Holothele longipes
Trinidad Pink - complete care guide
Trinidad Pink
Temperature
21-27 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
75-85 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
5-7 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 2-5w - Juv 1.2-1.9mo
Adult 3-6mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Trinidad Pink - a hummingbird-sized dwarf from its namesake island that glows coral-pink across carapace and abdomen for weeks after each moult. A Neoholothele-style whirlwind: fast-growing, heavy-webbing, tunnels through its substrate like a miniature earthmover, and matures in about a year. Docile but far too quick and fragile to handle. A perfect "little sparkler" species for dwarf fans - cheap, charming and constantly busy.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Trinidad & Tobago / Venezuela
- Habitat
- Tropical forest floor
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maturity
- ♀ 12mo ♂ 10mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 8yr ♂ 2yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Uncommon
Care Guide
Holothele longipes
Trinidad Pink - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Trinidad Pink Tarantula need?
Adults
15 × 15 cm is plenty for a mature female - dwarfs hunt poorly in big tubs. 8 cm of substrate for tunnelling.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 4-5 cm of substrate and a starter burrow.
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 Trinidad Pink Tarantula need?
Heating
The Trinidad Pinks is comfortable at 21-27 °C. Most UK homes manage for most of the year; warm the room only if winter drops under 19 °C.
Humidity
75-85 %: keep the substrate consistently moist-packed with a drier surface corner. Dry spells cause bad moults at this size.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation with a damp-but-not-wet substrate - fine mesh only.
What substrate is best for a Trinidad Pink Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
6-8 cm
Notes
The enclosure IS the substrate. Damp-packed and deep enough for tunnels, with a moisture gradient - damp below, drier above.
How do you set up a Trinidad Pink Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
Its own web-tunnel system through the substrate and décor - a starter burrow under cork gets things started.
Water
A bottle cap or tiny dish on the surface; damp substrate covers most hydration needs.
Lighting
No special lighting needed. Ambient room light is enough.
How often should you feed a Trinidad Pink Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Trinidad Pink Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Trinidad Pink 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 Trinidad Pink 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 35-58 days for juveniles, and every 65-105 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 3.3 months (up to 5.7 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 Trinidad Pink Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Usually moults inside the web tunnel. Do not dig to check; keep humidity steady and prey out, then wait 3-5 days post-moult (small species harden fast) before feeding. Adult intervals apply to mature females - males never moult after their ultimate moult.
🧹 Cleaning
Refresh the bottle-cap water dish weekly; spot clean boluses from around the tunnel mouths.
✋ Handling
Docile but lightning-fast and fragile - observe, do not handle.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Trinidad Pink Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Consistently moist (not wet) substrate
- Small prey
- Anchor points for web tunnels
- Cross-ventilation
- Escape-proofing - dwarfs slip tiny gaps
✕ Common Mistakes
- Letting substrate dry out - dysecdysis risk at this size
- Large prey
- Coarse ventilation holes
- Expecting a sedate display spider
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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