Carolina Wolf Spider (Hogna carolinensis)
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Spice 2 · Beginner
How the Spice System works
WC: Wild caught
Collected from the wild and settled in at Big Z's before it ships. Many species, adults especially, are rarely bred in captivity.
Big Z's notes
About this Fella
Madrean Red Rump Tarantula for sale from Big Z's (Aphonopelma vorhiesi). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
A southern Arizona Aphonopelma with a red abdomen.
Aphonopelma vorhiesi, the Madrean Red Rump, is a sky-island Aphonopelma from the Madrean ranges of southern Arizona, named for the reddish hair on the abdomen. Wild caught, mixed sizes. We measure each one when it lands and update the listing, so ask before ordering if size matters to you.
Spice Level 2: Beginner. Same care as the rest of the Arizona tarantulas: a terrestrial setup with deep, dry-leaning substrate, a hide it can enlarge, and a water dish. Not a handling animal. Read the Big Z's care guide before it arrives.
Full care is in the care guide. It covers enclosure size, temperature, humidity, feeding, molting signs and handling limits for this species. Read the Advanced guide, or the shorter Simple guide →
- Lane
- Spice 2 · Beginner
- Source
- WC: wild caught.
Madrean Red Rump Tarantula (Aphonopelma vorhiesi)
Tarantula
Keeper feedback
$59.99Mixed Sizes WC selected
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Spice 2 · Beginner
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2 available right now
Ready to ship
At a glance
The quick read on this fella
- Venom
- Mild venom
- Kicks urticating hairs
- Type
- Terrestrial
- Ground dweller · US native
- Climate
- 75-88°F · 35-50%
- Dry substrate, full dish (seemanni: moist corner)
- Feeding
- Prey every 7-10 days
- Fasts for months are normal
- Housing
- Solo only
- Water
- Full dish with pebbles or coarse grit
From our North American Desert Tarantulas group guide (Aphonopelma spp.). Read the full guide
Live animals ship Mon to Wed
FedEx Standard Overnight $44.99 or Priority Overnight $49.99, both with the Live Arrival Guarantee; free overnight on orders $499.99 and up. FedEx 2Day $34.99 has no guarantee and needs a signed waiver. Pickup in the Phoenix area or at an expo is free (arrange with Big Z first). Weather holds are free and we message you first.
Live arrival support
Every order is packed for that week’s weather. Not sure if Madrean Red Rump Tarantula is your spice level? Message us and we’ll talk it through.
Big Z's here to help
Not sure if Madrean Red Rump Tarantula is your spice level? Message us and we’ll talk it through.
Care guide Shipping and Live Arrival Guarantee
About this Fella Big Z's notes
Madrean Red Rump Tarantula for sale from Big Z's (Aphonopelma vorhiesi). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
A southern Arizona Aphonopelma with a red abdomen.
Aphonopelma vorhiesi, the Madrean Red Rump, is a sky-island Aphonopelma from the Madrean ranges of southern Arizona, named for the reddish hair on the abdomen. Wild caught, mixed sizes. We measure each one when it lands and update the listing, so ask before ordering if size matters to you.
Spice Level 2: Beginner. Same care as the rest of the Arizona tarantulas: a terrestrial setup with deep, dry-leaning substrate, a hide it can enlarge, and a water dish. Not a handling animal. Read the Big Z's care guide before it arrives.
Full care is in the care guide. It covers enclosure size, temperature, humidity, feeding, molting signs and handling limits for this species. Read the Advanced guide, or the shorter Simple guide →
- Lane
- Spice 2 · Beginner
- Source
- WC: wild caught.
What ships with this order Care + shipping
- A free care guide for this species
- A heat or cold pack when the forecast calls for it
- Tracking and an arrival window before it ships
- Message Big Z about your animal for as long as you keep it
Care guideSpice 2 · Beginner
Matched care guide
View in Care Guides library
North American Desert Tarantulas
Aphonopelma spp. · Spice 2: Beginner. Baby Buddy: spiderlings only, escape-proof ventilation; rehouse up before it gets cramped. Burrow Buddy: forever home for dwarf species; a grow-out stage for full-size ones like A. chalcodes. Larger custom terrestrial enclosure for adults of the full-size species.
Aphonopelma spp.
Sold under its hobby name. This guide covers the group or trade name this fella is sold as, so the ranges fit the whole group. Start in the middle and watch how your animal settles in.
North American Desert Tarantulas
Big Z's Quick Verdict: The US and Central American desert tarantulas: calm, hardy, and among the longest-lived spiders in the hobby. The only hard part is patience: A. chalcodes females can take a decade-plus to mature. Adults reach about 4.5-6 inches across.
Group: TarantulasDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Terrestrial/fossorial (dry)Handling: Not recommended, kicks urticating hairs
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 Care Snapshot
| Temp | 75-88°F (tolerates cool winter dips) |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 35-50%, dry substrate, full dish (seemanni: moist corner) |
| Setup | Terrestrial/fossorial (dry) |
| Substrate | Dry sand/topsoil; seemanni needs 6-8 in, one damp corner |
| Feeding | Prey every 7-10 days; fasts for months are normal |
| Handling | Not recommended, kicks urticating hairs |
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%+
Recommended Big Z's Setup
- Baby Buddy: spiderlings only, escape-proof ventilation; rehouse up before it gets cramped.
