In stock Brazilian Red-and-White & Black-and-White Tarantulas for sale All tarantulas for sale
Nhandu spp.
Sold under its hobby name. This guide covers the group or trade name this fella is sold as, so the ranges fit the whole group. Start in the middle and watch how your animal settles in.
Brazilian Red-and-White & Black-and-White Tarantulas: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: Big, fast-growing Brazilian terrestrials: hardy but more defensive than an Acanthoscurria, quick to threat-pose, strike, and flick hairs. Care is easy; temperament is why this sits at intermediate. Adults reach about 6.5-7.5 inches across.
Group: Industry StaplesDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Terrestrial / opportunistic burrowerHandling: Not recommended, defensive genus
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 72-82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 60-75%, cross-vent; partly moist substrate, drier surface |
| Setup Type | Terrestrial / opportunistic burrower |
| Substrate | Soil/coco, 4-6 in, partly moist; N. chromatus burrows more |
| Feeding | Slings 2x weekly, juveniles weekly, adults every 1-2 weeks |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 3: Intermediate |
| Handling | Not recommended, defensive genus |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Sling: compact secure enclosure.
- Juveniles: part-moist horizontal terrestrial burrow setup.
- Adults: larger floor-space terrestrial build.
Warnings First
- More defensive than most New World giants: threat poses, repeat strikes, eager hair-flicking.
- Heavy-bodied: keep the enclosure low. A fall can injure it.
- Opportunistic burrower: substrate depth matters.
- Vent low on two opposite walls, or the damp half spreads across the whole floor.
Simple Care
- Soil/coco mix, partly moist, with a water dish; pebbles inside so slings can't drown.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls so the moist and dry areas stay distinct.
- Substrate deep enough for an opportunistic burrow.
- Tool-based maintenance only; this is not a 'pet rock'.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- The genus: N. chromatus (red-and-white), N. coloratovillosus (black-and-white), N. tripepii, N. carapoensis, from South and central Brazil and Paraguay savanna and gallery forest.
- Standard New World terrestrial: partly-moist substrate deep enough to burrow. N. chromatus burrows more readily than N. coloratovillosus.
- Vents go low on two opposite walls so air crosses the floor and holds the split between moist and dry areas.
- Judge by hand: you should feel the difference between the moist side and the dry side. If you can't, add air, not water.
- Wet the moist side at the burrow entrance or under the hide, rather than misting the whole enclosure.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Excellent, aggressive feeders: slings twice a week, juveniles weekly, adults every week or two.
- Defensive at feeding and maintenance: expect a ready threat posture and repeated strikes, especially from N. coloratovillosus. Tools, not hands.
- Molting: it turns sluggish, seals up its burrow, and stops eating for days or weeks. Pull uneaten feeders and wait 5-10 days after the molt before feeding again.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: South and central Brazil and Paraguay: savanna and gallery forest.
- Habitat translation: Standard terrestrial enclosure with partly-moist substrate deep enough for an opportunistic burrow, a water dish, and a low profile.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Adult size about 6.5-7.5 in leg span; medium-fast growth; females live 12-15 years.
- Faster-growing and more imposing than the Brachypelma/Tliltocatl crowd, and more defensive than Acanthoscurria: the difficulty rating is about behavior, not husbandry.
- Strong urticating hairs; kicking, threat poses, and bolting are all routine. Never a beginner's first tarantula.