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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
Selenopid Crab Spider for sale from Big Z's (Selenops actophilus). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
Flat as a sticker, faster than your eyes can track
Selenops actophilus, the Selenopid Crab Spider or "Flattie," is a dorsoventrally flattened ambush hunter from the southwestern US and Mexico, pressed thin enough to slide into a crack in the bark and vanish. Under an inch across, it trades size for speed: it delivers some of the fastest strike-and-turn moves ever measured in any spider, whipping sideways in a blur before you register it moved. Set it on vertical bark and it melts into the surface, all patience and stillness, until something small wanders too close.
Low-maintenance and beginner-friendly, with venom that isn't medically significant to most people: it wants vertical bark, a sealed lid, and respect for how fast it moves. Feed lightly and let it hunt. Do not try to catch it barehanded, because it is gone before your fingers arrive. The care guide has the full build and the boundaries.
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.
Selenopid Crab Spider (Selenops actophilus)
Spider
Keeper feedbackYour experience can help another keeper.
$29.991/2-3/4" (Adult) WC selected
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Spice 2 · Beginner
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At a glance
The quick read on this fella
- Venom
- Mild venom
- Bites are rare
- Type
- Arboreal
- Climber · US native
- Climate
- 72-82°F · 45-60%
- Dry crevices, small dish, strong cross vents
- Feeding
- Crickets/roaches/flies 1/8-1/4 in
- Weekly at dusk
- Lifespan
- 1-2 yrs
- Housing
- Solo only
From our Selenopid Crab Spider (Flattie) 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 $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 Selenopid Crab Spider is your spice level? Message us and we’ll talk it through.
Big Z's here to help
Not sure if Selenopid Crab Spider 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
Selenopid Crab Spider for sale from Big Z's (Selenops actophilus). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
Flat as a sticker, faster than your eyes can track
Selenops actophilus, the Selenopid Crab Spider or "Flattie," is a dorsoventrally flattened ambush hunter from the southwestern US and Mexico, pressed thin enough to slide into a crack in the bark and vanish. Under an inch across, it trades size for speed: it delivers some of the fastest strike-and-turn moves ever measured in any spider, whipping sideways in a blur before you register it moved. Set it on vertical bark and it melts into the surface, all patience and stillness, until something small wanders too close.
Low-maintenance and beginner-friendly, with venom that isn't medically significant to most people: it wants vertical bark, a sealed lid, and respect for how fast it moves. Feed lightly and let it hunt. Do not try to catch it barehanded, because it is gone before your fingers arrive. The care guide has the full build and the boundaries.
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
Selenopid Crab Spider (Flattie)
Selenops sp. · Spice 2: Beginner. Bark Buddy: a vertical crevice-style setup with bark or rough stone, for all life stages.
Selenops sp.
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.
Selenopid Crab Spider (Flattie)
Big Z's Quick Verdict: An impossibly flat, wall-hugging ambush hunter that is one of the fastest spiders alive. Low-maintenance, but nearly impossible to catch once loose, so keep the lid secured.
Group: Spiders & Other InvertsDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Vertical crevice hunter, flattened bodyHandling: Not recommended, extremely fast
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 | 72-82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 45-60%, dry crevices, small dish, strong cross vents |
| Setup | Vertical crevice hunter, flattened body |
| Substrate | Thin dry substrate plus vertical bark/rock surfaces |
| Feeding | Crickets/roaches/flies 1/8-1/4 in, weekly at dusk |
| Handling | Not recommended, extremely fast |
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
- Bark Buddy: a vertical crevice-style setup with bark or rough stone, for all life stages.
Critical Notes
- Extremely fast, among the fastest recorded spider strike/turn speeds. Nearly impossible to recatch once loose.
- Flattened body slips through gaps most enclosures don't seal. Check every seam and vent.
- Do not open the enclosure without a secure room or catch container ready.
- Sits in crevices with zero passive airflow; vent low on two opposite walls so the crevice stays fresh.
