Tarantulas of the World

The Ornamental Baboon Tarantula, also known as the Togo Starburst Tarantula is an old world arboreal species native of West Africa. They are known for their great growth rate (with adults reaching full size within 3 years), excellent speed and great cryptic patterned colors (black, white and grey). They are quite secretive but once out in the open a definite crowd pleaser. They grow to be about 8 to 10 inches in length.  They are not to be messed with as they tend to be very aggressive and carry a potent venom.

Habitat:

In the wild the Ornamental Baboon Tarantula like to be up in trees hidden due to their amazing camouflage-like colors. At full growth you are going to want an enclosure that is anywhere between 10 to 15 gallons in size. Make sure your enclosure has less floor space and more height as this tarantula is arboreal and would rarely use the tank floor to crawl on. As small spiderlings you will notice that they try to burrow but that only lasts for months, as juveniles they will switch it up to be more on higher grounds. Enough bark should be available for them to climb on. Substrate should be about 2 to 4 inches and should be kept damp to supply the right type of humidity for this species. A clean shallow water dish should also be readily available and should be overfilled at all times. Temperature should be between 80 to 85 degrees with a humidity level of about 65 degrees.

Feeding:

This tarantula eats mostly large crickets, cockroaches, moths and locusts. In captivity they will do just fine being fed once a week a few large crickets at a time or 2 b.dubia cockroaches. A close eye should be kept on them, a stop in eating could be a sign that your tarantula is getting ready to molt.

Attitude:

The Ornamental Baboon is known as having one of the most potent venom out of all tarantulas. They are incredibly fast and will not hesitate to bite. They do not come equipped with urticating hairs and therefor have no primary way of protection other then using their fangs. Extreme caution should be used when opening its enclosure and we most certainly not recommend you handling them.

It is a beautiful species for a more advanced hobbyist as we do not recommend them to any beginner or even intermediate tarantula connoisseur.

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.

The Orange Baboon Tarantula also known as the “Orange Bitey Thing” is a species of tarantula from Eastern Africa.  They can grow up to 6 inches in size. Males usually live to be around 6 to 8 years while females live easily between 8 to 12 years. They are nocturnal and you will see him actively during the night. The OBT is a species best handled by expert hobbyists due to its speed and aggression. They are highly favorited in any big collection due to their temperament and robust orange colors.

Habitat:

For the Orange Baboon Tarantula it is recommended you have a terrarium between 5 to 10 gallons to make sure you give it enough space to move. In addition your substrate should also be damp to the touch. Make sure you are giving your tarantula at least 5 to 6 inches of substrate. The p.murinus is a well known burrower and will burrow itself its own hide. In addition they will end up laying a lot of silk threads around and inside their burrows to feel vibrations of anything coming nearby. You can add an additional hide in your enclosure but most of the time it will be unused by your OBT. Make sure it also has enough water and a full water dish should always be readily available for it. Misting the enclosure once a week is also recommended. As for temperature, you are going to want to keep your enclosure nice and warm between 77 to 87 degrees during the day and around 70 degrees at night. Make sure your tank also has a humidity level of about 60 percent.

Feeding:

A steady diet of large crickets and B.dubia cockroaches should be fine for this species. On occasion you can also throw in pinky mice (pinks) to switch it up. As with most Orange Baboon Tarantulas feeding is not a problem at all.

Attitude:

The Orange Baboon Tarantula is known for having a bad attitude. When threatened most adults actually stand their ground while threatening an intruder by rearing up its back legs, striking the ground while hissing. They are extremely fast and if they feel like there is no escape from threat they will waste no time striking and biting. Their bite is considered one of the worst out of all tarantula species. Their venom though not lethal to humans can still inflict quite a bit of pain with most bite cases reported include muscle cramps extreme pain and heavy swelling.

We recommend the Orange Baboon Tarantula to never be handled even by the most expert of hobbyists. It is more of a tarantula to admire from the other site of the glass enclosure. Should you need to handle in the event of rehousing or maintenance of its enclosure please do so carefully. It has no urticating hairs so you might not even get a warning before a bite. We certainly do not recommend this tarantula for the novice tarantula owner but we certainly admire it as a must have species for the skilled connoisseur.

Do you have an Orange Baboon Tarantula? Comment about it and share your experience(s) with us.  Have any questions? Ask away in the bellow comments.