Purple Pinktoe Tarantula Care Guide

Avicularia purpurea — the Purple Pinktoe or Purple Tree Tarantula — is an arboreal species native to the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. It seeks out hollows, leaf axils, and branch junctions in the canopy, anchoring tube-webs high off the ground where warm, humid air stays fresh on the breeze.

Like all pinktoes, its care hinges on humidity paired with good ventilation — humid but never stagnant. It is a steady, manageable arboreal once that balance is struck, sitting a step above a true beginner species mainly because of its airflow and hydration needs.

Its standout feature is colour: under good light the velvety body throws a deep purple metallic sheen across the carapace and legs, set off by the pink-tipped feet of the group. Generally calm but fast and prone to leaping, it rewards keepers ready for an arboreal.

This is an arboreal species, so height matters more than floor space. Use a tall enclosure with cross-ventilation (vents on opposite sides or front and top) and tall anchor points for webbing. A front- or side-opening enclosure is ideal, as reaching down from above startles the spider and tears its web.

Provide a vertical cork bark slab or tube against one wall, plus fake plants, so the spider can build its tube-web off the ground. A shallow layer of substrate (2–3 in) holds light moisture and cushions any fall, but this species lives up top, not in the dirt.

Warm, humid, and well-ventilated mirrors the island canopy. Achieving humidity without stagnant air is the whole game with this species.

Pinktoes are active, visual hunters that ambush prey from their web. They are enthusiastic feeders and often snatch prey mid-air.

Prey: Gut-loaded crickets and flying insects, plus small Dubia roaches. Keep prey no larger than the spider's abdomen. Flying prey suits this aerial hunter well.

Frequency: Spiderlings twice a week, juveniles every 5–7 days, adults every 7–10 days. Arboreals are more prone to dehydration than terrestrials, so keep moisture and water consistent.

Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours so it cannot disturb the spider in its web retreat.

Pinktoes typically moult inside their tube-web, often on their backs or sides. Each moult deepens the green-and-red adult colouration. Growth is moderate, slowing to once or twice a year in adults.

Pre-moult signs: A darkened abdomen, food refusal, and increased time sealed in the web. Remove all live prey at the first signs.

Post-moult: Leave the spider completely undisturbed and wait 7–14 days before feeding so the new exoskeleton and fangs harden. Keep humidity steady throughout — fresh moults are vulnerable to drying out.

The Purple Pinktoe is docile and rarely defensive, but it is extremely fast and known for sudden leaps. A startled pinktoe can launch off a hand without warning, and a fall from height is dangerous for an arboreal spider. For these reasons handling is generally discouraged, and is always at the keeper's own risk.

This species has weak urticating hairs (Type II) and may also flick faecal matter as a defensive bluff rather than stand its ground. Keep any unavoidable contact — such as rehousing — low, calm, and over a soft surface, and work with the enclosure rather than the spider whenever possible.