Brachypelma emilia is one of the most beautiful and classic Mexican tarantulas, admired for its deep black coloration, bright red-orange knee markings, and calm personality. This slow-growing species is a fantastic display tarantula that spends much of its time sitting out and showing off its stunning natural colors.
| 🕷️ Special Notices |
Brachypelma emilia is a hardy, long-lived species that does well with a simple terrestrial setup. Provide a secure hide, appropriate substrate, and a shallow water dish if desired. Check out our care, setup, feeding, and show-and-tell videos on our channel to see how we keep and feed our tarantulas:
Visit Urban Tarantulas YouTube
|
| 🌿 Care Details |
| 🌡️ Temperature |
75–85°F (24–29°C). Warmer temperatures usually mean faster growth because they molt more often. |
| 💧 Humidity |
Around 50%. Keep the substrate dry enough to avoid swampy conditions while providing proper ventilation. |
| 🏠 Housing |
| Babies |
Use a 1–4 oz deli cup with needle ventilation and enough substrate for a small burrow. A FREE container is available at checkout IF requested; not included otherwise. |
| Juveniles |
Move into a larger terrestrial enclosure as needed with 2–3x the tarantula’s body size, a hide, and secure ventilation. |
| Adults |
Provide a terrestrial enclosure around 2–3x body size with a hide, water dish if preferred, and enough substrate for natural digging behavior. |
| 🍽️ General Diet |
|
We feed crickets and roaches including Dubia, Red Runner, and Lobster roaches. Babies can eat baby crickets and baby roaches. If prey is too big, pre-kill by crushing the head, leave it, then remove leftovers and the bolus. Very large specimens may occasionally receive a pinky/hopper mouse or feeder lizard very sparingly; excess calcium can cause constipation and pooping issues. We never use pinhead crickets because they do not provide enough protein.
|
| 📚 In-depth Facts |
| 🕷️ Latin name / Scientific name |
Brachypelma emilia |
| 📛 Common name(s) |
Mexican Painted Redleg, Mexican Redleg Tarantula |
| 🌡️ Temperature |
75–85°F (24–29°C) |
| 💧 Humidity |
Around 50% with good ventilation. |
| 📍 Locale |
Mexico |
| 🏷️ Category |
Terrestrial, heavy-bodied, slow-growing species with occasional burrowing behavior. |
| 📏 Size |
Females up to around 5–6 inch DLS; males slightly smaller. |
| 🪶 Urticating hairs |
Yes. They may kick urticating hairs when threatened, though they are generally calm. |
| ⏳ Growth rate |
Slow growth rate. |
| 🧭 Life span |
Females can live 20+ years; males usually around 5–8 years. |
| 🍽️ Feeding |
Crickets and roaches are the main diet. |
| 🎯 Recommended levels |
A beautiful choice for keepers who appreciate classic Mexican tarantulas, calm behavior, and a stunning display animal. |
| 🎁 Follow me on social media and receive an additional freebie* |
*Email me after you follow to let me know you’re a follower so I can include it.
Instagram
YouTube
Palmstreet
Facebook
TikTok
|
| ⚠️ Safety Disclaimer |
Safety Disclaimer: Tarantula bites are extremely rare, and there are no recorded human fatalities. Venom strength varies by species; Old World tarantulas are usually more potent than New World tarantulas, with Poecilotheria known for especially strong venom. Larger tarantulas may also deliver more venom.
If bitten, stay calm. Most symptoms fade within minutes to hours, though potent species may cause discomfort for up to a week. In 13 years, I’ve only been bitten once, and symptoms were gone after one week.
Handling is at your own risk. I’m not responsible for bites or injuries. Always prioritize your safety and the tarantula’s well-being.
|
