Theraphosinae sp. Roatan
Roatan Island Purple - complete care guide
Roatan Island Purple
Temperature
20-24 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
50-70 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
10-13 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 3-7w - Juv 1.8-3mo
Adult 9-14mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Roatan Island Purple - an undescribed Honduran island endemic (vendor origin fields saying "Nicaragua" are wrong; it's Roatán) with striking sexual dimorphism: males solid deep purple, females stocky brown-black with purple femurs that glow velvet-fresh after a moult. Dry-ish island husbandry, calm temperament, strong feeding response, and famously productive breeding (sacs of hundreds) - an easy, cheap (£10 slings) project species with a payoff colour.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Honduras (Roatán Island)
- Habitat
- Seasonally dry island scrub - burrows
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maturity
- ♀ 36mo ♂ 24mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 14yr ♂ 3yr
- Continent
- North/Central America
- UK availability
- Uncommon
Care Guide
Theraphosinae sp. Roatan
Roatan Island Purple - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Roatan Island Purple Tarantula need?
Adults
30 × 25 cm (12 × 10 in) with 10 cm of substrate for burrowing.
Slings & Juveniles
Small deli cups with 5 cm of substrate and a hide.
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 Roatan Island Purple Tarantula need?
Heating
The Roatan Island Purples is comfortable at 20-24 °C; most UK homes need no supplementary heat for much of the year.
Humidity
50-70 %: drier than typical terrestrials - dry substrate, full water dish.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation is essential.
What substrate is best for a Roatan Island Purple Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
8-10 cm
Notes
Deep and dry-packed, holding adult burrow structure.
How do you set up a Roatan Island Purple Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
Cork bark for juveniles; adults excavate true burrows given substrate depth.
Water
Always provide a shallow fresh water dish.
Lighting
No special lighting needed.
How often should you feed a Roatan Island Purple Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Roatan Island Purple Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Roatan Island Purple 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 Roatan Island Purple 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 24-48 days for spiderlings, every 55-90 days for juveniles, and every 130-210 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 9.3 months (up to 14 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 Roatan Island Purple Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
Signs: refuses food, abdomen darkens, becomes sluggish. Do not disturb; keep water available; wait for black hard fangs before feeding. Adult intervals apply to mature FEMALES - a mature male never moults again.
🧹 Cleaning
Daily: check the water dish. Weekly: remove boluses and spot-clean.
✋ Handling
Nervous as juveniles, calm as adults - handle rarely and low.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Roatan Island Purple Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Dry-side island husbandry
- Deep substrate for adult burrowing
- Cross-ventilation
- A proper hide
- A breeding project - large sacs are well documented
✕ Common Mistakes
- Soaking-wet substrate - a seasonally dry island species
- Overheating
- Expecting purple females - that is the male colour
- Worrying about nervous juveniles - they settle
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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