Cobalt Blue Tarantula (Cyriopagopus lividum)

The Cobalt Blue tarantula of Thailand and Myanmar. Formerly Haplopelma lividum they are now classified as Cyriopagopus lividum. A sure must have for an experienced hobbyist. They are very well loved due to their electric blue colors. Many people might not know this but male species are actually brown in color and most Haplopelma lividium T’s sold are actually female. They are terrestrial/tropical but also burrowers. In the wild they burrow deep into the Thailand/Myanmar rainforests in a maze of deep elaborate holes. The Cobalt Blue grows to be about 9 inches in length with females growing bigger than males. The also grow to be anywhere between 7 to 13 years old. Their temperament is not so good and they are also expert escape artists with that being said we recommend this to be an advanced tarantula for a more experienced keeper.

Habitat:

A full grown Cobalt Blue Tarantula will only need about a 10 to 15 gallon tank with a screen lid. As mentioned before they mostly spend their lives underground and will burrow and spin a lot of webbing. Make sure you give it a good 4 to 6 inches of substrate (depending on the size of your tarantula) for it to burrow. The substrate should be a mixture of peat moss and coconut fiber to retain a lot of humidity. They require a temperature of about 80 to 90 degrees and humidity of 75% or higher. Under no circumstances should this drop so make sure your substrate is always damp and its water dish full of fresh clean water. Being that they spend so much time “underground” you should not have to worry about decorating. You can add a small live plant but it will just be for show as the tarantula will not care for it. They come out of their burrows mainly to eat or drink water. They are also not fond of light so do not add a heating lamp or place your enclosure in direct sunlight, it will surely stress out your tarantula.

Feeding:

This tarantula is a big insectivore and has a large diet of cockroaches, crickets, beetles, meal worms, fruit flies, locusts and just about any other insects you can think of. Make sure you only feed it about once a week or once every other week so you can keep an eye out on it in the event that it molts. As always if you notice your tarantula not eating its prey after 24 hours, remove the prey. Give it a few days and try again, if it remains the same then chances are it is getting ready to molt.

Attitude:

We recommend you not ever handle your cobalt blue. They are known for being extremely aggressive. They have no urticating hairs and normally do not give warning before becoming defensive. The first thing you will notice that your Cobalt Blue will want to do is to run away. You should be careful when you open their enclosure as they tend to be very fast. A full grown Cobalt Blue can pack a powerful bite with its large fangs and deliver a potent venom. Though the venom is not deadly it can induce flu-like symptoms, muscle cramps and all around pain. Should you be allergic most definitely seek medical attention.

We think the Cobalt Blue is a great pet to have but only if you are an experienced handler. Though we do not recommend you to pick up your Cobalt Blue they can be handled. You should watch out for their speed to prevent them from getting out of their enclosure. This is to prevent a serious fall or injury to your tarantula (which can certainly cause death) and to prevent you getting bit by your tarantula. If you want to hire dog bite lawyers, and get help from them, you can click here!

Do you have a Cobalt Blue tarantula or do you have questions? Tell us about it and comment down below! We’d love to hear from you.