Cilantica devamatha
LSD Earth Tiger - complete care guide
LSD Earth Tiger
Temperature
22-26 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
65-75 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
13-15 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 LSD Earth Tiger - the hobby's "psychedelic" Indian earth tiger in polychromatic blue and pink forms, from a restricted slice of the southern Western Ghats. Taxonomy note: the valid name is Cilantica devamatha (moved out of Haploclastus in 2024); the "psychadelicus" label on trade lists is a misspelling of a replacement name WSC does NOT accept. A deep-burrowing, fast, defensive Old World with potentially serious venom - expert only. Provenance matters too: Indian export is regulated, so insist on captive-bred stock with paperwork.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- India (Western Ghats: southern Kerala)
- Habitat
- silk-lined burrows in forest floor
- Temperament
- Defensive
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maturity
- ♀ 42mo ♂ 30mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 14yr ♂ 3yr
- Continent
- Asia
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Cilantica devamatha
LSD Earth Tiger - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a LSD Earth Tiger Tarantula need?
Adults
30 × 25 cm footprint with 18-25 cm of substrate - depth is the entire secret.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 10 cm of substrate and a starter hole.
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 LSD Earth Tiger Tarantula need?
Heating
The LSD Earth Tigers is comfortable at 22-26 °C with a night drop; most UK homes manage with gentle warmth in winter only.
Humidity
65-75 %: moist lower substrate, dry-ish surface, high ventilation - the classic fossorial gradient.
Ventilation
High cross-ventilation with a moisture gradient - the surface must stay breathable.
What substrate is best for a LSD Earth Tiger Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
18-25 cm
Notes
Deep, compact and packable - the burrow IS the enclosure. Damp below, breathable above.
How do you set up a LSD Earth Tiger Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
Its own unbranched silk-lined burrow with a decorated leaf-litter entrance - the deeper the substrate, the happier the spider.
Water
Shallow dish at surface level - keep full and clean.
Lighting
Ambient room light only.
How often should you feed a LSD Earth Tiger Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my LSD Earth Tiger Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy LSD Earth Tiger 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. 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 LSD Earth Tiger 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 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 LSD Earth Tiger Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Seals the burrow entrance premoult and moults at the bottom. Do NOT dig. Keep the water dish full and humidity steady; 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 surface boluses with tongs. Full cleans need a full rehouse plan.
✋ Handling
Never - fast, defensive, potentially serious venom. Catch cup and lid discipline.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping LSD Earth Tiger Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- VERY deep compact substrate (18-25 cm adult)
- Moist lower substrate + dry breathable surface
- High ventilation
- Long tongs and lid discipline
- Buying CB with paperwork - Indian export is regulated
✕ Common Mistakes
- Shallow substrate - the classic failure with this species
- Free handling - fast, defensive, serious venom
- Wet stagnant surface - ventilate
- WC stock without quarantine
Keep exploring: related care guides
More deep-burrowing species and close relatives from our full library:
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