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Theraphosidae

Australian Featherleg Tarantula

Selenotypus plumipes
IntermediateNocturnal · sleeping nowHuman-verified sheet
14:00
Day

Drag the sun. Australian Featherleg Tarantula is nocturnal, so what it is doing changes with the light.

Temperature

24–30°Ambient

One ambient band, 24–30°C. This sheet states no warm side, no cool side and no night figure, so none are shown.

Humidity

50–65%Target RH
Check your setup against this sheet
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The numbers

Enclosure
25 × 25 × 30 cm
Diet
Crickets, roaches, locusts; adults may take a pinkie occasionally · Slings ~2×/week; juveniles ~weekly; adults every 1–2 weeks
Temperature
24–30°C (75–86°F)
Humidity
50–65% with humid burrow base

Identity

Order / Family
Araneae
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated (IUCN); Australian export tightly restricted
Difficulty
Intermediate–Advanced
Commonality
Rare outside Australia – export limits keep it scarce in SEA
Adult size
Body ~6 cm; leg span up to ~16 cm
Lifespan
Females ~20+ yr; males ~3–5 yr
Growth rate
Slow (one of Australia's slowest growers)
Activity & niche
Fossorial deep burrower; nocturnal; arid-adapted
Temperament
Shy and reclusive; calmer than most Australian tarantulas but defensive if disturbed
Venom / defense
No urticating hairs; venom can cause strong reactions (fatal to dogs/cats) – no handling
Price (THB)
1,500–4,000 ฿ (indicatif)

Enclosure and conditions

Temperature
24–30°C (75–86°F)
Humidity
50–65% with humid burrow base
Min. enclosure
Adult ~25×25×30 cm; very deep substrate (15–20 cm)
Substrate
15–20 cm firm coco peat/topsoil + coarse sand for stable burrows
Hides / decor / water
Deep starter burrow, cork, water dish; keep base slightly moist

Diet

Staple food
Crickets, roaches, locusts; adults may take a pinkie occasionally
Feeding frequency
Slings ~2×/week; juveniles ~weekly; adults every 1–2 weeks
Supplements
None – gut-load feeders only

Behaviour and handling

Handling
Not recommended – do not handle; heavy body is easily killed by a short fall
Communal
No – solitary and cannibalistic
Defense / stress signs
Stridulation ('whistling/barking'), threat posture, retreat to burrow; no hair-kicking

Reproduction

Reproduction
Oviparous; 1 egg sac, ~50–100 spiderlings; very slow-growing young

Common health problems

Common health issues
SignsFatal fall injury (heavy abdomen), desiccation of book lungs if too dry, mold if over-damp, DKS from pesticides
Red flags / quarantine
SignsKeep substrate deep so it cannot fall far; watch DKS, death curl, sunken abdomen

Good to know

  • Named 'featherleg' for the plume-like bristles on its hind legs; can 'whistle' by stridulating when threatened

Others in this group

Sources