Avicularia avicularia has been in the hobby longer than most keepers have been alive, which is why it is surrounded by the oldest and worst advice. Every caresheet telling you to keep it hot and humid in a sealed tub has contributed to a species reputation for being fragile. It is not fragile. It is simply intolerant of stagnant, saturated air.
What they are like
Calm, slow to anger and very willing to sit where you can see them, usually high in a corner or draped across their web. Adults reach a leg span of about thirteen centimetres. They are also notorious for flicking faeces at whatever disturbs them, which is worth knowing before you put the enclosure at eye level.
Setup
- Vertical space: at least four times the leg span in height.
- Ventilation: intake low, exhaust high. Non-negotiable for this genus.
- Cork: angled, reaching the upper third, with a gap behind it.
- Substrate: four to six centimetres, damp at the base, dry on top.
- Temperature: 22 to 26 °C, ordinary room temperature in most European homes.
Watering, not misting
Keep the dish full and pour water down one corner weekly. Aim for a substrate that darkens when you water and lightens again over the following days. If it never lightens, you are watering too much or the enclosure is not exchanging air.
Spiderlings
Slings need the same principle in a smaller box: a piece of cork, damp substrate, cross ventilation and prey they can actually find. Feed small, feed often, and do not panic over a refused meal before a moult.
What good husbandry looks like after six months
A dense silk tube on the cork, a spider that sits out most evenings, a substrate you water once a week, and no mould anywhere. If you have that, you can ignore every number in every caresheet.