Ewok pruriens
Green Velvet - complete care guide
Green Velvet
Temperature
20-26 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
55-70 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
10-13 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 3-6w - Juv 2-3mo
Adult 11-14mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
Peruvian velvet with an olive-green metallic carapace and greenish shimmer, brightest just after a moult. One of the few tarantulas genuinely happy at ordinary UK room temperature - its arid scrub home means dry substrate, a water dish and no extra heat. Docile and a great display spider that sits out in the open, but a notorious hair-kicker: pretty, not pettable. (Renamed Ewok pruriens in the 2025 Sherwood et al. revision - most of the old Thrixopelma genus moved into the newly erected Ewok, named after the Star Wars Ewoks because they too are small and furry. UK trade now sells it as "Ewok pruriens" / "Endor Green Velvet"; husbandry is unchanged.)
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Peru
- Habitat
- Arid scrub / desert edge
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maturity
- ♀ 36mo ♂ 30mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 12yr ♂ 4yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Uncommon
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Care Guide
Ewok pruriens
Green Velvet - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Green Velvet 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 - oversized enclosures make prey capture difficult. Upgrade roughly every 2-3 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 a Green Velvet Tarantula need?
Heating
The Green Velvet is comfortable at 20-26 °C - most UK homes sit in this range all year with no supplementary heating at all. Heat the room only if it drops below 18 °C, and never exceed ~28 °C: this is one of the few species that suffers more from heat than cold.
Humidity
55-70 %: dry substrate with a full water dish does the job. This is an arid-scrub species - keep it drier rather than damper, with slightly moist substrate only for spiderlings.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation is essential - side-vented enclosures, never stagnant. Poor airflow plus humidity kills faster than dryness ever will.
What substrate is best for a Green Velvet Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
7-10 cm
Notes
Keep substrate dry to barely moist - never soaking. Pack it firm enough to support décor.
How do you set up a Green Velvet Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark half-log, leaning slab, or cork tube placed on the substrate. Adults often ignore it and sit in the open - that is normal for the species.
Water
Always provide a shallow fresh water dish. Keep it full and clean it regularly. No sponges.
Lighting
No special lighting needed. Ambient room light is enough; avoid heat lamps and bright spotlights.
How often should you feed a Green Velvet Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Green Velvet Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Green Velvet 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 Green Velvet 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 60-90 days for juveniles, and every 200-280 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 11 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 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 Green Velvet 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 (several days for adults, 1-2 for slings) before feeding again. Adult intervals apply to mature FEMALES - a mature male never moults again, and female cycles stretch or shrink with feeding and temperature.
🧹 Cleaning
Daily: check the water dish. Weekly: remove uneaten prey boluses and spot-clean. Full deep clean only every few months, and only when necessary.
✋ Handling
Docile and slow, but a prolific hair-kicker that flicks with minimal provocation - handle rarely, at floor level, and never near your face. Wash hands and forearms afterwards.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Green Velvet Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Dry substrate with a full water dish
- Ordinary room temperature - no heat mat needed
- Cross-ventilation
- A proper hide and a few anchor points
- Wash hands after maintenance - it flicks urticating hairs readily
✕ Common Mistakes
- Extra heating - it genuinely thrives at UK room temperature and overheats above ~28 °C
- Soaking-wet substrate
- Daily misting
- Handling near your face or without washing hands - one of the most enthusiastic hair-kickers in the hobby
Keep exploring: related care guides
More ground-dwelling species and close relatives from our full library:
Acanthoscurria cordubensis
Argentinian Bronze Birdeater
Terrestrial - full guide →
Acanthoscurria geniculata
Brazilian Giant White Knee
Terrestrial - full guide →
Acanthoscurria musculosa
Black Velvet Rump
Terrestrial - full guide →
Acanthoscurria natalensis
Natal Brown Birdeater
Terrestrial - full guide →
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