Aphonopelma sp. Chocolate
Yucatan Chocolate - complete care guide
Often searched as: Aphonoplema sp. Chocolate.
Yucatan Chocolate
Temperature
20-28 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
50-60 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
9-12 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 4-9w - Juv 2.7-4.3mo
Adult 12-17mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Yucatan Chocolate - an undescribed Mexican Aphonopelma in rich mahogany-brown, first offered in the UK in 2026. Everything about it follows the genus playbook: docile, slow-growing, decades-lived females, dry easy husbandry. Husbandry history is short (provisional stats throughout) but Aphonopelma are among the most forgiving tarantulas on earth. A rare, pretty curiosity for New World collectors at £70+ a sling.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Mexico (Yucatán)
- Habitat
- Yucatán tropical dry forest
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maturity
- ♀ 66mo ♂ 48mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 22yr ♂ 4yr
- Continent
- North/Central America
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Aphonopelma sp. Chocolate
Yucatan Chocolate - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Yucatan Chocolate Tarantula need?
Adults
30 × 25 cm (12 × 10 in) for a mature adult. Floor space matters more than height.
Slings & Juveniles
House spiderlings in small, appropriately sized deli cups or sling enclosures.
To map exact floor space and substrate safety limits for your setup, use our free interactive tarantula enclosure planner.
What temperature and humidity does a Yucatan Chocolate Tarantula need?
Heating
The Yucatan Chocolates is comfortable at 20-28 °C and tolerate UK room temperature well; warm the room only if winter stays under 17 °C.
Humidity
50-60 %: dry substrate and a full water dish is the entire recipe.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation is essential - side-vented enclosures, never stagnant.
What substrate is best for a Yucatan Chocolate Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
5-8 cm
Notes
Keep substrate dry - never wet. Pack firm for stable décor.
How do you set up a Yucatan Chocolate Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark half-log or leaning slab retreat.
Water
Always provide a shallow fresh water dish.
Lighting
No special lighting needed. Ambient room light is enough.
How often should you feed a Yucatan Chocolate Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Yucatan Chocolate Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Yucatan Chocolate 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
A Yucatan Chocolate 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 11.7 months (up to 16.7 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 a Yucatan Chocolate Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Signs: refuses food, abdomen darkens and goes glossy, becomes sluggish. Do not disturb; keep water available; wait until the fangs are black and hard 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.
✋ Handling
Docile and slow - handle rarely and low if at all.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Yucatan Chocolate Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Fresh water dish at all times
- Dry substrate - arid setup
- Cross-ventilation
- A proper hide
- Patience with growth and fasting
✕ Common Mistakes
- Wet substrate
- Heat mat under the enclosure
- Worrying about long fasts - genus normal
- Expecting fast growth
Keep exploring: related care guides
More ground-dwelling species and close relatives from our full library:
⭐ Community Ratings
No ratings yet - be the first to rate this species!