The numbers
Enclosure
25 × 25 × 40 cm
Diet
Crickets, roaches, locusts; flying prey taken · Slings 2–3×/week; juveniles ~weekly; adults every 7–14 days
Temperature
24–28°C (75–82°F)
Humidity
70–80%
Identity
Order / Family
Araneae
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated (IUCN); not CITES-listed
Difficulty
Advanced (experts only)
Commonality
Popular – striking arboreal, regularly captive-bred
Adult size
Body ~5–6 cm; leg span ~12–14 cm
Lifespan
Females ~12 yr; males ~3 yr
Growth rate
Fast
Activity & niche
Arboreal; tree-hollow dweller; nocturnal
Temperament
Extremely fast and defensive; 'teleports'; quick to threat-pose
Venom / defense
No urticating hairs; potent, medically significant venom – experts only; one of the more notably potent/defensive OW arboreals
Price (THB)
500–1,500 ฿ (indicatif)
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
24–28°C (75–82°F)
Humidity
70–80%
Min. enclosure
Adult tall enclosure ~25×25×40 cm; arboreal
Substrate
5–8 cm moist coco fibre for humidity; vertical life
Hides / decor / water
Vertical cork tube/slab, branches, foliage, water dish
Diet
Staple food
Crickets, roaches, locusts; flying prey taken
Feeding frequency
Slings 2–3×/week; juveniles ~weekly; adults every 7–14 days
Supplements
None – gut-load feeders only
Behaviour and handling
Handling
Not recommended – one of the fastest, potent venom; observation only
Communal
No – solitary and cannibalistic
Defense / stress signs
Explosive teleport-bolting, threat posture, striking; no hair-kicking
Reproduction
Reproduction
Oviparous; arboreal egg sac, ~60–120 spiderlings; fast-growing slings
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsFall/rupture (arboreal), dehydration, mold if over-damp, DKS from pesticides
Red flags / quarantine
SignsPrefer CB; watch DKS, death curl; secure lid (extreme escape speed)
Good to know
- Its grey-and-black 'starburst' camouflage plus lightning speed make it a notorious escape artist – bites are medically significant
Others in this group
Orange Baboon Tarantula (OBT / 'Orange Bitey Thing')Pterinochilus murinusCurly Hair TarantulaTliltocatl albopilosus (ex Brachypelma)Mexican Red KneeBrachypelma hamorii (ex smithi)Green Bottle Blue (GBB)Chromatopelma cyaneopubescensThai Zebra Leg TarantulaCyriopagopus albostriatus (ex Haplopelma albostriatum)Cobalt Blue TarantulaCyriopagopus lividus (ex Haplopelma lividum)Gooty Sapphire Ornamental TarantulaPoecilotheria metallicaIndian Ornamental TarantulaPoecilotheria regalis