Antikuna sp. Herradura
Andean Blue Beauty - complete care guide
Andean Blue Beauty
Temperature
18-22 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
60-75 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
10-12 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 4-9w - Juv 2.7-4.3mo
Adult 11-16mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Andean Blue Beauty ("Herradura" = horseshoe, after its type locality) - an undescribed Antikuna, the genus that holds the ALTITUDE RECORD for any tarantula (4,689 m in Peru). Gorgeous blue over a fossorial lifestyle: burrows under stones with a light silk collar, disappears for days, then ambushes with a quick lunge. Cool care to the bone (18-22 °C, no heat mat ever) - a British windowsill is practically its homeland. Brand new to the hobby at £60 a sling.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Peru (high Andean highlands)
- Habitat
- Extreme-altitude slopes - burrows under stones
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maturity
- ♀ 60mo ♂ 42mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 15yr ♂ 4yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Antikuna sp. Herradura
Andean Blue Beauty - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does an Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula need?
Adults
25 × 20 cm footprint with 10 cm of substrate and stable stones.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 6 cm of substrate and a flat stone.
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 Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula need?
Heating
The Andean Blue Beauties is comfortable at 18-22 °C with cool nights tolerated - no supplementary heat in UK homes, ever.
Humidity
60-75 %: mostly dry substrate, one damp corner, full water dish.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation with moderate humidity - ventilate well.
What substrate is best for an Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
10 cm
Notes
Deep and packable under stones, holding burrow structure.
How do you set up an Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
Its own burrow under a flat stone, with a light silk lining at the mouth.
Water
Always provide a shallow fresh water dish.
Lighting
Ambient room light only.
How often should you feed an Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - an healthy Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula fasting is almost never an emergency in itself. Watch for slowing down and spending more time in the hide, sealing the burrow entrance with silk (a sealed door usually means "do not disturb - moulting in progress"), 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 Andean Blue Beauty 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 30-60 days for spiderlings, every 80-130 days for juveniles, and every 180-290 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 11.3 months (up to 16 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 7 days in this species. Offer no food and no handling for about 7 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 Andean Blue Beauty Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Moults at the burrow bottom. Do not lift the stone; keep water available; wait until it reopens and the fangs are black before feeding. Adult intervals apply to mature FEMALES - a mature male never moults again.
🧹 Cleaning
Daily: check the water dish. Weekly: remove boluses near the burrow mouth.
✋ Handling
Shy and reclusive but harmless - observe rather than handle.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Andean Blue Beauty Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- COOL room temperature - extreme-altitude genus
- Deep substrate + flat stones to burrow under
- One damp corner + full water dish
- Cross-ventilation
- Patience with its disappearing acts
✕ Common Mistakes
- Heating mats - the fastest way to kill it
- Wet substrate throughout
- Digging to check on it
- Expecting a display spider
Keep exploring: related care guides
More deep-burrowing species and close relatives from our full library:
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