Tiptoeing Through the Trees: Antilles Pinktoe

Up in the treetops of the Caribbean you’ll find the Antilles Pinktoe (Avicularia versicolor) also known as the Martinique Red Tree Spider. These colorful tarantulas spin elaborate funnel webs in which they spend most of their time. However, since they are commonly kept as pets, they’ve grown accustomed to a cage with high ceilings, tree branches, and pieces of cork that it can attach its spectacular web to.The spiderlings of the Antilles Pinktoe are bright blue and tiny which you can see pictured above. Once they begin to mature, their body loses the vibrant blue hue and begins to switch to the classic green head and red abdomen, and their legs green with purple hairs and pink tarsi (spider ankles, if you will). These spiders rarely bite, but if they do it feels much like a wasp sting.