- Bites are rare and mild, but that's no help once it's loose in the room.
Care Basics
- Give it vertical bark or rough stone rather than floor space; it hunts on walls, not the ground.
- Vent low on two opposite walls in fine, bonded mesh so no gap a flat body can exploit.
- Keep it lightly humid with good airflow; avoid standing water.
- If you offer water, use a shallow dish packed with grit, not an open surface.
- Feed small, appropriately sized prey weekly; this isn't a heavy eater.
- Seal every seam and vent gap. Its flattened body is built to exploit small openings.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Small crickets, roach nymphs, or flies no larger than the spider's body length, roughly 1/8-1/4 in. Offer weekly in the evening.
- Several molts to maturity in under a year for most Selenops species; lifespan roughly 1-2 years.
- Remove uneaten prey within 24-48 hours, and stop feeding at the first premolt signs until the new exoskeleton hardens.
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Selenops sp.
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.
Selenopid Crab Spider (Flattie): Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: An impossibly flat, wall-hugging ambush hunter that is one of the fastest spiders alive. Low-maintenance, but nearly impossible to catch once loose, so keep the lid secured.
Group: Spiders & Other InvertsDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Vertical crevice hunter, flattened bodyHandling: Not recommended, extremely fast
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 | 72-82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 45-60%, dry crevices, small dish, strong cross vents |
| Setup Type | Vertical crevice hunter, flattened body |
| Substrate | Thin dry substrate plus vertical bark/rock surfaces |
| Feeding | Crickets/roaches/flies 1/8-1/4 in, weekly at dusk |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 2: Beginner |
| Handling | Not recommended, extremely fast |
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
- All life stages: small vertical bark or crevice setup, dry-leaning with strong airflow.
Warnings First
- Extremely fast, among the fastest recorded spider strike/turn speeds. Nearly impossible to recatch once loose.
- Flattened body slips through gaps most enclosures don't seal. Check every seam and vent.
- Do not open the enclosure without a secure room or catch container ready.
- Sits in crevices with zero passive airflow; vent low on two opposite walls so the crevice stays fresh.
- Bites are rare and mild, but that's no help once it's loose in the room.
Simple Care
- Give it vertical bark or rough stone rather than floor space; it hunts on walls, not the ground.
- Vent low on two opposite walls in fine, bonded mesh so no gap a flat body can exploit.
- Keep it lightly humid with good airflow; avoid standing water.
- If you offer water, use a shallow dish packed with grit, not an open surface.
- Feed small, appropriately sized prey weekly; this isn't a heavy eater.
- Seal every seam and vent gap. Its flattened body is built to exploit small openings.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Built to live flattened in narrow crevices under bark and rock; vertical cork or rough-textured backgrounds matter more than substrate depth.
- Keep humidity moderate with strong ventilation; this is a dry-crevice specialist, not a humidity lover.
- Vent low on two opposite walls so air crosses behind and around the bark, not just over the lid, keeping the crevice dry between mistings.
- Use fine, bonded mesh with many small openings rather than a few larger ones, so airflow doesn't cost you an escape-proof seal.
- Judge by touching the bark, not a gauge; it and the surfaces behind it should read dry.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Small crickets, roach nymphs, or flies no larger than the spider's body length, roughly 1/8-1/4 in. Offer weekly in the evening.
- Several molts to maturity in under a year for most Selenops species; lifespan roughly 1-2 years.
- Remove uneaten prey within 24-48 hours, and stop feeding at the first premolt signs until the new exoskeleton hardens.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, including the southern and southwestern US, on walls, bark, and rock crevices.
- Habitat translation: A vertical crevice-style setup with bark or rough stone, kept dry-leaning with strong airflow.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Sideways leg posture and extreme flattening are built for wedging into cracks a fraction of its body height. Any unsealed gap is an escape route.
- Strike and turning speed are among the fastest measured in any terrestrial animal. Don't attempt to handle or free-catch it.
- Pinning down the exact species in this genus is difficult; care here is general for the trade form.
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