Species library

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

70-85%

Adult DLS

14-17 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Emperor suntiger - fast arboreal; tall setup with vertical cork and webbing anchors. 75-80% humidity, strong ventilation. No urticating hairs - bites.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

65-80%

Adult DLS

12-15 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~10mo

Costa Rican tree spider whose calling card is right there in the name: bright orange-red setae around the mouth, visible from the sling stage and flashed during its threat display. Dark chestnut body with bronze highlights, slender legs, and the classic Psalmopoeus build - fast, reclusive and completely without urticating hairs, so its defences are pure speed and a memorable bite. Scarce in UK shops; usually appears via specialist breeders.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

70-85%

Adult DLS

14-17 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Victors suntiger - newly described (2020) Mexican arboreal; tall setup with vertical cork, 75-80% humidity with airflow.

Temp

20-26°C

Humidity

70-80%

Adult DLS

10-12 cm

Moult

Sling ~4w - Adult ~10mo

The Malaysian Blue Femur (Psednocnemis brachyramosa, ex-Coremiocnemis) - a compact Fraser's Hill highlander whose drab brown slings transform into adults with iridescent blue femurs banded in gold. Relatively docile FOR an Old World (bolter more than brawler), but still fast with medically significant venom and a deep-burrow, seen-once-a-month lifestyle. Care-sheet sources conflict wildly on temperature - a moderate 20-26 °C with moist substrate is the safe highland compromise. Rare at £45 a sling; a gem for genus collectors.

Temp

22-26°C

Humidity

65-75%

Adult DLS

6-8 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~10mo

The Colombian Bluebottle is an undescribed dwarf from Boyacá, Colombia, sold across the UK hobby as Pseudhapalopus sp. "Blue" - recent Theraphosid Research Team work suggests it actually belongs in Spinosatibiapalpus, so expect the label to shift eventually. The metallic blue sits on the abdomen against grey-brown legs and deepens with every moult; females top out at a dainty 6-8 cm DLS with a calm-but-jumpy demeanour and heavy webbing around their retreat. Tiny 0.5 cm slings need fruit-fly-scale prey, which is the main reason this is rated intermediate rather than beginner. UK captive-bred stock sells out fast - roughly £16 a sling, with sexed sub-adult females commanding £100+ because males are short-lived.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

70-80%

Adult DLS

4-5 cm

Moult

Sling ~4w - Adult ~15mo

Colombian dwarf with a subtle grey-brown base and a blue-violet flush on the legs after a fresh moult. "Kurzhaar" is German for short-haired, and the species is still scientifically undescribed (trade genus sometimes listed as Spinosatibiapalpus after the 2020 revision). An opportunistic burrower that stays under 5 cm: small enclosure, deep damp substrate, and famously glacial growth - a female can take five years to mature.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

55-65%

Adult DLS

12-14 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~8mo

Blonde-bodied African baboon - calmer than OBT but still fast with potent venom. Easy to keep dry.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

60-70%

Adult DLS

13-15 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~8mo

Vivid orange "Orange Bitey Thing". Fast, defensive, and a prolific webber. No urticating hairs - potent bite instead.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

60-70%

Adult DLS

11-14 cm

Moult

Sling ~2w - Adult ~8mo

The Kigoma Starburst Baboon - the DARK colour form (DCF) of Pterinochilus murinus from Kigoma, Tanzania, and southward into Botswana and Zimbabwe: charcoal-grey setae with the starburst pattern in gunmetal rather than orange. Same animal, different paint - and a slightly more subdued look that many keepers prefer. Full OBT behaviour and ease of care; a little harder to find than the orange forms (around £28 for juveniles).

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

60-70%

Adult DLS

11-14 cm

Moult

Sling ~2w - Adult ~8mo

The Usambara Baboon - the RED colour form (RCF) of Pterinochilus murinus from Tanzania's Usambara Mountains: deep red-orange setae over the classic OBT frame, arguably the prettiest form of the species everyone loves to fear. The full "Orange Bitey Thing" experience: web fortresses, teleport speed, willingness to bite without a threat posture, and medically significant venom. Also one of the easiest tarantulas on earth to breed and keep alive - £6 slings, bulletproof health, endless entertainment. Respect required; experience recommended.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

60-70%

Adult DLS

12-15 cm

Moult

Sling ~2w - Adult ~8mo

The Kenyan Starburst Baboon - the TYPICAL colour form (TCF) of Pterinochilus murinus, and the biggest: the classic blazing orange-gold "starburst" OBT of hobby legend, at up to 15 cm. Colour forms are locality variants, not subspecies - TCF hails from Kenya and Mozambique. Same species, same rules: fortress webbing, insane speed, hair-trigger defence, medically significant venom, and zero difficulty keeping it alive. The £7 sling that becomes the most dramatic animal in the room.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

80-85%

Adult DLS

13-16 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~9mo

The Philippine Orange (Selenobrachys philippinus) - freshly moulted specimens glow fluorescent tangerine, one of the most genuinely orange tarantulas. The name journey matters: described as Selenobrachys in 1999, folded into Orphnaecus in 2012, and RETURNED to Selenobrachys by the April 2025 revision - UK vendors still use the old label. A fast, defensive Philippine terrestrial from Negros that thrives in root-tangle setups with high humidity. Cheap (£10 slings), undemanding to keep alive, demanding to respect.

