| A little help getting started |
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Raising a sling? A free starter container is available if requested at checkout; it is not included automatically.
Visit Urban Tarantulas on YouTube for care, setup, feeding, and show-and-tell videos to see how we keep and feed our tarantulas.
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| 🌿 Care made straightforward |
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Think stable room temperatures, digging space, a sheltered retreat, and fresh water. Larger Firelegs do well with mostly dry surface substrate and a lightly moistened corner. Slings need closer attention to moisture because their small containers dry faster.
Keep ventilation open and avoid soaking the whole enclosure. No heat lamp or direct sunlight is needed. Specific temperature and moisture guidance appears in the facts below.
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| 🏠 Housing at every stage |
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Babies / slings
A ventilated 1–4 oz deli cup can suit small slings. Match the container to the spider, use escape-proof ventilation holes, and provide gently packed substrate for digging. Maintain a slightly moist corner or lower layer with a drier area available.
Juveniles
Use a low terrestrial enclosure with a cork-bark hide, diggable substrate, and a small water dish. Increase floor space as the spider grows.
Adults
Choose a secure enclosure with roughly three leg spans of length and two of width as a starting point. Add generous substrate depth and keep the clearance above it low to reduce fall risk. Provide a stable hide and shallow water dish. Keep individuals separately.
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| 🍽️ Feeding & the occasional fast |
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Offer appropriately sized captive-bred crickets or roaches, including Dubia, Red Runners, and Lobster roaches. Slings take small crickets or roach nymphs; freshly pre-killed prey is useful when live feeders are too large to tackle safely.
Start with small meals once or twice weekly for slings, every 7–10 days for juveniles, and every 2–3 weeks for adults. Adjust to abdomen condition and appetite. Remove uneaten food within 24 hours.
A missed meal is not automatically a problem. Slow-growing tarantulas may fast, especially before molting. Remove live feeders when premolt is suspected, leave molting spiders undisturbed, and resume feeding only after their fangs have hardened.
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| Your Fireleg at a glance |
| 🕷️ Scientific name |
Brachypelma boehmei
Schmidt & Klaas, 1993 |
| 📛 Common names |
Mexican Fireleg; Mexican Rustleg. |
| 🌡️ Temperature |
Approximately 70–78°F (21–26°C). Stable room conditions are a practical starting point. |
| 💧 Humidity |
Low to moderate ambient humidity. Prioritize mostly dry surface substrate, a slightly moist area, ventilation, and drinking water over a fixed percentage. Keep slings from drying out completely. |
| 📍 Locale |
Mexico, particularly Guerrero; associated with seasonally dry habitats and sheltered burrows. |
| 🏷️ Category |
New World terrestrial / burrowing species. Generally light visible webbing, with silk used around its retreat and during molting. |
| 📏 Adult size — DLS |
Female: commonly around 5–6 inches (13–15 cm).
Male: usually more slender and often smaller; a dependable separate male DLS range is not well established in the care references.
DLS means diagonal leg span, not body length. Individual sizes vary.
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| 🪶 Urticating hairs |
Yes—if disturbed, they can flick urticating hairs as a natural defense. Individual responses vary; Firelegs can be quick to use this defense during maintenance. |
| ⏳ Growth rate |
Slow. Enjoy the gradual changes between molts; growth varies with age, feeding, and conditions. |
| 🧭 Lifespan |
Female: roughly 20–25+ years.
Male: roughly 5–8 years.
Captive keeper estimates of total lifespan, not years remaining after maturity.
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| 🎯 Recommended level |
Great for Brachypelma lovers and keepers drawn to bright color and a little defensive personality. A simple terrestrial setup and calm, hands-off maintenance keep the routine manageable. |
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| Safety disclaimer |
| Tarantulas can bite, and this species has hairs that can irritate skin and eyes. Enjoy observing it and use a catch cup for transfers. Keep your face away during maintenance and protect the spider from falls. Seek medical advice after a bite or significant hair exposure, especially to the eyes. Handling is at your own risk. Always prioritize your safety and the tarantula’s well-being. |
