Super RARE! This tarantula is a large and impressive species from the subfamily Ornithoctoninae. It's a very exciting species due to it's legspan and grey velvet look. This is one of the largest tarantulas to be found in Asia so far. It entered into the U.S. hobby in small numbers Nov. 2007.



SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION: AUTHOR & DATE: Not described as of 7/22/08
RANGE: Northern Sulawesi, Indonesia
HABITAT: Primary lowland monsoon forest
TYPE: Semi-arboreal (adult females are found in hollow trees several meters up a tree. Spiderlings and sub-adults will burrow next to a trunk of a tree and hide in rock crevices and under logs, etc.
COLOR/PATTERN/APPEARANCE: Uniform, grey velvet appearance. Mature males are greyish green with faint pale leg striation.Different from Cyriopagopus schioedtei, males can not be sexed by color in the juvenile to sub-adult size. Both sexes are black prior to molting.
MAXIMUM SIZE: This large species can grow to a 25cm legspan with a 3cm carapace.
TEMPERATURE: 25C to 28C during the day with drops to 20C to 22c at night.
HUMIDITY: 80%
TANK SETUP: Adults can be housed in 10 gal. tanks with 4"-6" deep "Cocosoft" substrate or peat moss, shallow and wide water dish. Cork bark or resin plastic shelter.
FEEDING REQUIREMENTS: Spiderlings/juvs twice a week small cricket (1-2). Sub-adults/adults once a week medium to large cricket (2-3), roaches (1-2) or pinkie mouse or rat pup.
WATER REQUIREMENTS: Mist tank 1-2 times a week with fine water mist to keep humidity around 80%. Change water dish whenever fouled or at least 1-2 times a week.
DISPOSITION: Very aggressive. Do not free handle. They will go into threat display and bite if distrurbed.
VENOM EFFECTS: Unknown. Assumed to be medically insignificant though like most tarantulas.
GROWTH RATE: Medium to Fast. Males mature in 1.5 yrs. Females in 2.5-3 yrs.
LONGEVITY: 8 to 12 yrs. + for the females and 2-3 years for the males.
BREEDING REMARKS: Mating takes place in the late spring/early summer. Females often eat or kill the male, but this is often a good sign of a successful mating. Sacs contain 100 to 150 spiderlings

(Many thanks to Thomas Frøik and Søren Rafn for doing much of the research on this species. Visit Mr. Froik's site at: http://asianarboreals.googlepages.com/asianarboreals