| Special Notices |
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SALES TO CALIFORNIA ONLY.
WILL NOT SHIP OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA.
THIS SPECIES IS FEDERALLY LISTED AS ENDANGERED UNDER THE U.S. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AND IS ALSO CITES APPENDIX II. INTERSTATE COMMERCIAL SALES ARE RESTRICTED, SO WE DO NOT SHIP THIS SPECIES ACROSS STATE LINES.
Exceptional, but demanding. This is a very fast Old World arboreal with medically significant venom potential, so use secure enclosures, catch cups, long tools, and deliberate hands-off maintenance at every life stage.
Starting with a baby? A FREE sling container is available if
requested at checkout. It is not automatically included.
Visit my Urban Tarantulas YouTube channel
for care, setup, feeding, and show-and-tell videos to see how we keep and feed our
tarantulas.
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| Care Details |
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🌡️ Temperature: A practical captive range is about 72–80°F (22–27°C). Stable warm room temperatures work well; avoid overheating, direct sun, and abrupt temperature swings.
💧 Humidity: Maintain a moisture gradient with some moisture retained in the lower substrate while allowing good airflow throughout the enclosure. Provide constant access to clean water and avoid persistently saturated, stagnant conditions, which are not a substitute for proper hydration.
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| 🏠 Housing |
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Babies / Slings: Use a secure, well-ventilated enclosure with vertical structure, cork bark, and multiple web anchors. Provide substrate for moisture management and a tight elevated retreat where the sling can hide and web.
Juveniles: Transition to a taller enclosure with securely positioned cork bark, vertical retreats, foliage or anchor points, good cross-ventilation, and a water dish. Design maintenance so the spider can remain inside its retreat.
Adults: Provide a spacious vertical enclosure with substantial climbing height, a large cork-bark retreat, abundant web anchors, excellent ventilation, and clean water. All doors and ventilation openings must be exceptionally secure.
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| 🍽️ General Diet |
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Offer appropriately sized crickets and suitable roaches such as Dubia, Red Runner, or Lobster roaches. Small slings can accept tiny live prey or portions of pre-killed prey when necessary, while juveniles and adults readily take proportionally larger invertebrates.
Adjust portions and feeding frequency according to life stage, abdomen condition, and feeding response rather than following a rigid schedule. Remove uneaten prey and boluses carefully, and stop offering live feeders when a molt appears imminent.
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| In-depth Facts |
| 🕷️
Scientific Name |
Poecilotheria ornata Pocock, 1899
View Poecilotheria ornata in the World Spider Catalog
Explore current taxonomy, distribution, and scientific references.
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| 📛 Common Names |
Fringed Ornamental Tarantula; Fringed Ornamental. |
| 🌡️ Temperature |
About 72–80°F (22–27°C), with stable warm room temperatures preferred. |
| 💧 Humidity |
Moderate substrate moisture with excellent ventilation and continuous access to clean water; avoid saturated or stagnant conditions. |
| 📍 Locale |
Sri Lanka. |
| 🏷️ Category |
Old World arboreal; fast-moving, retreat-oriented, and an extensive webber around suitable vertical structure. |
| 📏 Adult Size |
Females: Approximately 8–10 in (20–25 cm) DLS.
Males: Approximately 7–9 in (18–23 cm) DLS.
DLS means diagonal leg span. These
are general species notes, not the size of the specimen offered.
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| 🪶 Urticating Hairs |
No urticating hairs. |
| ⏳ Growth Rate |
Fast; slings and juveniles can develop quickly under appropriate captive conditions. |
| 🧭 Lifespan |
Females: Approximately 10–15+ years in captivity.
Males: Approximately 3–5 years total lifespan in captivity.
Captive keeper estimates of total
lifespan, not years remaining after purchase.
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| 🍽️ Feeding |
Appropriately sized crickets and suitable roaches; typically a strong feeding response, with portions adjusted according to life stage, body condition, and molt cycle. |
| 🎯 Recommended Level |
Best matched with keepers already comfortable maintaining very fast Old World arboreals. Its speed, potent venom, large adult size, and defensive potential require secure housing and disciplined hands-off maintenance. |
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| Safety Disclaimer |
| Tarantulas
can bite. Enjoy observing your tarantula and use secure transfer methods during
maintenance. Handling is at your own risk. Always prioritize your safety and the
tarantula’s well-being. This fast Old World arboreal lacks urticating hairs and has medically significant venom potential, so direct handling should be avoided and escape prevention should be a priority. |
