Defining Characteristics:
Name: Tliltocatl vagans, or the Red Rump tarantula. The genus translates to "short" (Brachy-), and "foot" (-pelma). The specific epithet vagans translates to “wandering”. Its common name references the spider’s characteristic red hairs on its abdomen.
Recommended Enclosure Size & Setup: The length and width should both be, at minimum, three to four times the spider's diagonal leg span. There should be no more than two times the diagonal leg span of the spider for head space, as anything higher risks injury to your spider should it climb and fall.
The enclosure should be tall enough to accommodate at least 2-3 inches of substrate for babies, with adults preferring closer to 5 inches for burrowing. ABG mix, coco cradle, and Dig-It are all good substrate options for this species, but our Pet Bug Team prefers ABG all the way!
Want to spice up your enclosure with live plants? Our experts have curated kits of easy-to-care-for and SAFE plants for your tarantula. Check them out here!
Temperature (°F): 72-80°. Temperatures regularly dipping below 65 or spiking above 85° should be avoided.
A thermometer is recommended to keep an eye on temperatures in the enclosure.
Humidity: 65-80%. To maintain this range, it can be beneficial to overflow the water dish a bit and let the area dry out again before continuing the wet/dry cycle.
A hygrometer is a great way to monitor the humidity for your animal and see any needed adjustments.
Size: At the time of sale, these specimens are at least 1 inch. We use diagonal legspan to measure our spiders. Adult females top out around 6-6.5 inches, with males a bit smaller at 5-6 inches.
Age: Males live up to 8 years, while females can live up to 20 years with proper care. The male reaches sexual maturity around 4-5 years, and females do so closer to 6-7 years.
Feeding: These spiders are currently eating two to three 1/4 inch crickets, once a week. There are a variety of appropriate prey items that you can offer, such as roaches, waxworms, black soldier fly larvae, hornworms, and silkworms. Consider feeding your prey items with our gutload formula to give your pet well-rounded nutrition.
We recommend that the prey items not be much longer than the tarantula's “head” is wide. Larvae are an exception—our larvae are harmless. Since they are very high in fat, they're not the best staple diet, however they make a great weight gain supplement.
Remove uneaten prey items after 24 hours, these may stress your animal out or endanger the spider during molting. Never attempt to feed a freshly molted tarantula less than a week after their molt to prevent injury to the spider. Depending on its age, the hardening process could take anywhere from 48 hours all the way up to a week.
Sexing: These animals are sold as unsexed. To identify a male or female before it has reached sexual maturity you will need to examine its cast skin which in females will have a folded area in the abdominal region which will eventually connect to her spermatheca when she is mature. Due to their age, Red Rump tarantulas sold by Josh's Frogs are sold as unsexed animals.
Color/Pattern: Mexican red rump tarantulas are covered in fine, black, velvety hair with striking red hairs coating the abdomen. Females also don reddish-brown hairs on their legs.
Social Behavior: Tliltocatl vagans are not a sociable animal and should be housed as individuals. Attempts at cohabitation will likely result in cannibalism.
Natural Range: Mexico and other parts of Central America.
History in the Hobby: Red rumps have been established as an exotic species in Florida due to either accidental or intentional releases by pet owners.
Links of Interest:
Still not sure if the Red Rump tarantula from Josh's Frogs is the right pet bug for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!
After placing an order containing a live animal, you will receive a scheduling email containing our JotForm scheduling link to schedule your new pet's delivery date.
With this scheduling link, you will be able to schedule your order's delivery up to 30 days in advance. You will be able to choose a date of delivery for Tuesday-Saturday (Saturday arrival depends on the carrier's service availability) with the estimated time of arrival generally being 12pm, or 4:30pm for more rural areas. Overnight lows must be above 40°F to ship directly to you (or above 30°F for FedEx Ship Center/UPS Customer Center pickups) as well as below 90°F by estimated time of arrival.
If you require further assistance, or prefer to talk to one of our Customer Service agents, please feel free to reach out to our [email protected] email or our phone line 1-800-691-8178.
Based on 3 reviews
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T came in safe and has molted once in my care! Ordered 7/6, arrived 7/9
The Mexican Red Rump tarantula was my favorite to care for. very healthy appetites' and each molt the red abdomen was complimented by the blue legs, like a spiderman tarantula. incredible species.
I just got mine and first off she was bigger than I expected and she was so gorgeous. The first thing I noticed was how red her little rump hairs were already. She was packaged great nice and snug. I will be ordering more from you guys for sure.
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