Heterothele gabonensis
Gabon Blue Dwarf - complete care guide
Gabon Blue Dwarf
Temperature
22-28 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
65-80 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
5-8 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 2-4w - Juv 1-1.7mo
Adult 3-5mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Gabon Blue Dwarf - a 5-7 cm African jewel with cobalt-blue legs and a metallic gold carapace, draping its enclosure in dense web curtains within weeks. One of the few tarantulas with genuine communal potential (wild colonies and successful communal setups are documented), though crowding always risks cannibalism - give space, hides and anchor points. Fast, flighty and completely uninterested in biting. A fascinating dwarf for keepers who like webbing, breeding projects or colony experiments, appearing irregularly as CB stock.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Gabon
- Habitat
- Equatorial forest floor
- Temperament
- Skittish
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maturity
- ♀ 14mo ♂ 12mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 10yr ♂ 2yr
- Continent
- Africa
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Heterothele gabonensis
Gabon Blue Dwarf - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantula need?
Adults
15 × 15 cm is plenty for one; 30 × 20 cm with extra hides for a communal attempt.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with plenty of anchor points - they web up as slings.
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 Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantula need?
Heating
The Gabon Blue Dwarfs is comfortable at 22-28 °C. Most UK homes manage for much of the year; warm the room only if winter drops under 20 °C.
Humidity
65-80 %: keep the substrate lightly damp and mist the webbing a couple of times a week.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation with consistent humidity - fine mesh only (dwarf escape artists).
What substrate is best for a Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
4-6 cm
Notes
A moisture buffer more than a home - they live in the webbing above it. Keep one corner damp, never wet throughout.
How do you set up a Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
Web curtains and silk tunnels of its own making - cork, branches and fake plants become the scaffolding.
Water
A bottle cap or tiny dish among the webbing; misting the web lightly also provides droplets.
Lighting
No special lighting needed. Ambient room light is enough.
How often should you feed a Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Gabon Blue 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 Gabon Blue 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 14-28 days for spiderlings, every 30-50 days for juveniles, and every 60-95 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 3 months (up to 5 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 4 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 Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Moults within the webbing, often in suspended hammock sacs. Do not disturb, keep prey out, and wait 3-5 days post-moult (dwarfs harden fast) before feeding. Adult intervals apply to mature females - males never moult after their ultimate moult.
🧹 Cleaning
Spot clean boluses from the web with tongs; refresh the water dish (bottle-cap sized) weekly.
✋ Handling
Fast and tiny - never free-handled. Escape risk outweighs any handling benefit.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Gabon Blue Dwarf Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Anchor points for extensive webbing
- Small prey
- Consistent humidity with airflow
- Generous space + multiple hides for communal attempts
- Escape-proofing - dwarfs slip tiny gaps
✕ Common Mistakes
- Large prey - dangerous for a 6 cm spider
- Crowding a communal beyond its comfort
- Letting the webbing fully dry out
- Expecting it to sit still - very fast
Keep exploring: related care guides
More ground-dwelling species and close relatives from our full library:
Heterothele villosella
Tanzania Mustard Dwarf
Same genus - full guide →
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 →
⭐ Community Ratings
No ratings yet - be the first to rate this species!