Tliltocatl epicureanus
Yucatan Rust Rump - complete care guide
Often searched as: Tiltocatl epicureanus.
Yucatan Rust Rump
🛃 Legality & paperwork - CITES Appendix II
Tliltocatl epicureanus is listed in CITES Appendix II. Historically listed under Brachypelma spp. (CITES II, 1994); covered by the same listing after the 2020 Tliltocatl split. Paperwork needed for international movement; UK domestic sales unaffected. International sales or exports need CITES export permits - domestic UK sales between private keepers do not. No UK licence (including the Dangerous Wild Animals Act) is required to keep any tarantula species.
Temperature
21-27 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
50-70 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
12-15 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 4-6w - Juv 2-3.3mo
Adult 11-15mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Yucatan Rust Rump is probably the rarest Tliltocatl in the hobby - a velvety black Mexican red rump whose abdomen wears dense rust-orange setae, reliably told from the common Mexican Red Rump (T. vagans) by the black abdominal patch that appears after each moult and its rust-orange (never ruby-red) hair tone. Described from Chichén Itzá in 1925 and reshuffled from Brachypelma epicureanum into Tliltocatl in 2019/20, it is a genuine pet rock - calm, slow-growing and long-lived (females 20-30 years) with a surprisingly aggressive feeding response. Still sold under the old Brachypelma name by many shops; UK captive-bred slings surface sporadically at £10-22.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Mexico (central Yucatán Peninsula - type locality Chichén Itzá)
- Habitat
- Moist forest and rainforest edge - opportunistic burrower
- Temperament
- Docile
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Maturity
- ♀ 96mo ♂ 60mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 25yr ♂ 5yr
- Continent
- North America
- CITES
- CITES Appendix II
- UK availability
- Rare in the hobby
Care Guide
Tliltocatl epicureanus
Yucatan Rust Rump - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula need?
Adults
30 × 30 × 20 cm low terrestrial - floor space over height.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 5-8 cm of substrate and a cork piece; upgrade slowly - they dislike sprawling open space.
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 Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula need?
Heating
21-27 °C. Comfortable in most UK homes for much of the year; below 20 °C they retreat and slow right down, so a gentle room-side heat source helps in winter.
Humidity
50-70 % with a dry-to-damp gradient. Slings like slightly moist substrate; graduate to the damp-corner pattern as they grow.
Ventilation
Standard cross-flow. The Yucatan Rust Rump prefers it on the dry side of the Mexican species; stagnant damp is the main risk to avoid.
What substrate is best for a Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
8-15 cm
Notes
Coco fibre / topsoil mix, packed firmly - they will remodel around the hide but are not deep burrowers.
How do you set up a Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A cork bark retreat anchored against the glass or a starter burrow under a piece of bark - they are opportunistic burrowers that usually settle into whatever cover you provide rather than digging deep.
Water
Shallow dish, always full. Overflowing it slightly IS the humidity method - one damp corner, the rest dry.
Lighting
Ambient room light only. From around 7-8 cm they settle out in the open and make a good display spider.
How often should you feed a Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Yucatan Rust Rump 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 Yucatan Rust Rump 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 25-45 days for spiderlings, every 60-100 days for juveniles, and every 180-300 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 11 months (up to 15.3 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 8 days in this species. Offer no food and no handling for about 8 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 Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
A distinctive quirk: the whole spider turns rust-brown in premoult, and a black patch appears on the fresh abdomen after each moult - both handy ID confirmations. Slow growers, so adult females may go a year or more between moults. Remove prey when sealed in, wait 7-10 days post-moult before feeding.
🧹 Cleaning
Spot clean boluses near the hide and refresh the water dish weekly. The dry-leaning setup stays low-odour and rarely needs a full clean.
✋ Handling
A genuine pet rock - docile and slow to kick hairs, though the feeding response is anything but calm. Usual New World rules: gentle, low, over a soft surface.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Yucatan Rust Rump Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Low terrestrial setup with 8-15 cm of firm, diggable substrate
- One damp corner (overflow the water dish) - the rest can be dry
- An anchored cork hide; they adopt it and stay visible
- Prey up to near their own size - they tackle it enthusiastically
- Patience: slow growth and 20-30 year female lifespans are the deal
✕ Common Mistakes
- Soggy substrate - dry with a damp corner beats swamp for this species
- Expecting speed - juveniles can sit between moults for the best part of a year
- Confusing with T. vagans - look for the black abdominal patch and rust-orange (not ruby) setae
- Cohabiting - solitary like all Tliltocatl
- Buying on the old Brachypelma name without checking the bloodline - rare species attract mislabelled stock
Keep exploring: related care guides
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