A striking New World fossorial tarantula named for the bold white "skeleton" striping on its dark legs. Notable for being one of the few tarantulas with urticating hairs on its pedipalps rather than its abdomen — skittish, defensive, and fast.
ℹ️
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Medium fossorial tarantula, leg span around 11-13 cm (4.5-5 in), females reaching up to ~15 cm (6 in).
Lifespan
3–15 years
Social needs
solo
Native region
Rainforests of northern South America (French Guiana, Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela).
Origin
New World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Family
Theraphosidae
Genus
Ephebopus
Part of the Tarantulas
Theraphosid spiders kept as low-maintenance display invertebrates. New World species are generally docile with mild venom but bear irritating urticating hairs, while Old World species lack those hairs but tend to be fast, defensive, and have more potent (though rarely life-threatening) venom.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Juvenile / sub-adult enclosure
8 × 8 × 8 in (juvi) → 10 × 10 × 8 in (sub-adult)
Clear acrylic or glass enclosure with cross-ventilation, 3–4 in of dry coco-fibre or topsoil mix, a cork-bark hide, and a shallow water dish. Floor space matters more than height for terrestrials; the spider should be able to turn around comfortably. Skeleton tarantulas (Ephebopus murinus) are semi-fossorial — provide deeper packed substrate (4–6 in) so they can dig a starter tube.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Adult terrestrial enclosure
12 × 12 × 8 in (≈ floor 3× adult DLS)
Adult floor space targets roughly three times the diagonal leg span so the spider can web, walk, and ambush. Add 4–5 in of substrate, a half-log hide, low decor, and a water dish; height stays modest to prevent a fatal fall onto the abdomen.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Naturalistic terrestrial vivarium
14 × 10 × 10 in, bioactive
A bioactive footprint with deeper substrate (5–6 in), leaf litter, a sculpted hide, and one or two live hardy plants. Cleanup crew (springtails, isopods) keeps the dry-but-not-arid microclimate stable for long-term welfare.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
These invertebrates lay eggs — often in a guarded clutch, a silk sac (spiders), or a brood (carried by female isopods). The eggs are small and soft and develop without a true larval or pupal transformation.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles hatch as miniature versions of the adult and grow by molting their exoskeleton (or, in snails, by enlarging the shell). They gain size, segments, or leg pairs and gradually take on adult coloration with each molt.
Adult
Adults reach full size and reproductive maturity with the species' mature form and coloration. Many arachnids and myriapods continue to molt as adults, and sexes can differ in size or in specialized appendages.
Habitat & enclosure
Fossorial (burrowing): provide a terrestrial enclosure with generous substrate depth, ideally 15-20 cm (6-8 in), so it can dig and line a deep burrow. A footprint around 25 x 25 cm suits an adult, with a cork bark starter burrow and an anchored hide. Keep warm at 24-28 C (75-82 F) and humid (around 75-80%) by keeping the lower substrate damp and offering a water dish. No UVB needed.
Substrate
Deep, moist coco fiber/peat (or coco-soil mix) packed firmly enough to hold a burrow — 15-20 cm depth. Keep the lower layers damp and the top slightly drier. Pre-start a burrow with a tilted cork piece to encourage settling.
Equipment & setup
Terrestrial enclosure with strong cross-ventilation and a secure lid, deep substrate, a cork bark hide/burrow starter, a shallow water dish, and a hygrometer/thermometer. Supplemental heat (on a thermostat) only if the room is cool. Long forceps and a catch cup help with maintenance of this fast, defensive species.
Diet
Insectivore. Offer crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, and similar feeders sized to the spider. Slings every few days; adults roughly weekly. As an ambush burrower it often snatches prey at the burrow mouth. Remove uneaten prey within a day, and pause feeding around molts.
Behavior & temperament
Defensive and very fast. Uniquely among hobby tarantulas, Ephebopus bear urticating setae on the pedipalps and flick them by rubbing palps against the chelicerae — a behavior reminiscent of Old World species despite being a New World spider. Quick to retreat into its burrow or throw a threat posture. Venom is mild (New World), but the urticating hairs are irritating and it is not a handling species. Observe rather than handle.
Health
Hardy when kept warm and humid with deep substrate. Main risks are a substrate too shallow to burrow (stress) and overly wet, poorly ventilated conditions inviting mold or fungus — keep the surface drier than the depths. Females are long-lived (up to ~15 years); males live only 3-4 years. Leave undisturbed when in pre-molt fasting.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Resist digging it up — a fossorial spider that has burrowed is a healthy one; you may rarely see it. Keep deep substrate slightly compacted so burrows hold their shape. When servicing, watch for flicked palp hairs and avoid touching your face/eyes. Mist one side periodically to maintain a humidity gradient without soaking the whole enclosure.
