The numbers
Enclosure
20 × 20 × 25 cm
Diet
Crickets, roaches, locusts; occasional superworm · Slings 2–3×/week; juveniles ~weekly; adults every 7–14 days
Temperature
24–28°C (75–83°F)
Humidity
60–70% (drier, with a water dish)
Identity
Order / Family
Araneae
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated (IUCN); not CITES-listed
Difficulty
Advanced (experts only)
Commonality
Very common – ubiquitous in the SEA/global trade; cheap and prolific
Adult size
Body ~5 cm; leg span ~10–13 cm
Lifespan
Females ~12–15 yr; males ~3–4 yr
Growth rate
Fast
Activity & niche
Terrestrial/opportunistic burrower and very heavy webber; semi-arboreal in captivity
Temperament
Notoriously defensive and lightning-fast; will threat-pose, strike repeatedly and bolt
Venom / defense
No urticating hairs; potent venom (intense pain, swelling, cramping for days) – experts only; the benchmark 'attitude' Old World
Price (THB)
300–900 ฿ (indicatif)
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
24–28°C (75–83°F)
Humidity
60–70% (drier, with a water dish)
Min. enclosure
Adult ~20×20×25 cm; allow burrowing and vertical web anchors
Substrate
8–12 cm coco fibre/topsoil, kept mostly dry with a damp corner
Hides / decor / water
Cork bark, anchor points for extensive tunnel-webbing, water dish
Diet
Staple food
Crickets, roaches, locusts; occasional superworm
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 – extremely fast and defensive with potent venom; use long tools
Communal
No – solitary and cannibalistic
Defense / stress signs
Repeated threat postures, striking, explosive bolting; heavy silk; no hair-kicking
Reproduction
Reproduction
Oviparous; 1 egg sac, ~80–150+ spiderlings; fast-growing, hardy slings
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsFall/abdomen rupture, dehydration if kept bone-dry with no water, mold if over-damp, DKS from pesticides
Red flags / quarantine
SignsQuarantine imports for mites/nematodes; watch DKS, death curl; handle setup with a full catch-cup plan
Good to know
- Comes in colour forms ('Usambara' orange, TCF 'typical colour form') and is the classic cautionary tale for jumping into Old World keeping too soon
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