- Burrow Buddy: forever home for dwarf species; a grow-out stage for full-size ones like A. chalcodes.
- Larger custom terrestrial enclosure for adults of the full-size species.
Critical Notes
- Kicks urticating hairs when threatened; a fall from height can injure or kill it. Handle only with a catch cup.
- Glacially slow growth: A. chalcodes may not mature for 10+ years.
- Long fasts are completely normal.
- A. seemanni is more nervous and fossorial than the rest of the group.
- Decades at small sizes means decades of drowning risk. Keep pebbles in the water dish permanently.
Care Basics
- Handle rarely, if at all; wash hands after any contact and keep them away from your eyes.
- Dry substrate with a water dish; put pebbles in so slings cannot drown for their first years.
- Vent low on two opposite walls; a dry desert species still needs air moving at floor level.
- A. chalcodes: a hide is enough. A. seemanni: deep substrate for a burrow.
- Do not worry about months-long fasts; judge by body condition.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer a sized cricket, roach or mealworm every 7-10 days. This genus often refuses food for weeks or months; judge by body condition, not the calendar.
- Premolt: sluggish, seals up, stops eating for days to weeks (longer in desert species). Pull uneaten feeders and wait 5-10 days after the molt to feed again.
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Aphonopelma spp.
Sold under its hobby name. This guide covers the group or trade name this fella is sold as, so the ranges fit the whole group. Start in the middle and watch how your animal settles in.
North American Desert Tarantulas: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: The US and Central American desert tarantulas: calm, hardy, and among the longest-lived spiders in the hobby. The only hard part is patience: A. chalcodes females can take a decade-plus to mature. Adults reach about 4.5-6 inches across.
Group: TarantulasDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Terrestrial/fossorial (dry)Handling: Not recommended, kicks urticating hairs
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 | 75-88°F (tolerates cool winter dips) |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 35-50%, dry substrate, full dish (seemanni: moist corner) |
| Setup Type | Terrestrial/fossorial (dry) |
| Substrate | Dry sand/topsoil; seemanni needs 6-8 in, one damp corner |
| Feeding | Prey every 7-10 days; fasts for months are normal |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 2: Beginner |
| Handling | Not recommended, kicks urticating hairs |
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
- Compact secure enclosure while it is a tiny sling.
- Dry horizontal terrestrial/fossorial burrow setup for juveniles and adults.
- Larger floor-space dry build for adults of the bigger species.
Warnings First
- Kicks urticating hairs when threatened; a fall from height can injure or kill it. Handle only with a catch cup.
- Glacially slow growth: A. chalcodes may not mature for 10+ years.
- Long fasts are completely normal.
- A. seemanni is more nervous and fossorial than the rest of the group.
- Decades at small sizes means decades of drowning risk. Keep pebbles in the water dish permanently.
Simple Care
- Handle rarely, if at all; wash hands after any contact and keep them away from your eyes.
- Dry substrate with a water dish; put pebbles in so slings cannot drown for their first years.
- Vent low on two opposite walls; a dry desert species still needs air moving at floor level.
- A. chalcodes: a hide is enough. A. seemanni: deep substrate for a burrow.
- Do not worry about months-long fasts; judge by body condition.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- The group here: A. chalcodes, A. seemanni, A. hentzi, A. anax and A. moderatum.
- Mostly desert species: dry sand/topsoil, a water dish, a hide. A. seemanni is the exception, wanting 6-8 in of substrate and one moist corner.
- Vent low on two opposite walls. More airflow is always better here; ambient humidity can run low without concern since these drink from the dish.
- Judge moisture by hand, not a gauge: substrate should read dry except right around the dish, and any spill should dry back in a day or two.
- Keep the dish full with pebbles or coarse grit so the waterline sits below the rim; for A. seemanni, wet the burrow corner instead of misting.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer a sized cricket, roach or mealworm every 7-10 days. This genus often refuses food for weeks or months; judge by body condition, not the calendar.
- Premolt: sluggish, seals up, stops eating for days to weeks (longer in desert species). Pull uneaten feeders and wait 5-10 days after the molt to feed again.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America: desert, scrub and dry oak woodland.
- Habitat translation: Dry sand/topsoil terrestrial enclosure with a water dish and a hide; for A. seemanni, deep substrate for a fossorial burrow plus one moist corner.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Adult size about 4.5-6 in leg span; growth is among the slowest in the hobby (A. chalcodes females take 10+ years to mature).
- Lifespan is correspondingly long: females roughly 25-40+ yrs.
- Aphonopelma albiceps is CITES Appendix II; the common hobby species here are not, but captive-bred origin still matters.
- Patience is the entire difficulty rating; husbandry is otherwise about as forgiving as a tarantula gets.
- The real risk here is the hairs and a fall, not the bite; individual temperament varies more than the species name suggests.
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