Haitian Brown Tarantula
Phormictopes canceroides (Araneae: Theraphosidae)
Haitian Brown Tarantulas are native to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico (Breene 1998). These large spiders can reach 20 cm in leg span and have a reputation for defensive behavior and hairkicking. Adult males are a lovely purplish color.
Captive Requirements
| Housing: | 10 to 20 L cage for large adults |
| Communal: | No |
| Diet: | Crickets, cockroaches |
| Substrate: | At least 10 cm of soil or peat moss |
| Decor: | Cork bark, flower pot, or wood hideout, water dish |
| Temperature: | 21.1 to 29.4° C (70 to 85° F) |
| Humidity: | Moderate |
| Temperament: | Defensive tendencies |
| Considerations: | Probably not the best choice for beginners |
***Rain
(M) and Dusky (F)***
I picked up the adult male, Rain, in fall of 2004. He was sold as a featherleg baboon. Yeah...I was shocked as well. After determining what he actually was, I ordered a large adult female from Todd Gearheart in April 2005. I bred them, but unfortunately Rain died and Dusky molted shortly after. It was no less a learning experience, and I'm sure she'll ready to breed again any time, so hit me up if you have an available male :)
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| Rain: adult male, Dec. 5, 2004 | |||
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| Dusky: adult female, June 22, 2005 | |||
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| Mating sequence,
June 22, 2005. The male uses his tibial spurs to hold the female's fangs in place and his pedipalps to place sperm in the female's spermatheca, which is located on the underside of the female's abdomen. |
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Copyright © 2006 By Emily Tenczar