Selenobrachys philippinus
Philippine Tangerine Tarantula: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: The current name is Selenobrachys philippinus: the genus was restored in 2025. The same primary field record says its retreats were not self-dug; spiders used pre-existing voids under metamorphic boulders and in slope crevices near streams. Give it deep, shape-holding substrate plus a preformed cork or stone retreat rather than expecting it to excavate from scratch. No species captive optimum or numeric RH target exists: use ordinary room temperature, a damp lower layer with a less-wet surface, effective cross-ventilation, and open water when safely sized. This is a fast Old World tarantula with no species clinical series, so no hand contact and catch-cup staging are mandatory. - Big Z
Group: TarantulasDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Old World fossorial build: deep substrate PLUS a pre-formed rock or cork retreat, because this species occupies burrows rather than digging themHandling: Never handled. Catch cup and tongs only, and assume it is out of the enclosure the moment the lid moves.
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 (23-27 C) is a conservative Big Z starting band, not a published Selenobrachys philippinus optimum. It is informed by regional modeled air temperatures and family-level zoo guidance; neither establishes unsafe cutoffs. Use a gradient and avoid uncontrolled heat. |
|---|---|
| Humidity | No numeric RH % target is established. Keep the lower substrate damp enough to hold a retreat while allowing the surface to become less wet; provide effective cross-ventilation and an open water dish when safely sized. This is a house translation of species microhabitat plus family husbandry, not a rainfall-derived tolerance limit. |
| Setup Type | Old World fossorial build: deep substrate PLUS a pre-formed rock or cork retreat, because this species occupies burrows rather than digging them |
| Substrate | Use deep, shape-holding substrate with a damp lower layer and less-wet surface, plus a preformed cork tube, bark slot, or stable stone crevice. The field paper confirms use of pre-existing retreats; exact mix, depth, and vessel size are family/Big Z construction. No evidence supports a fixed 10 mL-per-100 mL recipe or deliberately restricted ventilation. |
| Feeding | Offer appropriately sized prey at a cautious recorded house cadence. Weekly prey smaller than the abdomen is family-level guidance; twice-weekly sling feeding is Big Z/keeper practice, not a species trial. A reduction in feeding can accompany premolt but is not diagnostic; also check temperature, moisture, disturbance, prey size, and health. |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 4: Advanced |
| Handling | Never handled. Catch cup and tongs only, and assume it is out of the enclosure the moment the lid moves. |
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
- Small sling: individual escape-proof enclosure with deep shape-holding substrate, a preformed retreat, damp lower layer, less-wet surface, and water delivered safely; exact instar and vessel volume are not inferred
- Juvenile: individual enclosure with increasing substrate depth, preformed cork/stone retreat, effective cross-ventilation, and open water
- Adult: primary literature publishes body measurements, not a reliable hobby leg span; size from the individual while preserving deep substrate, retreat choice, open water, and secondary containment
Warnings First
- No S. philippinus human clinical series was found. Australian Phlogiellus/Selenocosmia cases are related-taxon evidence only and cannot establish this species' severity ceiling.
- Seven dogs died after bites by Australian Phlogiellus/Selenocosmia in one clinical series, some within 0.5-2 hours; no canine case was found for S. philippinus. Keep dogs physically separated as a conservative cross-taxon precaution, not because species-level dog toxicity has been demonstrated.
- Old World lineages lack the New World urticating-setae system at clade scope. This does not make a bite consequence-free.
- Extreme speed is supported by keeper observation, not a population-level behavior trial. Big Z's applies no handling, catch-cup staging, and secondary containment as conservative controls.
- The retailer-derived sling recipe, half-liter vessel, and five-to-ten-hole ventilation prescription failed the welfare-evidence rule and were removed.
- The name restoration and 'burrows, not self-dug' field observation are primary evidence and remain intact.
Simple Care
- House one spider per enclosure.
- Provide deep shape-holding substrate plus a preformed cork or stone retreat; field retreats were not self-dug.
- Keep the lower substrate damp while allowing the exposed surface to become less wet.
- Use effective escape-proof cross-ventilation; no evidence supports deliberately restricted airflow.
- Use 73-81 F as a house starting band, not a species optimum.
- Provide open water when safely sized and never use cotton or sponge in the dish.
- Use a recorded feeding cadence; reduced intake can accompany premolt but is not diagnostic.
- No hand contact. Stage a catch cup and work inside secondary containment.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Acuña et al. (2025) directly reports retreats near streams under metamorphic boulders and in slope crevices, explicitly 'burrows, not self-dug.' Provide both deep substrate and a preformed retreat.
- Exact 10 mL-per-100 mL substrate water, half-liter sling vessel, and five-to-ten 1/16-in holes came from a retailer and are not welfare evidence.
- Use multiple escape-proof cross-vents sized to the spider; no evidence supports deliberately restricted ventilation for this species.
- Damp lower substrate with a less-wet surface is a house translation of the field microhabitat plus family guidance. Macro rainfall does not establish captive tolerance.
- 73-81 F is a house band. Regional modeled air and family zoo guidance are context only, not a species optimum.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Weekly prey smaller than the abdomen is family-level EAZA guidance. More frequent sling feeding is keeper/Big Z practice and must be adjusted from the animal.
- A reduction in feeding can accompany premolt but is not diagnostic; check husbandry, prey size, disturbance, and health before assuming molt.
- Remove uneaten prey, especially around molt, and wait until the spider is visibly hardened before resuming feeding.
- No species growth curve, molt cadence, maturity age, adult feeding interval, or lifespan was verified.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Negros Occidental, Negros Island, Philippines - and only there. The 2025 redescription gives two localities: Mambucal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary at the foot of Mt Kanlaon, at 365 m, and Sipalay City. The same paper states directly that reports from the internet placing it on Panay, Guimaras and Cebu are unverified, which contradicts claims currently in the trade. The habitat is mountain slope near streams, with the animals sheltering in pre-existing voids under metamorphic rock boulders and in crevices. The supplier gave no locality for these animals and none is claimed.
- Habitat translation: Species records place S. philippinus near streams on Negros mountain slopes, using pre-existing voids under metamorphic boulders and in crevices and roaming near retreats at night. Translate that into deep shape-holding substrate with a damp lower layer and less-wet surface, a preformed cork or stone retreat, effective cross-ventilation, open water when safely sized, and a 73-81 F house starting band. Regional modeled air and family guidance are context; no burrow microclimate or captive optimum was measured.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Selenobrachys philippinus Schmidt, 1999 was transferred to Orphnaecus in 2012 and restored to Selenobrachys by Acuña et al. in 2025. The superseded Orphnaecus philippinus remains a useful match alias.
- The 2025 paper restricts verified records to Negros Occidental and calls Panay, Guimaras, and Cebu reports unverified.
- The field text explicitly says the retreats were not self-dug. This distinction survives direct re-fetch and changes the enclosure toward preformed crevices plus deep substrate.
- Adult leg span and lifespan are not established. Retail ranges are not promoted to facts.
- Seven canine deaths belong to Australian Phlogiellus/Selenocosmia, not this species. Dog exclusion is a cross-taxon precaution.
- CITES Appendices valid 5 March 2026 do not list Selenobrachys. Philippine DAO 2019-09 lists this species under its then-current combination Orphnaecus philippinus as Other Wildlife Species; RA 9147 still regulates lawful source and activity-specific possession, trade, transport, and export/import. This is not legal advice.
- The linked product already uses Selenobrachys philippinus. No product-name correction is needed or authorized.