Hapalotremus sp. Puma
Highland White & Red - complete care guide
Highland White & Red
Temperature
18-22 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
70-80 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
10-13 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 4-9w - Juv 2.7-4.3mo
Adult 11-16mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Highland White & Red ("Puma") - an undescribed Andean Hapalotremus from the Cusco highlands of Peru: white legs, blonde carapace, vivid red abdomen, and a rose-gold urticating patch. A cool-kept (18-22 °C), gentle New World oddball that lives under rocks rather than digging - give hides, not deep substrate. Genuinely rare at £65 a sling, and a curious, calm temperament that makes the price feel earned. Highland husbandry: cool, stable, no heat mat.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Peru (Cusco highlands)
- Habitat
- High Andean slopes - under large rocks
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maturity
- ♀ 60mo ♂ 42mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 16yr ♂ 4yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Hapalotremus sp. Puma
Highland White & Red - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Highland White & Red Tarantula need?
Adults
25 × 25 cm footprint with 5-8 cm of substrate and stable stone-style hides.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 4 cm of substrate and a flat 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 Highland White & Red Tarantula need?
Heating
Highland White & The Reds is comfortable at 18-22 °C - genuinely cool-kept; UK room temperature is usually ideal and supplementary heat is a mistake.
Humidity
70-80 %: keep the substrate lightly and consistently moist - Andean cloud, not desert.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation with moderate-high humidity.
What substrate is best for a Highland White & Red Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
5-8 cm
Notes
Moderate depth (they shelter under rocks rather than dig), kept lightly moist.
How do you set up a Highland White & Red Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
Flat stone or cork slabs pressed to the substrate - a rock-crevice dweller by nature.
Water
Always provide a shallow fresh water dish.
Lighting
No special lighting needed. Ambient room light is enough.
How often should you feed a Highland White & Red Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Highland White & Red Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Highland White & Red 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 Highland White & Red 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 11.3 months (up to 16 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 Highland White & Red Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Signs: refuses food, abdomen darkens and goes glossy, becomes sluggish. Do not disturb; keep humidity steady and prey out; wait until the fangs are black and hard before feeding. Adult intervals apply to mature females - males never moult after their ultimate moult.
🧹 Cleaning
Daily: check the water dish. Weekly: remove boluses and spot-clean.
✋ Handling
Calm and gentle for the group - handle rarely and low if at all; the urticating patch is real.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Highland White & Red Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- COOL room temperature - high Andean stock
- Moist (not wet) substrate with airflow
- Rock-style hides rather than deep digging space
- Cross-ventilation
- Patience with slow growth
✕ Common Mistakes
- Heating - above ~24 °C highland stock declines
- Deep bone-dry substrate
- Stacked unstable rocks
- Expecting fast growth
Keep exploring: related care guides
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Acanthoscurria geniculata
Brazilian Giant White Knee
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Acanthoscurria musculosa
Black Velvet Rump
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Acanthoscurria natalensis
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