Thrixopelma sp. Cajamarca
Cajamarca Birdeater - complete care guide
Cajamarca Birdeater
Temperature
20-22 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
70-80 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
13-16 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 4-8w - Juv 2.3-3.8mo
Adult 10-15mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Cajamarca Birdeater - an undescribed Thrixopelma from Cajamarca department, Peru, rarely offered (The Spider Shop lists it at £15 a sling when available). Little published natural history: treat as a cool-loving Andean genus member (20-22 °C, deeper moisture than its Warmiru cousins) with a docile nature and decent burrowing tendency. A quiet collector's species for genus completists.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Peru (Cajamarca)
- Habitat
- Andean highland burrows
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maturity
- ♀ 54mo ♂ 36mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 14yr ♂ 4yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Thrixopelma sp. Cajamarca
Cajamarca Birdeater - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Cajamarca Birdeater Tarantula need?
Adults
35 × 25 cm (14 × 10 in) for a mature adult, with 10 cm of substrate.
Slings & Juveniles
Small deli cups with 5-6 cm of substrate.
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 Cajamarca Birdeater Tarantula need?
Heating
The Cajamarca Birdeaters is comfortable at 20-22 °C - the coolest end of the genus; no supplementary heat in UK homes.
Humidity
70-80 %: moister than Warmiru - keep one corner consistently damp.
Ventilation
Cross-ventilation is essential.
What substrate is best for a Cajamarca Birdeater Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
8-10 cm
Notes
Deep and packable for burrows; moisture gradient with a damp corner.
How do you set up a Cajamarca Birdeater Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark retreat plus substrate depth for excavating a burrow.
Water
Always provide a shallow fresh water dish.
Lighting
No special lighting needed.
How often should you feed a Cajamarca Birdeater Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Cajamarca Birdeater Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Cajamarca 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 Cajamarca 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 28-55 days for spiderlings, every 70-115 days for juveniles, and every 160-250 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 10 months (up to 14.7 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 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 Cajamarca Birdeater 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
Docile by genus reputation - handle rarely and low.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Cajamarca Birdeater Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Cool-side temperature (20-22 °C)
- Moist corner + full water dish
- Deep substrate for burrowing
- Cross-ventilation
- A proper hide
✕ Common Mistakes
- Overheating
- Bone-dry substrate all the way down
- Heat mats
- Expecting published data - keep notes
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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