Blue Fang Skeleton Tarantula (Ephebopus cyanognathus)

Ephebopus, New World 3 Comments »

The Blue Fang Skeleton Tarantula commonly known as just the Blue Fang is a deep burrowing terrestrial tarantula from French Guiana but also commonly found in Suriname and Guiana. This New World species is loved due to its skeleton like markings on its legs and of course its “blue fangs” which is actually the metallic to neon blue coloring of the chelicerae and not the actual fangs (spoiler alert the fangs are actually just black). In addition they have a nicely colored carapace and abdomen which tends to be a nice coloring of green to yellow. They are hardy and slow growing but live for a very long time.

 

e.cya

 

Habitat:

The Blue Fang is a known pet hole. Your tank should contain a deep substrate for it to burrow in. preferably 4 to 6 inches. As for tank size the most you will need will be about 5 gallons. This species requires very high humidity and a very damp substrate is recommended. Due to the amount of humidity we would recommend a coconut fiber mix as this is acidic and will help in preventing mold in the tank. is You can also set up a hide/retreat though not recommended being that chances are it will never use it. A steady temperature of 77 to 83 degrees should be ideal and a humidity of about 75 to 80 percent. As always a clean over-filled water dish should always be readily available to keep your tarantula properly hydrated.

 

Feeding:

The Blue Fang Skeleton Tarantula is an excellent eater and should be fed once a week. Being an insectivore, a steady diet of nutritious live crickets, cockroaches, locusts, moths and even meal worms should be fine to keep your tarantula well fed and happy.

 

Attitude:

Though new world the blue fang is known for sometimes having a nasty attitude. They are extremely fast and we do not recommend trying to handle them as they can easily have you chasing them around your room/house. They do come equipped with urticating hairs as most New World species do. They rather retreat to their hide but if all else fails might bite. Their venom though not potent to be lethal to humans can still affect you if you have certain allergies.

 

The Blue Fang Skeleton Tarantula is a wonderful species but due to their speed, maintenance due to living environment and attitude we recommend this for a more intermediate to experienced keeper or hobbyist. This will surely be a pet hole but once your Blue Fang come out of its burrow those colors and beauty will be well worth it.

Skeleton Tarantula (Ephebopus murinus)

Ephebopus 3 Comments »

The Skeleton Tarantula is a tarantula indigenous to Brazil and other parts of South America. This new world species is loved due to its dark brown abdomen, light brown carapace and skeleton like markings on its black legs. In adult size they grow anywhere between 4 to 6 inches in length.  They live to be on average anywhere from 4 to 8 years with females outliving the males.

 

e.murinus

 

Habitat:

The Skeleton Tarantula is a terrestrial burrowers. For a full grown tarantula you will want a 10 to 15 gallon enclosure with at least 6 to 8 inches of substrate. They tend to burrow deep. Make sure your substrate is damp to give your tarantula plenty of humidity. The substrate itself should be a mix of eco-earth (or whatever other coconut fiber you prefer) and vermiculite. A hide can also be added to the enclosure in the event that your tarantula feels like being above ground. A shallow water dish with fresh water should also always be available. A temperature of about 78 to 82 degrees should be fine with a humidity level of about 75 percent.

 

Feeding:

As spiderlings (slings) you can feed them fruit flies, as they get older you can switch to small pinhead crickets to then large crickets to eventually even large cockroaches and locusts. They are good eaters but as always if you see the prey being untouched after 24 hours remove it form the enclosure.

 

Attitude:

For a new world species they tend to be quite aggressive. If approached they will easily assume a threat/defensive position. In addition they do come with urticating hairs which uniquely are on its palps and in worst cases can bite. Their venom though not lethal to humans can cause pain and swelling in addition to muscle cramps. It is for those reasons that we not recommend you to handle these animals.

 

Do you have a Skeleton Tarantula or simply have a question? Comment down below and tell us about your experience! We would love to hear from you