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The B. Vagans or Mexican redrump tarantula is a breeze to care for as are any of the Mexican species. I keep mine mexicans in a divided 10 gallon aquarium. They should have about 4-5 inches of substrate (plain peat moss is great for this). This gives them something to dig around in and make a burrow if they choose and should they climb the walls and fall it gives them a soft landing. The 1-4 crickets stated before is a good marker to start with but be aware that when these tarantulas come into a molt they tend to go off feed for several days upto weeks. If they are not feeding remove the uneaten crickets so they are not able to injure your pet should it molt with them in the tank. You do not need a water dish for a tarantula and if you choose to put one in there DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES put one of those nasty sponges in it. The sponge is a breeding grouind for all sorts of germs and other nasties you can do without. If the water dish is larger put a few clean marbles or those decorative fish tank stones in it and place it away from the walls so the spider cant fall on it by chance. You do not need a heat lamp or heat mat of any kind for a tarantula unless the room it is kept in gets quite cold. These will be happy at room temps anywhere from 65F to 80F. The temperment of this species is about as calm as they come but any tarantula can bite if in the wrong mood. They are mildly toxic but not too bad. If you want to keep the humidity up in the tank dribble some water into it from time to time but a lot is not needed. These spiders can get kinda big but the 1/2 of a 10 gallon tank is all it should ever need for space. You need to keep in mind that these guys/girls spend thier entire life typicly in a hole they dug out themselves, and it is not a big hole. Putting them in too large of a home will decrease the chance of them finding food placed in the home for them to eat. If you find you like your Redrump there are several readily available Mexican species in the hobby that you should lookinto as well. There is the Mex. Redknee, Mex. Redleg, Mex Bloodleg, Mex. Fireleg and the Honduran Curlyhair.

The requirements in captivity are:

As for keeping them as pets, many people keep these in large 12x12x12 (inches) tanks.

This species requires medium/high humidity levels (above 70%).

Substrate for the cage should be of peat/vermiculite mix, and should be at least 3 (preferably 4 to 6) inches deep. These spiders will dig deep burrows if the substrate is suitable.

An open water dish is a must; humidity must not fall below 60 percent!

Type: Terrestrial: Scrubland species

Aggressiveness: Can be aggressive. Can be fast.

Venom Effect: Not yet known, expected to be low toxicity.

Geographic Range: Belize, El Salvador and Guatemala

Requirements: Temperature: 76 Fahrenheit

Humidity: 75%

Substrate: 3 inches deep

Shelter: Flowerpot or Cork Bark

Water: Open water dish

I have a redhair tarantula and they are probably the easiest to take care of. They eat one-four crickets a week. They need a dark place to hide and sand would work for ground cover. Mine is in a 55 gallon aquarium but they really dont need that much room. As long as your house stays warm all year, a heat rock isnt necessary. They need to stay really warm because they were made for desert type weather. as for lights, its up in the air on that one. i once had a red reptile light for mine, but i took it out and just use natural light from a window. they do need a water source, even though they dont drink, it creates humidity.