Caribena laeta (Puerto Rican Pink Toe Tarantula)

The Puerto Rican Pink Toe Tarantula, or Caribena laeta, is an arboreal tarantula from Puerto Rico. Adults settle into a rich bronze across the legs, carapace (head), and abdomen, a quieter but still striking take on the classic pink toe look. Spiderlings hatch out a bright metallic blue, then gradually shift into that bronze adult color as they grow. This species stays colorful at every life stage and only grows to about 5 to 6 inches in diagonal leg span, with a medium to fast growth rate. As with most pink toe tarantulas, expect females to live 10 to 15 years, while males typically live only 2 to 3. This species is also very calm and forgiving, and one we recommend for beginner keepers or anyone who wants an easier keeping experience. Grab this docile new world tarantula for sale today, offered here as a Spiderling.

Why do hobbyists keep the Puerto Rican Pink Toe Tarantula?

• Rich Bronze Coloration: Adults carry a warm, even bronze across the whole body, a calmer color story than some of its more famous relatives but no less handsome in person.
• Colorful Spiderlings: Spiderlings start out the same electric blue that Caribena versicolor is known for, so you get that blue phase before the bronze look takes over.
• Heavy Webber: This species is a heavy webber and builds thick retreats in the upper part of the enclosure, giving it plenty of presence even when it is tucked away inside its web.
• Docile Temperament: Caribena laeta is usually very docile, though still quick and capable of sudden movement like most arboreals.
• Uncommon in the Hobby: This species does not show up nearly as often as some of the other pink toe tarantulas, making it a nice pickup for a keeper who wants to branch out within the genus.

How should Caribena laeta be kept?

• Adult Size: Hatchlings start around 0.5 to 0.75 inch, and the species only grows to about 5 to 6 inches in diagonal leg span as an adult, so there is plenty of growing left ahead of it at every size we carry.
• Enclosure: A young Caribena laeta like this one does well in an enclosure around 4 by 4 by 6 inches, with cross ventilation and vertical cork bark, foliage, and multiple anchor points for webbing. At least 1.5 inches of substrate at every stage keeps humidity steady without turning the enclosure into a swamp.
• Setup Tips: Real cork bark or wood pieces make a big difference for this species. They help it settle in faster and give it natural climbing surfaces and webbing anchor points at every size, spiderling included.
• Rehousing: From here, plan on two more moves: an 8 by 8 by 12 inch enclosure, then a 12 by 12 by 18 inch enclosure as an adult. At this species' medium to fast growth rate, each enclosure typically lasts around 8 to 14 months, with full size reached in about 2 to 4 years.
• 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: Never let the substrate dry out completely. This is a tropical species and it likes things a little wetter than most terrestrials, so keep it slightly damp and top it up before it goes dry rather than after.
• Water: Provide a shallow water dish placed in an elevated position if possible. This is more natural for arboreal species and helps prevent crickets from falling in and drowning. A weekly misting is suggested as well, so the animal can drink off the side of the enclosure or its own webbing if it prefers that to the dish, as long as you are wetting surfaces rather than soaking the substrate.
• Diet: A pinhead to 1/8 inch cricket works for the smallest spiderlings, moving up toward a 1/4 inch cricket as this species grows, at least once a week.
• Temperament: Caribena laeta is calm and easygoing for an arboreal species. It can move quickly when startled, but it is not a defensive species.

Are there any additional notes or considerations for Caribena laeta?

• Pink Toe Spiders? Like every tarantula, this arachnid gets called a pink toe spider in casual conversation. Tarantulas and true spiders are both arachnids, though tarantulas are the heavy bodied, long lived branch of the family, and a pink toe's habit of showing off its brightly colored feet while it walks is exactly why the nickname stuck.
• Captive Bred: All tarantulas at Exotics Unlimited are captive bred.

Which size should I choose?

• 0.5 inch (Spiderling): The smallest size we carry, right around the size the species hatches at, with all of its growing and color change still ahead.
• 0.75 inch (Spiderling): A touch larger than the smallest size available, with a bit more size cushion before its next molt.
• 0.75 to 1 inch (Well-Started Sling): The size most keepers land on, past the most delicate early stage while still affordable and full of growing left to do.

Looking for similar species?

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