Philippine Tangerine Tarantula (Selenobrachys philippinus)
Tarantula
$39.99
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Spice 4 · Advanced
How the Spice System works
Medically significant ⚠
A sting or bite from this animal can need medical care. Adults only, a locked escape-proof enclosure and no handling.
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
Ornamental Baboon Tarantula for sale from Big Z's (Heteroscodra maculata). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
Fast, deadly-quick, and built to live straight up your enclosure wall
Heteroscodra maculata, the Ornamental Baboon Tarantula, is a lean West African climber wearing high-contrast mottling like static on a screen. At 1 to 3 inches it lives up on cork and web rather than the floor, an athletic Old World arboreal that turns a tall enclosure into a vertical stage. Alert, quick, and gorgeous in a stark, geometric way, this is a spider you watch, not a spider you touch.
Respect this one first: the speed is real and the bite carries genuine medical risk, so this is a strict never-handle, advanced-keeper animal. Every bit of maintenance goes through a secure rehousing container, never an open lid. Give it vertical cork and web anchor points and keep humidity moderate-high over slightly damp substrate, then let it do the rest. Read the matched care guide before it arrives. That is not a suggestion, it is the entry fee.
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 4 · Advanced
- Source
- WC: wild caught.
- Handling
- None. Forceps and a catch cup for all maintenance.
- Medical
- Medically significant venom.
- Before it ships
- Big Z confirms every Spice 4 order with the keeper before ship day.
Ornamental Baboon Tarantula (Heteroscodra maculata)
Tarantula
Keeper feedbackYour experience can help another keeper.
$34.991-3" (Juvenile) WC selected
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Spice 4 · Advanced
How the Spice System works
Only 3 left
3 available right now
Ready to ship
At a glance
The quick read on this fella
- Adult size
- 5 in
- Leg span
- Venom
- Medically significant
- Peptide-rich venom
- Type
- Arboreal
- Climber · Old World
- Climate
- 75-82°F · 60-75%
- Slightly damp substrate, dry webbing
- Feeding
- Medium-fast feeder
- Slings weekly, adults every 1-2 weeks
- Lifespan
- Females 10-12 yrs
From our Togo Starburst Baboon Tarantula care guide. 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 is not offered for Spice 4 and 5 fellas. 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 Ornamental Baboon Tarantula is your spice level? Message us and we’ll talk it through.
Big Z's here to help
Not sure if Ornamental Baboon Tarantula is your spice level? Message us and we’ll talk it through.
Spice 4 support
Message Big Z if you want help with the enclosure and lid, or want your setup checked before you order.
Care guide Shipping and Live Arrival Guarantee
About this Fella Big Z's notes
Ornamental Baboon Tarantula for sale from Big Z's (Heteroscodra maculata). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
Fast, deadly-quick, and built to live straight up your enclosure wall
Heteroscodra maculata, the Ornamental Baboon Tarantula, is a lean West African climber wearing high-contrast mottling like static on a screen. At 1 to 3 inches it lives up on cork and web rather than the floor, an athletic Old World arboreal that turns a tall enclosure into a vertical stage. Alert, quick, and gorgeous in a stark, geometric way, this is a spider you watch, not a spider you touch.
Respect this one first: the speed is real and the bite carries genuine medical risk, so this is a strict never-handle, advanced-keeper animal. Every bit of maintenance goes through a secure rehousing container, never an open lid. Give it vertical cork and web anchor points and keep humidity moderate-high over slightly damp substrate, then let it do the rest. Read the matched care guide before it arrives. That is not a suggestion, it is the entry fee.
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 4 · Advanced
- Source
- WC: wild caught.
- Handling
- None. Forceps and a catch cup for all maintenance.
- Medical
- Medically significant venom.
- Before it ships
- Big Z confirms every Spice 4 order with the keeper before ship day.
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 4 · Advanced
Matched care guide
View in Care Guides library
Togo Starburst Baboon Tarantula
Heteroscodra maculata · Spice 4: Advanced. Baby Buddy: spiderlings only, escape-proof vents, rehouse up before it's cramped. Bark Buddy: grow-out for juveniles. Taller ventilated custom enclosure with heavy web anchors for the adult; needs more height than the Bark Buddy's 8 in.
Heteroscodra maculata
Togo Starburst Baboon Tarantula
Big Z's Quick Verdict: One of the two most medically significant tarantulas in the hobby. Peptide-rich venom, documented hospital-visit bites, and it will attack rather than retreat. No-contact, experienced-keepers-only. Adults reach about 5 in across.
Group: Industry StaplesDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Arboreal/semi-arboreal, heavy webHandling: No handling, experienced keepers 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 Care Snapshot
| Temp | 75-82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 60-75%, slightly damp substrate, dry webbing |
| Setup | Arboreal/semi-arboreal, heavy web |
| Substrate | Slightly moist soil/coco, heavy webbing/dirt curtains |
| Feeding | Medium-fast feeder: slings weekly, adults every 1-2 weeks |
| Handling | No handling, experienced keepers 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%+
Recommended Big Z's Setup
- Baby Buddy: spiderlings only, escape-proof vents, rehouse up before it's cramped.
