The females deposit 500 to 1000 eggs in a silken egg sac and guard it for 6 to 7 weeks. The young spiders remain in the burrow for some time after hatching and then disperse by crawling in all directions. Tarantulas do not occur in colonies since they do eat each other. Tarantulas may live for many years. Most species require 10 years to mature to adults.
Females continue to molt after reaching maturity and therefore are able to regenerate lost legs.
Males live for only one year or less after maturity. A tarantula can be kept as a house pet. Tarantulas can be fed live crickets or other insects. This document is Fact Sheet ENY-201, a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. P. G. Koehler, professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.