Temp

24-27°C

Humidity

70-80%

Adult DLS

15-18 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~9mo

The New Guinea Rust Orange ("Rusty Striker") - bright orange legs and carapace against pitch-black femora and abdomen, on a slender 15-18 cm frame. UK vendor disposition: "Psycho" - skittish, defensive, bolts first and stridulates when cornered, with potent Old World venom and no urticating hairs. Straightforward warm-and-humid husbandry with WC slings cheap at £25; the challenge is respect, not care. Advanced keepers.

Temp

22-26°C

Humidity

65-75%

Adult DLS

14-18 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Australian tarantula with stridulating hairs that "hiss" when threatened. Rarely exported now.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

55-65%

Adult DLS

13-15 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Copper-coloured Australian fossorial - rare in the European hobby. Dry conditions and deep substrate.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

60-75%

Adult DLS

13-15 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Panamanian red - large terrestrial; deep substrate, water dish, 70-75% humidity. Hair-kicker.

Temp

22-24°C

Humidity

70-80%

Adult DLS

6-8 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~7mo

The Colombian Strawberry Blonde - metallic blue-purple and gold on a semi-dwarf frame (ex-"Pseudhapalopus sp. Colombia", moved into the palpal-spined genus Spinosatibiapalpus in 2020). The "hot strawberry blonde cousin" of the Colombian Blue Bottle, docile and quick-growing, and a staple dwarf breeding project. Slings hatch tiny (0.5 cm) at £20 each - rear on micro prey and enjoy the colour development.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

65-75%

Adult DLS

11-13 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~8mo

African arboreal with feathered rear legs. Lightning-fast with medically significant venom.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

65-80%

Adult DLS

11-13 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~5mo

Copper-orange tree-dweller; one of the fastest spiders in the hobby. Same husbandry as Psalmopoeus but smaller.

Temp

24-28°C

Humidity

65-80%

Adult DLS

11-13 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~5mo

Similar care to T. cupreus - bright orange, blisteringly fast arboreal.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

70-85%

Adult DLS

14-17 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Trinidad purple - tiny fast arboreal. Small tall tub with vertical cork and perfect ventilation. Mist one wall lightly.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

70-85%

Adult DLS

14-17 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Rasts dwarf orange - tiny rocket-fast arboreal. Small tall tub, vertical cork, clamping lid, catch-cup rehousing.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

70-85%

Adult DLS

14-17 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Purple tree spider - quick arboreal, tall enclosure with cross-ventilation and cork. Standard humid-but-breezy arboreal care.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

60-75%

Adult DLS

22-26 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Pink foot goliath - giant terrestrial; huge space, deep damp substrate, XL water dish. Slings pink-legged, darkening with age.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

60-75%

Adult DLS

22-26 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

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.

Temp

22-28°C

Humidity

60-75%

Adult DLS

22-26 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~12mo

Burgundy goliath - slightly easier than blondi; huge floor space, deep damp substrate, XL water dish, 80-90% humidity. Same legendary hairs.

Temp

20-24°C

Humidity

70-80%

Adult DLS

12-16 cm

Moult

Sling ~4w - Adult ~10mo

The Halloween Patch ("Theraphosidae sp. Columbia" - vendor spelling of Colombia; even the GENUS is unknown) - a total mystery species whose orange-and-black sling patterning earned the trade name, offered at £125 per centimetre-long sling: the most expensive sling on the whole UK market. Vendor stats: docile, cool-tolerant, no size data. Every parameter in this guide is a provisional placeholder until the animal grows and the trade learns - a genuine frontier purchase.

Temp

20-24°C

Humidity

70-80%

Adult DLS

13-15 cm

Moult

Sling ~4w - Adult ~10mo

The Dorado Gold - golden "skeleton" legs, navy femora and abdomen, gold-patterned carapace: an unidentified Peruvian (vendor-compared to Thrixopelma countrymen, so possibly an undescribed relative) that wears its colour scheme like a treasure map. Easy and docile per the vendor, 13-15 cm, £45 for 4 cm CB juveniles. Another open-nomenclature species whose guide parameters are the best current trade estimates.

Temp

22-26°C

Humidity

60-70%

Adult DLS

12-16 cm

Moult

Sling ~4w - Adult ~11mo

The Highland Birdeater ("Theraphosinae sp. Highland Blue", also traded as sp. "Cuzco") - an unknown genus AND species from the Peruvian Andes around Cuzco, listed beside the Antikuna Herradura form as a future "big one" by the vendor. Blue-tinged montane stock with moderate dry-side care; every parameter here is the trade baseline for a species literally nobody has identified yet. £35 CB slings for Andean-form collectors.

Temp

20-24°C

Humidity

50-70%

Adult DLS

10-13 cm

Moult

Sling ~3w - Adult ~9mo

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.