In stock Vantablack Wolf Spider for sale All spiders for sale
Tigrosa helluo
Vantablack Wolf Spider: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A deep-black melanistic color form of Tigrosa helluo, the Wetland Giant Wolf Spider; same care as the standard coloring. Fast, alert ground hunter with a mild bite. Hands-off, not for handling.
Group: Spiders & Other InvertsDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Terrestrial burrow setupHandling: Not recommended, fast alert hunter
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 | 68-78°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 50-65%, drier substrate, moist corner, small dish |
| Setup Type | Terrestrial burrow setup |
| Substrate | Deep substrate for burrowing, 3+ in |
| Feeding | Appropriately sized prey weekly |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 3: Intermediate |
| Handling | Not recommended, fast alert hunter |
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
- Burrow Buddy setup: secure terrestrial enclosure with floor space and burrow depth.
Warnings First
- Fast hunter; can bolt when the lid opens.
- Mild venom, but still a defensive predator; hands-off.
- Solo only; cannibalistic, so never house together.
- Digs a burrow rather than building a web; give it real substrate depth.
- A dug burrow needs airflow: vent low on two opposite walls to keep the retreat fresh and the moist corner from spreading.
Simple Care
- Give it floor space and a rock or board hide over a burrow start.
- Vent low on two opposite walls, at the substrate line, so air crosses the floor and burrow mouth.
- Keep a small moisture corner in otherwise drier substrate.
- Keep a shallow water dish with pebbles so dispersing spiderlings can't drown.
- Feed prey no larger than the spider can safely overpower.
- House solo; do not cohabitate, this species is cannibalistic.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Digs a retreat burrow rather than webbing; deep, packable substrate matters more than decor.
- Plan airflow around that burrow: vent low on two opposite walls, at or just above the substrate, so air crosses the floor and burrow mouth.
- Hold 50-65% by keeping the moist corner topped up and running a dish, with vents flowing, rather than closing the enclosure up.
- Judge by hand, not a gauge: open substrate drier, moist corner holds its shape with no free water.
- Wet the moist corner under the hide, not the open floor, so the rest of the substrate keeps exchanging air.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Appropriately sized crickets or roaches weekly; remove uneaten prey. Feed at dusk or lights-out for the best response.
- Wild-caught adults and subadults are typical for this species in the trade; expect normal premolt fasting.
- Keep the lid secure and well sealed; this is a fast, strong spider capable of bolting the moment it opens.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Eastern US, Canada, and Mexico; marshes, riparian areas, and damp woodland edges.
- Habitat translation: Terrestrial burrow setup with deep substrate, a hide, and a damp corner reflecting its marsh-edge origin.
Advanced Keeper Details
- This is the extra-dark melanistic color morph of Tigrosa helluo, not a distinct species; same care as the standard mottled coloring.
- Mild bite, but still a fast, defensive predator; treat it like any wolf spider, hands-off with tools for maintenance.
- Sometimes sold under the same trade name as Lycosa singoriensis, a much larger Central Asian species. They're different animals; check which one you have.