Tapinauchenius plumipes
Purple Tree Spider - complete care guide
Purple Tree Spider
Temperature
22-28 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
70-85 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
14-17 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 3-6w - Juv 2-3mo
Adult 12-16mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
Trinidad purple - tiny fast arboreal. Small tall tub with vertical cork and perfect ventilation. Mist one wall lightly.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Americas
- Habitat
- Tropical/Subtropical Forest
- Temperament
- Skittish
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maturity
- ♀ 22mo ♂ 16mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 12yr ♂ 3yr
- Continent
- Americas
- UK availability
- Commonly available
Care Guide
Tapinauchenius plumipes
Purple Tree Spider - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Purple Tree Spider Tarantula need?
Adults
25 × 25 × 40 cm tall with tight cross-ventilation - they are small arboreals that exploit every gap. Double-check lid clasps.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tall vials or arboreal sling tubs with a piece of vertical cork. Upgrade as they grow - arboreal slings do best slightly cramped, not in cavernous tanks.
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 Purple Tree Spider Tarantula need?
Heating
The Martinique Pinktoe is comfortable at 22-28 °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
75-85 % with strong airflow. Being tiny, they dehydrate fast - dampen the upper cork, not the floor, and never skip the water dish.
Ventilation
The single most important husbandry factor for this species. Cross-flow (top + side mesh) is non-negotiable - stagnant air causes mould, mites and failed moults.
What substrate is best for a Purple Tree Spider Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
3-5 cm
Notes
Substrate is mostly a moisture buffer - arboreals live above it. Keep one corner lightly damp, never wet throughout.
How do you set up a Purple Tree Spider Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A vertical cork tube or propped bark retreat positioned up off the floor - the higher the retreat, the more the spider uses it.
Water
Shallow dish on the floor. Even dedicated canopy dwellers descend to drink - keep it full and clean.
Lighting
Ambient room light only. Avoid basking lamps - they desiccate arboreal species quickly.
How often should you feed a Purple Tree Spider Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Purple Tree Spider Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Purple Tree Spider Tarantula fasting is almost never an emergency in itself. Watch for slowing down and spending more time in the hide, thickening the silk hammock it sleeps in. 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 Purple Tree Spider 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 219-310 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 12.2 months (up to 15.8 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 Purple Tree Spider Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Arboreals often moult suspended in a web hammock. Do not disturb, remove prey, and slightly raise humidity around the time. Wait 5-7 days post-moult before offering food. Adult intervals apply to mature females - males never moult after their ultimate moult.
🧹 Cleaning
Spot clean webbed boluses when visible, refresh the water dish weekly. Full clean only when soiled - established webbing is valuable to the spider.
✋ Handling
Never. Tapinauchenius are widely called the fastest tarantulas on Earth - small, blindingly quick, and gone before you register movement. Catch cup, sealed lid, zero exceptions.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Purple Tree Spider Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Tall enclosure with vertical cork
- Strong cross-ventilation
- Mist one wall - let it cycle dry
- Clamping/secure lid - arboreals are escape artists
✕ Common Mistakes
- Waterlogged substrate
- Sealed, unventilated tanks
- Heat from below
- Free handling - jumps and falls kill
Keep exploring: related care guides
More arboreal species and close relatives from our full library:
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