Phormictopus atrichomatus
Red Island Birdeater - complete care guide
Red Island Birdeater
Temperature
22-27 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
65-75 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
15-20 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 3-6w - Juv 1.5-2.5mo
Adult 9-12mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
Hispaniola birdeater - "Red Island" refers to its Dominican/Haitian home. Deep chocolate base beneath a wash of coppery-red setae, with a bright metallic carapace sheen after a moult, reaching an impressive 15-20 cm. Fast-growing, bold and quick to kick hairs: a look-but-don't-handle display species for keepers with a bit of experience.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Hispaniola (Dominican Republic / Haiti)
- Habitat
- Savannah / Forest floor
- Temperament
- Defensive
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maturity
- ♀ 36mo ♂ 24mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 15yr ♂ 4yr
- Continent
- Caribbean
- UK availability
- Uncommon
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Care Guide
Phormictopus atrichomatus
Red Island Birdeater - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Red Island Birdeater Tarantula need?
Adults
40 × 30 cm (16 × 12 in) for a mature adult - this is a big, fast spider that uses every centimetre. Floor space matters more than height.
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 Red Island Birdeater Tarantula need?
Heating
The Red Island Birdeaters is comfortable at 22-27 °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
65-75 % with a moisture gradient: one corner lightly damp, the rest dry-ish over well-draining substrate, plus a full water dish. Never swampy.
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 Red Island Birdeater Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
7-10 cm
Notes
Keep substrate dry to barely moist - never soaking. Pack it firm enough to support décor.
How do you set up a Red Island Birdeater 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 - a large species drinks a lot. 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 Red Island Birdeater Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Red Island Birdeater Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Red Island Birdeater 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 Red Island Birdeater 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 45-75 days for juveniles, and every 150-240 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 9 months (up to 12.2 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 10 days in this species. Offer no food and no handling for about 10 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 Red Island Birdeater 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 (around a week for a large adult, less for juveniles) before feeding again. Adult intervals apply to mature FEMALES - a mature male never moults again.
🧹 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
Bold and defensive when disturbed, fast, and a ready hair-kicker - a look-but-don't-handle species. Use a catch cup for any necessary moves and wash up after maintenance.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Red Island Birdeater Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Fresh water dish at all times
- Cross-ventilation
- Stable room temperature
- A proper hide and a few anchor points
- Long tongs - its feeding response is as bold as its colour
✕ Common Mistakes
- Soaking-wet substrate
- Free handling - bold, fast and a heavy hair-kicker
- Heat mat underneath the enclosure
- Reaching in without looking - it can move across the enclosure faster than you react
Keep exploring: related care guides
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