Heterothele villosella
Tanzania Mustard Dwarf - complete care guide
Tanzania Mustard Dwarf
Temperature
24-28 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
60-70 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
4-6 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 3-6w - Juv 2-3mo
Adult 3-4mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
Small fast-growing dwarf that thrives communally. Prolific webber; great for compact setups.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Tanzania
- Habitat
- Savanna & scrub
- Temperament
- Fast
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Very fast
- Maturity
- ♀ 10mo ♂ 7mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 7yr ♂ 1yr
- Continent
- Africa
- UK availability
- Commonly available
Care Guide
Heterothele villosella
Tanzania Mustard Dwarf - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Tanzania Mustard Dwarf Tarantula need?
Adults
Dwarf species - a 20 cm cube suits an adult. One of the few genuinely communal species: keep a colony together from sling age with plentiful food.
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 Tanzania Mustard Dwarf Tarantula need?
Heating
The Tanzania Mustard Dwarf is comfortable at 24-28 °C. Most UK homes sit in or near this range for most of the year; heat the room rather than the enclosure if winter drops below it.
Humidity
Don't chase a hygrometer number - target roughly 60-70 % by keeping the substrate mostly dry, a full water dish, and one slightly damp corner if the species sits at the upper end. Overflow the dish for a moult.
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 Tanzania Mustard Dwarf Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
3-5 cm
Notes
Keep substrate dry to barely moist - never soaking. Pack it firm enough to support décor.
How do you set up a Tanzania Mustard Dwarf Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark half-log, leaning slab, or cork tube placed on the substrate.
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 Tanzania Mustard Dwarf Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Tanzania Mustard Dwarf Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Tanzania Mustard 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 Tanzania Mustard 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 21-42 days for spiderlings, every 60-90 days for juveniles, and every 54-77 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 3 months (up to 3.9 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 3 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 Tanzania Mustard Dwarf 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 (his ultimate moult is his last), 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
Tiny and inoffensive. Communal displays are the point of the species, not handling.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Tanzania Mustard Dwarf Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Fresh water dish at all times
- Cross-ventilation
- Stable room temperature
- A proper hide and a few anchor points
✕ Common Mistakes
- Soaking-wet substrate
- Daily misting
- Heat mat underneath the enclosure
- Tall enclosures with hard décor (fall risk for terrestrials)
Keep exploring: related care guides
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