Avicularia minatrix (Dwarf Red Pink-Toe Tarantula)

Avicularia minatrix (Dwarf Red Pink-Toe Tarantula)

The Dwarf Red Pink-Toe Tarantula, also known as the Red Slate Pink Toe, or Avicularia minatrix, is a dwarf arboreal tarantula from Venezuela. Adults have a copper pink across the legs and carapace (head), and an abdomen in a stunning red orange. Spiderlings come in the pink and black most pink toes hatch with, already showing the adult abdomen pattern, and the copper pink builds into the legs and body and keeps intensifying with age. The species tops out around 3.5 inches in diagonal leg span, which is the whole appeal for a keeper who wants a small tarantula, while females live about 10 to 12 years and males mature faster, typically living only 2 to 3 years. This species is also docile and easygoing, one of the more approachable arboreals in the hobby, and small enough to feel far less intimidating than a full sized species. We're excited to offer this new world tarantula for sale, offered here as a spiderling.

Why do hobbyists keep Dwarf Red Pink-Toe Tarantula?

• Popular Dwarf Species: Plenty of keepers want a small tarantula that feels less intimidating than a full sized species, and there are not many dwarf pink toes to choose from, so this one fills a real gap.
• Stunning Coloration: A copper pink across the legs and carapace against an abdomen in stunning red orange, which is a surprising amount of color to find on a 3.5 inch animal.
• Colorful Spiderlings: Slings arrive in the pink and black most pink toes hatch with, but they already show the adult abdomen pattern, so even a baby tarantula is worth looking at from the day it lands.
• Heavy Webber: Webs heavily for its size and tubes off on cork bark, which makes a small enclosure look genuinely furnished.
• Docile Temperament: Easygoing and among the more approachable arboreals we carry, which pairs well with the smaller footprint.

How should Avicularia minatrix be kept?

• Adult Size: Dwarf Red Pink-Toe Tarantula spiderlings hatch around 0.5 inch and grow to about 3.5 inches in diagonal leg span as full adults, so every size below is sized ahead of where that animal is today.
• Enclosure and Rehousing: Sized in three stages as this species grows toward its adult max, from a first enclosure through two rehouses. See the size you're considering below for the exact dimensions at that stage.
• Setup Tips: Real cork bark or a real piece of wood in the enclosure is not just decoration, it is one of the most important pieces of this setup. It gives the animal somewhere real to grip and start laying web right away, and with this genus in particular, that first piece of bark makes a drastic difference in how quickly a new arrival settles in and starts webbing. We have seen a real increase in early survival success tied directly to a bark based setup versus a bare enclosure, so this is one detail worth getting right from day one.
• Temperature: 75 to 85°F, the optimal range for most tropical species like this one. Cooler temperatures are survivable, but increase the odds of trouble molting and growing, so we recommend staying in this range for the best results. Most keepers do not need any extra heating to hit it.
• Humidity: Moderate to high, with the substrate kept lightly moist rather than wet, and strong cross ventilation. Airflow matters more here than maximizing humidity, so skip a fully screened top, which dries an enclosure out too fast.
• Water: In the wild, arboreal tarantulas get most of their water from rainfall, drinking droplets off leaves, webbing, and enclosure walls rather than standing water. Misting the enclosure once a week is required, not optional, since it's this species' primary water source. A shallow water dish placed up on a piece of cork rather than on the floor is still worth keeping as a backup, and keeps crickets from drowning before they get eaten, but it should never replace regular misting.
• Diet: Prey size scales with the animal, from pinhead sized feeders on the smallest spiderlings up to larger prey as it grows. See the size you're considering below for the exact prey measurement at that stage.
• Temperament: Docile but fast, quicker to bolt for its retreat than to stand its ground, and capable of jumping when startled. This genus is genuinely easy once one thing is right: keep the air moving with real cross ventilation, keep the substrate lightly moist rather than wet, and give it real cork bark from the sling stage.

Which size should I choose?

• 0.33-0.5" Spiderling: the lowest cost way in, and the one that lets you watch its entire growth and color change happen under your own care from the very start.
• 0.75-1" Juvenile: a step further along with some of the earliest growth already behind it, for anyone who wants a little less waiting before the size and color really start to show.
• 3" ADULT FEMALE, Mature Female: a confirmed, fully grown female, the choice for anyone who wants to see this species' full adult size and color right away rather than raise up to it.

Pick the size you want above. Each size still has its own care guidance suited to exactly where that animal is today, not a generic version stretched across every size.

Are there any additional notes or considerations?

• Pink Toe Spiders?: You will sometimes see these called pink toe spiders online. Tarantulas are arachnids, not spiders, and definitely not true spiders, the kind most people picture when they hear the word spider. This is one of the heavy bodied, hairy, long lived tarantulas that gets lumped in with that name anyway. If you searched for a pink toe spider and landed here, you are in exactly the right place.
• Not Eating? If this tarantula ever skips a meal, try prekilling the prey item and placing it up high in the enclosure rather than leaving live prey to wander. Dehydration is one of the most common reasons any tarantula, arboreal species especially, will refuse food, so keeping up with misting and a full water dish is usually the fastest way to get it back on track.

Looking for similar species?

• Browse our Arboreal Tarantulas and New World Tarantulas collections to explore related care profiles.

Frequently asked questions about Dwarf Red Pink-Toe Tarantula?

• What do I do when I first get my tarantula? As soon as it arrives, mist the enclosure so there is clear moisture on the webbing, substrate, or enclosure wall, and keep an eye on it until you actually see it take a drink. Shipping is dehydrating, and an arboreal especially will not settle in or start eating until it has rehydrated properly, so this is the one step worth not skipping on day one. Once you have seen it drink, let it settle in undisturbed for a few days before offering its first meal.