unlike many spiders that require humidity control, Velvet Spiders prefer dryer environments and rarely need water. They get their water content from their food. In fact, overwatering can actually be fatal to a velvet spider. As babies, they shouldn’t be given any water directly. As adults, you can add a few drops of water via a water dropper or very lightly mist their enclosure very occasionally but be sure the soil is only slightly more wet than dusty dry. Less is more.
Velvet Spider Feeding Guide: What to Feed Velvet Spiders & How to Feed Them
Velvet Spiders are web-dwelling hunters meaning they catch their prey in their webs. This makes feeding incredibly simple. You can drop a pre-killed cricket or flies into their web, and they’ll eat it. No need to worry about finding the perfect size animal. You can just remove anything they don’t eat afterwards.
If you do feed them live food, it should be the same size or smaller than their body size. Flies, being weaker than crickets, are often easier for them to handle. You can also tong feed them, and many will grab food straight from the tweezers due to their forward-facing eyesight and good vision!
Low Space Requirements for Velvet Spiders: Housing & Enclosure Recommendations
Velvet Spiders don’t need large enclosures. In fact, at Exotics Unlimited, we ship our Velvet Spiderlings in vials that they can comfortably live in for their first 1.5 years of life. For baby Velvet Spiders, we put moss only into their enclosure and do not use coconut fiber or soil. This helps them from blending into their environment (soil) and prevents excess moisture, as they can die from too much moisture.
Once they outgrow that space and are ready for a larger enclosure, we recommend moving them into our 6-inch cube enclosure with good ventilation. At that time, it’s okay to add coconut fiber along with sticks or small branches for climbing and web-building as they do not like to be on the ground.
Why Are Velvet Spiders So Popular?
Besides being easy to care for, many Velvet Spider enthusiasts compare them to jumping spiders, but they live longer, grow larger, and require less work. At Exotics Unlimited, if we have someone come to us asking for jumping spiders, we recommend they check out Velvet Spiders instead. Here’s why:
Life Span: Velvet Spiders can live several years (females live longer) and far longer than jumping spiders.
Size: They grow just over 2 inches, which is significantly larger than a jumping spider.
Colors: Males can be red, orange, gold, white, blue, and often have beautiful spot patterns. Females are typically less flashy but equally charming.
Price: Very affordable, typically $100 or less, depending on the species and age.
Low-Maintenance: No misting needed (no watering at all required first few years and then only minimal misting or a few drops of water after that)
Feeding Behavior: Can feed with tongs, more forgiving with prey size, and can also easily drop food into web.
Velvet Spider Handling & Safety Tips
Velvet Spiders are not designed for handling. While they’re slow moving, and often calm, they are fragile outside of their web and they don’t enjoy being handled. It’s best to observe, not handle, these unique and beautiful animals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Velvet Spiders
Are Velvet Spiders good for beginners?
Yes! They are extremely low-maintenance, colorful and interesting to watch and feed, making them a great choice for beginners or experienced keepers.
How long do Velvet Spiders live?
Female Velvet Spiders typically live 5-6 years, and often longer than similar size spiders like jumping spiders, unless they breed, in which case the females will die after they have babies. Males tend to have shorter lifespans of about 1-2 years.
What makes Velvet Spiders unique compared to other pet spiders?
One unique trait of Velvet Spiders is their preference for dry, well-ventilated, environments with minimal humidity meaning there is no need to water them at all up until 1.5 years old and even then, only small drops of water are needed after that. They are also web-dwelling, meaning they catch their prey in their webs which makes feeding easier and less stressful compared to active hunters like jumping spiders. Keepers also enjoy their cartoon-like look and interactive nature as they can tong-feed their Velvet Spiders.
Are Velvet Spiders easy to breed?
They are challenging to breed because the mothers let the babies eat them after the babies they are born. They sacrifice themselves to feed their young.
Explore Available Velvet Spiders
We recommend always sourcing your Velvet Spiders from a reputable breeder like Exotics Unlimited.
Shop Velvet Spiders for sale at Exotics Unlimited.
Still have questions? Reach out. We’re always happy to talk spiders!
About the Author: William West, Spider Expert & Founder of Exotics Unlimited
William West is the founder of Exotics Unlimited, one of the leading online retail brands for rare and exotic tarantulas in the U.S. As a lifelong hobbyist, keeping spiders since the age of 5, he has hands-on experience with over 150+ tarantula species. He’s passionate about sharing all his spider knowledge and husbandry best practices to improve the health and quality of life for all captive-bred spiders.
