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Theraphosidae

Red Slate Ornamental Tarantula

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

Drag the sun. Red Slate 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
30 × 30 × 45 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 Endangered; CITES Appendix II (all Poecilotheria)
Difficulty
Advanced (experts only)
Commonality
Popular – large green 'pokie', captive-bred
Adult size
Body ~8 cm; leg span ~18–22 cm
Lifespan
Females ~12 yr; males ~3–4 yr
Growth rate
Medium–fast
Activity & niche
Arboreal; tree-hollow dweller; nocturnal
Temperament
Fast and defensive; flees first, bites if cornered
Venom / defense
No urticating hairs; potent, medically significant venom – experts only
Price (THB)
800–2,500 ฿ (indicatif)

Enclosure and conditions

Temperature
24–28°C (75–82°F)
Humidity
70–80%
Min. enclosure
Adult tall enclosure ~30×30×45 cm; arboreal
Substrate
5–8 cm coco fibre for humidity; vertical life
Hides / decor / water
Large 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 – large, fast, medically significant venom
Communal
Occasionally communal by experts (risky); default No
Defense / stress signs
Teleport-bolting, threat posture, hissing/stridulation; no hair-kicking

Reproduction

Reproduction
Oviparous; arboreal egg sac, ~80–150 spiderlings; medium-growth slings

Common health problems

Common health issues
SignsFall/rupture (arboreal), dehydration, poor molt if too dry, DKS from pesticides
Red flags / quarantine
SignsPrefer CB (endangered in wild); watch DKS, death curl; secure lid

Good to know

  • A slaty-green giant with a fiery orange leg-band underside – among the more distinctly coloured ornamentals

Others in this group

Sources