In stock King Baboon Tarantula for sale All tarantulas for sale
Pelinobius muticus
King Baboon Tarantula: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A huge, defensive, slow-growing Old World burrower, best kept as a tunnel-and-ambush display animal. The setup is simple; the safety protocol is not optional.
Group: Industry StaplesDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Old World deep fossorial tarantulaHandling: No handling, defensive bite risk
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 | 74-82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 60-75%, cross-vent at substrate; damp lower layer, dry top |
| Setup Type | Old World deep fossorial tarantula |
| Substrate | Very deep packable soil/coco mix with a pre-started burrow |
| Feeding | Juveniles weekly; adults every 2-4 weeks by condition |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 4: Advanced |
| Handling | No handling, defensive bite risk |
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: small secure setup.
- Juvenile: temporary burrow grow-out.
- Adult: deep enclosure with 8-12 in of packable substrate.
Warnings First
- Old World tarantula: no urticating hairs, defensive bite risk instead.
- Never excavate the burrow or rehouse casually; plan any transfer first.
- Deep substrate is mandatory, and vents belong low on two opposite walls at the substrate line, since you won't get a second chance to fix it.
- Long-lived and slow to mature.
Simple Care
- Build the burrow before the spider arrives.
- Keep a damp lower layer and a dry-to-moderate surface.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls, at the substrate line, so the burrow can breathe.
- Water dish with pebbles so slings can't drown.
- Open only with tools, a catch cup, and a plan.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Build the enclosure deep first, pretty second. Start a tunnel against the side or under cork so you can monitor without digging.
- Packable substrate matters: loose, fluffy substrate collapses and turns a fossorial setup into a stress box.
- Vents go low on two opposite walls, at the substrate line, so the tunnel stays fresh while the open surface stays dry.
- Judge by the substrate, not a gauge: it should pack firmly, feel damp at depth without weeping water, and read dry at the surface. A wet, moldy surface means too little airflow.
- Hydrate down one side of the enclosure, or at the tunnel started against the glass, rather than misting the surface.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Drop prey near the burrow entrance and let the spider decide; remove uneaten prey promptly.
- Molting: sealed burrow plus fasting means hands off. Don't excavate to check. Wait until it reopens and hardens before feeding.
- Adults don't need heavy feeding. A lean, settled king baboon is safer than an obese one in a cramped tunnel.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: East African savanna and dry woodland regions, especially Kenya and Tanzania.
- Habitat translation: Deep warm fossorial setup with stable tunnel humidity, a dry surface option, and minimal disturbance.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Formerly sold in the hobby as Citharischius crawshayi; older labels may still use that name.
- This species can stridulate and threat-pose readily. Respect the warning instead of testing it.
- Females can live well over a decade. Plan the adult enclosure early: rehousing a large king baboon is where mistakes happen.