Keeper guide

Why Is My Mature Male Tarantula Roaming?

Persistent roaming is normal in many mature male tarantulas. After maturity, males spend more time searching and may circle the enclosure repeatedly.

Confirm maturity

Look for mature-male features such as palpal bulbs and, in species that develop them, tibial hooks. Behaviour alone is not enough to sex a spider.

Feeding

Mature males often eat less. Offer food periodically, remove ignored prey and keep fresh water available.

Enclosure

Keep the lid/doors secure and fall height sensible because a roaming male may climb far more than he did as a juvenile.

When to check husbandry

If the spider is not mature, or roaming is combined with extreme heat, flooding or obvious substrate avoidance, inspect the enclosure conditions.