Theraphosa blondi
Goliath Birdeater - complete care guide
Goliath Birdeater
Temperature
22-28 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
60-75 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
22-26 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
Goliath birdeater - the world largest spider. 60x45 floor, deep damp (not waterlogged) substrate, SAUCER-sized water dish, 80-90% humidity. Worst urticating hairs in the hobby - never bare-hand.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Americas
- Habitat
- Savannah/Forest Floor
- Temperament
- Skittish
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maturity
- ♀ 24mo ♂ 18mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 12yr ♂ 3yr
- Continent
- Americas
- UK availability
- Commonly available
Care Guide
Theraphosa blondi
Goliath Birdeater - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Goliath Birdeater Tarantula need?
Adults
The Goliath Birdeater - the world's largest spider by mass. A mature female needs 60 × 45 cm of floor, deep damp substrate and a water dish the size of a saucer.
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 Goliath Birdeater Tarantula need?
Heating
The Goliath Birdeater 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
80-90 % - Guyanan rainforest floor. This is the wettest genus in the hobby: deep, genuinely damp (not waterlogged) substrate is mandatory, refreshed often. A dry Goliath is a dying Goliath.
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 Goliath Birdeater Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
15-20 cm
Notes
Keep substrate dry to barely moist - never soaking. Pack it firm enough to support décor.
How do you set up a Goliath 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. 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 Goliath Birdeater Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Goliath Birdeater Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Goliath 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 Goliath 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 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 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 Goliath Birdeater Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Goliaths moult lying open on the substrate and can take an entire day - adult females typically cycle every 12-24 months. Humidity MUST be high through the moult - dry air during ecdysis is how keepers lose giants. Do not touch, ever.
🧹 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
Their urticating setae are the worst in the hobby - airborne, extremely irritant, and flicked in clouds at the slightest provocation. Combine that with 25 cm of spider and there is no sensible reason to handle one.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Goliath Birdeater 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)
- Dry substrate - Goliaths are rainforest animals that need constant damp
- Bare hands after ANY contact with the enclosure - wash thoroughly, the setae linger
- Small water dishes - they drink heavily and bathe their feet
Keep exploring: related care guides
More ground-dwelling species and close relatives from our full library:
⭐ Community Ratings
No ratings yet - be the first to rate this species!