Hapalopus vangoghi
Fire Red Pumpkin - complete care guide
Fire Red Pumpkin
Temperature
20-24 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
70-80 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
6-8 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 2-5w - Juv 1.3-2.3mo
Adult 6-9mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Fire Red Pumpkin (Hapalopus vangoghi, 2024 - named for the Van Gogh paint-stroke abdominal pattern; the old hobby label was "Guerilla") - black carapace, fire-red legs and a speckled "gothic patch" abdomen on a 6-8 cm dwarf. Rambles and stays visible, mature females in 2-3 years, cheap at £22 a sling. One of the best small-colour species of the recent description wave - shy and fast-moving, never defensive.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Colombia
- Habitat
- Tropical forest floor
- Temperament
- Skittish
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maturity
- ♀ 20mo ♂ 14mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 9yr ♂ 2yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Uncommon
Care Guide
Hapalopus vangoghi
Fire Red Pumpkin - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantula need?
Adults
15 × 15 cm is plenty for a mature female.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 4 cm of damp substrate and a hide.
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 Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantula need?
Heating
The Fire Red Pumpkins is comfortable at 20-24 °C; most UK homes manage without supplementary heat for much of the year.
Humidity
70-80 %: keep the substrate lightly and consistently damp.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation with consistent humidity - fine mesh only.
What substrate is best for a Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
4-6 cm
Notes
Moderate depth, consistently damp, holding shallow burrows.
How do you set up a Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark retreat plus shallow burrows; this species roams more than it hides.
Water
A bottle cap or tiny dish on the surface.
Lighting
No special lighting needed.
How often should you feed a Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Fire Red Pumpkin 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 Fire Red Pumpkin 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 16-32 days for spiderlings, every 40-68 days for juveniles, and every 90-145 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 6 months (up to 9.3 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 5 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 Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Moults in the retreat. Do not disturb; keep humidity steady and prey out; wait 3-4 days post-moult (dwarfs harden fast) before feeding. Adult intervals apply to mature females - males never moult after their ultimate moult.
🧹 Cleaning
Refresh the water dish (bottle-cap sized) weekly; spot clean boluses.
✋ Handling
Shy and fast - observe, do not handle.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Fire Red Pumpkin Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Consistently moist (not wet) substrate
- Small prey
- Cross-ventilation
- A hide - though it roams visibly
- Escape-proofing - fast dwarf
✕ Common Mistakes
- Large prey
- Drying out - bad moults follow
- Cool rooms
- Expecting calm - shy and fast
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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