Selenobrachys philippinus
Philippine Tangerine Tarantula: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A fast, tangerine-orange Old World tarantula described from Negros Island, Philippines. Give it deep substrate plus a preformed cork or stone retreat, a damp lower layer and open water. No hand contact; treat it as fast and defensive.
Group: TarantulasDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Fossorial, deep substrate + preformed retreatHandling: No handling, catch cup and tongs only
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 | 73-81°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 65-80%: damp below, drier surface, open water |
| Setup Type | Fossorial, deep substrate + preformed retreat |
| Substrate | Deep shape-holding mix, damp below, cork/stone retreat |
| Feeding | Weekly, prey smaller than abdomen; slings more often |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 4: Advanced |
| Handling | No handling, catch cup and tongs only |
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: escape-proof enclosure, deep substrate, preformed retreat, damp below, drier surface, water.
- Juvenile: deeper substrate, preformed cork or stone retreat, strong cross-ventilation, open water.
- Adult: about 5-6 in leg span; deep substrate, retreat, open water, secondary containment.
Warnings First
- No handling. Extremely fast; assume it's out the instant the lid moves.
- No urticating hairs, but that doesn't make a bite risk-free.
- Keep dogs separated from this spider as a precaution.
Simple Care
- House one spider per enclosure.
- Give deep, shape-holding substrate plus a preformed cork or stone retreat.
- Keep the lower substrate damp; let the surface stay drier.
- Cross-ventilate well; do not restrict airflow to raise humidity.
- Hold 73-81°F as a starting point.
- Offer open water when safely sized; skip cotton or sponge in the dish.
- Feed on a regular schedule; reduced appetite can mean premolt, but check other causes too.
- No handling. Stage a catch cup and work in secondary containment.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Wild records show it sheltering in pre-existing voids under boulders and in slope crevices near streams, not self-dug burrows. Give deep substrate plus a preformed retreat.
- Use multiple escape-proof cross-vents sized to the spider; don't restrict airflow to force humidity up.
- Damp lower substrate with a drier surface is a practical stand-in for the wild microhabitat, not an exact measured target.
- 73-81°F is a starting band; adjust to how your animal behaves.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer prey smaller than the abdomen weekly; slings can eat more often. Adjust to the animal.
- Reduced appetite can mean premolt, but check temperature, moisture, disturbance, and prey size too.
- Remove uneaten prey, especially around a molt, and wait until it's visibly hardened before feeding again.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Negros Occidental, Negros Island, Philippines, and only there confirmed. Found on mountain slopes near streams, sheltering under boulders and in rock crevices.
- Habitat translation: Wild S. philippinus shelters in existing rock voids and crevices on Negros mountain slopes near streams. Build: deep shape-holding substrate, damp below, a preformed cork or stone retreat, strong cross-ventilation, and open water.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Selenobrachys philippinus is the current name; Orphnaecus philippinus is a still-used older name.
- Confirmed range is Negros Occidental, Philippines only; reports from other islands aren't confirmed.
- In the wild it occupies existing voids rather than digging its own burrow; that shaped the enclosure design above.
- Adult leg span and lifespan are unknown; size and care follow your individual spider.
- Not CITES-listed. Local wildlife-trade rules may still apply; check before buying or moving it.