- Bark Buddy: grow-out for juveniles.
- Taller ventilated custom enclosure with heavy web anchors for the adult; needs more height than the Bark Buddy's 8 in.
Critical Notes
- Medically significant venom: bites have sent keepers to hospital (sharp pain, swelling, numbness, hours of throbbing).
- Will deliberately attack rather than retreat; erratic bolting.
- Experienced Old World keepers only: staged catch cup every time, no kids or pets in the room during maintenance.
- Heavy webbing blocks airflow by design. Vent low on one wall, high on the opposite, so the retreat behind the silk still gets fresh air.
Care Basics
- Vertical cork with heavy webbing and dirt-curtain decor; slightly moist substrate.
- Cross-ventilation: vents low on one wall, high on the opposite, so air gets past the silk rather than stopping at it.
- Shallow water dish with pebbles in it so slings cannot drown.
- Never handle; never open without a catch cup staged and a plan.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Medium-fast feeder: slings weekly, adults every week or two.
- One of the few tarantulas described as truly aggressive: it will move toward a threat. Every interaction is planned and tool-based, with a catch cup staged and the room cleared.
- Molting: a premolt tarantula turns sluggish, seals its retreat, and refuses food for days or weeks. Leave it alone and wait 5-10 days before feeding again.
Current Big Z's catalog: No
Heteroscodra maculata
Togo Starburst Baboon Tarantula: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: One of the two most medically significant tarantulas in the hobby. Peptide-rich venom, documented hospital-visit bites, and it will attack rather than retreat. No-contact, experienced-keepers-only. Adults reach about 5 in across.
Group: Industry StaplesDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Arboreal/semi-arboreal, heavy webHandling: No handling, experienced keepers 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 | 75-82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 60-75%, slightly damp substrate, dry webbing |
| Setup Type | Arboreal/semi-arboreal, heavy web |
| Substrate | Slightly moist soil/coco, heavy webbing/dirt curtains |
| Feeding | Medium-fast feeder: slings weekly, adults every 1-2 weeks |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 4: Advanced |
| Handling | No handling, experienced keepers 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
- Compact secure enclosure while it's a tiny sling
- Vertical bark setup with heavy webbing anchor points for juveniles
- Taller, heavily-webbed vertical arboreal build for the adult
Warnings First
- Medically significant venom: bites have sent keepers to hospital (sharp pain, swelling, numbness, hours of throbbing).
- Will deliberately attack rather than retreat; erratic bolting.
- Experienced Old World keepers only: staged catch cup every time, no kids or pets in the room during maintenance.
- Heavy webbing blocks airflow by design. Vent low on one wall, high on the opposite, so the retreat behind the silk still gets fresh air.
Simple Care
- Vertical cork with heavy webbing and dirt-curtain decor; slightly moist substrate.
- Cross-ventilation: vents low on one wall, high on the opposite, so air gets past the silk rather than stopping at it.
- Shallow water dish with pebbles in it so slings cannot drown.
- Never handle; never open without a catch cup staged and a plan.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- A single species: H. maculata, West Africa. Arboreal/semi-arboreal: vertical cork with heavy webbing, plus deeper substrate as an option.
- Dirt curtains and dense silk block air where the spider sits. Vent low on one wall at substrate level and high on the opposite for a real path across.
- Hold 60-75% by keeping the substrate slightly moist and running a dish, with vents flowing. Don't raise humidity by closing up: the webbing already cuts airflow.
- Judge by touch rather than by gauge. Substrate slightly damp with no free water, silk and cork faces dry, no condensation on the walls behind the curtain.
- Keep a shallow water dish with pebbles or coarse grit so the waterline sits below the rim, and mist the open substrate away from the silk rather than through the webbing.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Medium-fast feeder: slings weekly, adults every week or two.
- One of the few tarantulas described as truly aggressive: it will move toward a threat. Every interaction is planned and tool-based, with a catch cup staged and the room cleared.
- Molting: a premolt tarantula turns sluggish, seals its retreat, and refuses food for days or weeks. Leave it alone and wait 5-10 days before feeding again.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: West Africa: Togo and Ghana.
- Habitat translation: Vertical cork enclosure with heavy webbing and dirt-curtain decor, slightly moist substrate, cross-ventilation, and a water dish: built so the keeper never has to be near the spider.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Adult size 5 in leg span; medium-fast growth; females about 10-12 yrs.
- H. maculata and Stromatopelma calceatum top the hobby's worst-venom rankings: severe pain, swelling, numbness, throbbing, and hospital visits.
- For experienced Old World keepers only. Double-containment, long tongs, catch cup always staged, no other people or pets in the room during maintenance.
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