In stock Dodoma Baboon Tarantula for sale All tarantulas for sale
Pterinochilus lugardi
Dodoma Baboon Tarantula: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A fast, dry-country African baboon that mostly lives underground. Give it deep, dry, diggable soil with a starter hole, keep the dish full, and work around it with tongs and a cup.
Group: TarantulasDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Dry burrower, deep substrate, web anchorsHandling: No handling, very fast African baboon
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 | 75-85°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 40-60%: dry substrate, full dish |
| Setup Type | Dry burrower, deep substrate, web anchors |
| Substrate | Deep dry soil/sand mix, 4-6 in, cork cover |
| Feeding | Weekly, wait 5-10 days after a molt |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 4: Advanced |
| Handling | No handling, very fast African baboon |
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
- Juveniles (about 1 in): Baby Buddy packed with as much dry soil as it holds.
- Larger juveniles and adults: deep custom build, 4-6 in of packed dry soil.
Warnings First
- Very fast with a painful Old World bite. Catch cup and long tongs only.
- No urticating hairs: speed and a bite are its defense.
- Keep the lid shut while it is near the opening. Work from the side away from the burrow.
- Don't keep it wet. Dry substrate plus a full dish.
Simple Care
- House it alone.
- Deep, dry, packable soil for a real burrow.
- Cork cover over a starter hole.
- Full pebble-filled water dish.
- Low cross ventilation.
- Feed weekly while growing.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- A burrowing baboon. Depth matters more than floor space, and it may web the entrance.
- Pack the soil firmly so tunnels hold.
- Place the dish away from the burrow mouth so it doesn't get buried.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Prey up to abdomen size, weekly for juveniles, every 1-2 weeks for adults.
- Drop prey near the entrance at dusk. Pull leftovers next day.
- Wait 5-10 days after a molt.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Southern and eastern Africa: Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
- Habitat translation: Dry African savanna and bush becomes deep, dry, packed soil with a starter burrow under cork, a full water dish and good low ventilation.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Often described as less defensive than its orange cousins, but still fast and still an Old World bite.
- Body lengths here are adult measurements, not leg span.