Brachionopus sp. Marakele
Marakele Dwarf - complete care guide
Marakele Dwarf
Temperature
22-28 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
50-60 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
12-14 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 4-7w - Juv 2-3.3mo
Adult 10-15mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Marakele Dwarf - an undescribed South African Brachionopus (a TRUE tarantula genus of the baboon subfamily Harpactirinae, Pocock 1897 - not a trapdoor spider, and not the 1901 authority trade lists cite), from Marakele in Limpopo. Genuinely data-poor: even the vendor admits near-total ignorance. Defensive on a dwarf-ish 14 cm frame, dry-savannah husbandry, £18 CB slings for the first UK offering. A real collector's frontier species.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- South Africa (Limpopo: Marakele)
- Habitat
- Dry savannah burrows
- Temperament
- Defensive
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maturity
- ♀ 40mo ♂ 28mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 13yr ♂ 3yr
- Continent
- Africa
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Brachionopus sp. Marakele
Marakele Dwarf - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Marakele Dwarf Tarantula need?
Adults
25 × 20 cm footprint with 12 cm of dry substrate.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 8 cm of dry substrate.
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 Marakele Dwarf Tarantula need?
Heating
The Marakele Dwarfs is comfortable at 22-28 °C; UK homes need gentle supplementary warmth for much of the year.
Humidity
50-60 %: the driest setup in this batch - dry substrate, full water dish.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation with a dry setup.
What substrate is best for a Marakele Dwarf Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
12 cm
Notes
Deep and dry-packed, holding burrow structure.
How do you set up a Marakele Dwarf Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
Its own burrow in deep dry-packed substrate.
Water
Always provide a shallow water dish.
Lighting
Ambient room light only.
How often should you feed a Marakele Dwarf Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Marakele Dwarf Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Marakele Dwarf 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. Old World species do not flick urticating hairs, so there is no bald patch to watch - rely on fasting, lethargy and hide time instead.
On its back is MOULTING, not dying
A Marakele Dwarf 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 25-50 days for spiderlings, every 60-100 days for juveniles, and every 140-220 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 10 months (up to 14.7 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 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 a Marakele Dwarf Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Moults in the burrow. Do not dig; keep the water dish full and wait until it reopens and hardens before feeding. Adult intervals apply to mature FEMALES - a mature male never moults again.
🧹 Cleaning
Weekly: refresh the water dish and clear boluses.
✋ Handling
Never - defensive baboon spider. Catch cup only.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Marakele Dwarf Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Dry savannah setup with a full water dish
- Deep substrate for burrows
- Cross-ventilation
- Long tongs
- Keeping notes - nobody has data on these
✕ Common Mistakes
- Wet substrate - dry savannah stock
- Free handling - baboon spider
- Trusting published data - there barely is any
- Overheating
Keep exploring: related care guides
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