Acanthoscurria cordubensis
Argentinian Bronze Birdeater - complete care guide
Argentinian Bronze Birdeater
Temperature
22-26 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
65-75 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
15-18 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 3-6w - Juv 2-3.2mo
Adult 10-14mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Argentinian Bronze Birdeater - the pampas powerhouse long traded as "A. suina" before that name sank into its synonymy (Gabriel, 2020). Rusty-bronze, massively built at 15-18 cm, with a growth rate and appetite geniculata keepers will recognise instantly. Famously a "road spider" in Argentina - mature males wander in broad daylight - and in the tub it is a calm, nocturnal, always-visible glutton. One of the best-value big New Worlds: fast, cheap slings at around £30 that become impressive display animals within a couple of years.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Argentina / Uruguay
- Habitat
- Pampas grassland
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maturity
- ♀ 48mo ♂ 30mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 18yr ♂ 5yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Uncommon
Care Guide
Acanthoscurria cordubensis
Argentinian Bronze Birdeater - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does an Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula need?
Adults
40 × 30 cm (16 × 12 in) for a mature adult. Floor space matters more than height.
Slings & Juveniles
House spiderlings in small deli cups with 5+ cm of substrate; upgrade every few moults.
To map exact floor space and substrate safety limits for your setup, use our free interactive tarantula enclosure planner.
What temperature and humidity does an Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula need?
Heating
The Argentinian Bronze Birdeaters is comfortable at 22-26 °C and tolerate cool UK room temperatures well; warm the room only if winter stays under 19 °C.
Humidity
65-75 %: dry substrate with a full water dish, overflowed weekly. Pampas species - drier is better.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation is essential - side-vented enclosures, never stagnant.
What substrate is best for an Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
8-10 cm
Notes
Keep substrate dry to barely moist - never soaking. Give slings extra depth for their digging phase.
How do you set up an Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark half-log or leaning slab; slings dig extensively at first before settling into the open.
Water
Always provide a large shallow water dish. Keep it full and clean it regularly.
Lighting
No special lighting needed. Ambient room light is enough.
How often should you feed an Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - an healthy Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula fasting is almost never an emergency in itself. Watch for slowing down and spending more time in the hide, laying a thick moult mat of web on the floor. New World species like this one often show a bald spot on the abdomen that darkens to near-black as the new skin underneath readies - a darkening bald patch is a reliable countdown, not a disease.
On its back is MOULTING, not dying
An Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula lying upside down or on its side with legs curled inwards is almost certainly mid-moult. Do not touch it, do not right it, do not mist it - just remove any live prey (crickets can kill a defenceless moulter) and leave the room.
How long between moults?
For this species, expect a moult roughly every 21-42 days for spiderlings, every 60-95 days for juveniles, and every 170-260 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 10 months (up to 14.3 months at the extreme). Males never moult again after their ultimate (mature) moult.
After the moult: fang hardening time
The new exoskeleton stays soft, with fangs that cannot grip, for roughly 8 days in this species. Offer no food and no handling for about 8 days - feeding too early is how fresh moulters get injured. The shed exuvium is also the best sexing tool there is - see our tarantula sexing guide for what to look for.
Genuinely worried about behaviour that is not moulting? Our "Is my T okay?" triage tool walks the danger signs one by one.
What ongoing care does an Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Signs: refuses food, abdomen darkens and goes glossy, becomes sluggish, often heavy webbing or a moult mat. During the moult: do not disturb, remove any live prey, keep water available. Wait until the fangs are black and hard (about a week for a big adult) before feeding again. Adult intervals apply to mature FEMALES - a mature male never moults again.
🧹 Cleaning
Daily: check the water dish. Weekly: remove uneaten prey boluses and spot-clean. Full deep clean only every few months.
✋ Handling
Calm and slow but a committed hair-kicker - look, do not hold; wash up after maintenance.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Argentinian Bronze Birdeater Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Fresh water dish at all times
- Cool-side stable temperature
- Cross-ventilation
- Substrate depth for sling burrowing
- Generous feeding - it grows FAST
✕ Common Mistakes
- Overheating - pampas, not rainforest
- Soaking-wet substrate
- Free handling - it flicks hairs
- Underestimating the growth rate - size tubs up early
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