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Theraphosidae

Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Tarantula

Poecilotheria metallica
AdvancedNocturnal · sleeping nowCITES IIHuman-verified sheet
14:00
Day

Drag the sun. Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Tarantula is nocturnal, so what it is doing changes with the light.

Temperature

24–28°Ambient

One ambient band, 24–28°C. This sheet states no warm side, no cool side and no night figure, so none are shown.

Humidity

70–80%Target RH
Check your setup against this sheet
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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
IUCN Critically Endangered; CITES Appendix II (all Poecilotheria)
Difficulty
Advanced (experts only)
Commonality
Common in trade despite wild rarity – heavily captive-bred; a 'grail' blue species
Adult size
Body ~6 cm; leg span ~15–18 cm
Lifespan
Females ~11–12 yr; males ~3–4 yr
Growth rate
Medium–fast
Activity & niche
Arboreal; tree-hollow dweller; nocturnal
Temperament
Fast and skittish; flees first, defensive if cornered
Venom / defense
No urticating hairs; potent, medically significant venom (intense pain, muscle cramping) – experts only
Price (THB)
1,500–4,500 ฿ (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 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 – stunning but fast with medically significant venom
Communal
Occasionally communal by experts (risky); default No
Defense / stress signs
Teleport-bolting, threat posture, stridulation; no hair-kicking

Reproduction

Reproduction
Oviparous; arboreal egg sac, ~60–130 spiderlings; strong hobby breeding keeps prices lower than expected

Common health problems

Common health issues
SignsFall/rupture, dehydration, poor molt if too dry, DKS from pesticides
Red flags / quarantine
SignsPrefer CB (wild collection illegal/unethical); watch DKS, death curl; very fast escaper – secure lid

Good to know

  • The only truly blue Poecilotheria; critically endangered in the wild (tiny range) yet common in captivity thanks to hobby breeding

Others in this group

Sources