| Species | Invertebrate |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mexico |
| Size Category | Small |
| Scientific Name | Brachypelma hamorii |
| Category | Tarantula |
| Original Purpose | Display/Companion |
| Husbandry Difficulty | Beginner |
| Social Needs | Very Low |
| Weight Range | 0.015–0.03 kg |
|---|---|
| Lifespan | 20–30 years |
| Juvenile Stage Ends | 36 months |
| Senior Age Threshold | 20 years |
| Exercise Needs | Very Low - sedentary ambush predator; minimal movement needed |
|---|---|
| Grooming | None - maintain substrate; remove uneaten prey; clean water dish |
| Annual Exam Focus | Abdomen condition, leg integrity, fang health, signs of mites, molt readiness |
| Routine Care | Maintain 75-80°F; 60-70% humidity; feed 1-2 crickets weekly; fresh water dish; spot clean |
| Condition | Onset Stage | Risk | Hereditary | Screening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dehydration | adult | high | No | N/A |
| Dyskinetic Syndrome (DKS) | adult | medium | No | N/A |
| Mite Infestation | adult | medium | No | N/A |
| Oral Nematodes | adult | low | No | N/A |
| Fall Injuries (abdomen rupture) | adult | medium | No | N/A |
| Molt Complications | juvenile | medium | No | N/A |
| Risk Level | Low |
|---|---|
| Ideal BCS | 3/9 |
| Visual Cues | Abdomen should be proportional to cephalothorax; not overly distended; slight roundness normal |
| Daily Activity | 2 minutes |
| Caloric Notes | Feed 1-2 appropriately sized crickets per week for adults; reduce if abdomen very large |
| Litter Size | 200–800 |
|---|---|
| Dystocia Risk | Low |
| CHIC Required Tests | N/A |
| Recommended DNA Tests | N/A |
| Neonatal Weight | 0.1–0.3 g |
|---|---|
| Growth Notes | Spiderlings molt every 2-4 weeks; juveniles every 1-3 months; adults once yearly; females reach maturity in 5-7 years |
| Vaccine/Health Schedule | No vaccines; quarantine new specimens; maintain clean enclosure |
| Temperature | 24-27°C (75-80°F); slight nighttime drop acceptable |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 60-70%; overflow water dish for humidity; light misting one side |
| UVB Requirement | Not required; avoid direct sunlight; 12h ambient light cycle |
| Diet | Crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms; occasional pinky mouse for large adults; dust prey with calcium |
| Common Issues | Dehydration, DKS, mite infestation, oral nematodes, fall injuries, molt complications |
| Anxiety Proneness | Very Low |
|---|---|
| Top Triggers | Vibrations, sudden movements, excessive handling, incorrect humidity, bright lights |
| Separation Anxiety Risk | None |
| Calming Interventions | Proper hide/burrow, consistent environment, minimal handling, cork bark shelter |
| Enrichment Needs | Deep substrate for burrowing, cork bark hide, fake plants for anchor points, varied prey items |
| Cognitive Dysfunction Risk | Very Low |
| Sociability Score | 1/10 |
| Locomotion | Slow deliberate walking; ambush sit-and-wait; occasional web-spinning at burrow entrance |
|---|---|
| Social | Strictly solitary - cannibalistic; territorial; females may tolerate males briefly for mating |
| Comfort | Resting in burrow entrance; legs tucked; slow grooming of legs with pedipalps |
| Stress/Displacement | Hair kicking (urticating hairs), threat posture (rearing up), rapid retreat to burrow, refusing food |
| Breed-Specific | Docile temperament; iconic pet tarantula; extremely long-lived females; hair-kicking defense; slow grower |
| Types | Stridulation (hissing by rubbing body parts) when threatened |
|---|---|
| Frequency Range | 100-2,000 Hz |
| Tendency | Very Low |
| Primary Modality | Primarily tactile (vibration sensing) and chemical (pheromones); visual limited |
| Tail/Body Signals | No tail; spinnerets produce silk for burrow lining and egg sacs; abdomen hair condition indicates health |
| Top Problems | Hair kicking at keeper, refusing food for extended periods, escape attempts |
|---|---|
| Medical Etiology | Lethargy from dehydration; leg curling (death curl) from critical illness; abdomen shrinkage |
| Fear/Anxiety Etiology | Threat posture (rearing up showing fangs), hair kicking, rapid retreat, playing dead |
| Frustration Etiology | Pacing enclosure walls, web destruction, attempting to climb smooth surfaces |
| Learned Behavior | Minimal learning; may associate feeding tongs with food; habituates to routine vibrations |
| Cognitive Dysfunction | Extremely limited; instinct-driven; basic associative learning only |
| AI-Trainable Signals | Abdomen size (hydration/feeding status), posture (threat vs relaxed), hair patch condition, web activity |
|---|---|
| Context-Dependent Vocalizations | Rearing up can be defensive OR pre-molt stretching; time since last molt differentiates |
| Interspecies Communication | Minimal interaction with humans; tolerates gentle handling; individual temperament varies significantly |