Defining Characteristics:

• A rare species with a sporadic history in the hobby, we’re extra excited to be able to offer these beauties to our customers!
• A larger species that does sometimes burrow, but is also happy to make use of pre-existing shelters and can often be found out and about, these beauties would make a good candidate for a display tank as juveniles/adults.
• Though typically a very calm spider, they can be pretty skittish if disturbed too much and may try to make a break for it and/or throw urticating setae. While this does not disqualify them from being well suited for a novice keeper, they would be best suited as a hands off pet.

Name: Lasiodorides striatus, also known as the “Peruvian Orange Stripe” is a name that has Greek and Latin roots meaning “shaggy, odorous and striated.” Being a hairy creature with striped legs, two of the three descriptors make sense, however we at Josh’s Frogs do not endorse getting your face close enough to the tarantula to get a good whiff of it.

Recommended Enclosure Size & Setup: This is a terrestrial species. Surface area of the enclosure should be no less than two times the spider's diagonal leg span in one direction and three times the diagonal leg span in the other. The enclosure should be tall enough to accommodate 2-3 inches of substrate for slings and 4+ inches for adults. ABG mix, coco cradle, or Dig-It are good substrate options, but our Pet Bug Team prefers ABG all the way! Never allow your terrestrial spider more than two times their diagonal leg span as head space above their substrate as a fall from any higher could be catastrophic.

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): Ideally kept in the 76-84 degree range, temperatures consistently 5 or more degrees outside of this range should be avoided for the wellbeing of the spider. A reliable thermometer is strongly recommended.

Humidity: 70-85%, this can be achieved simply by making sure the substrate is uniformly lightly moist. The enclosure sides and décor should be spritzed at least lightly around twice a week to provide your animal droplets to drink from and keep humidity up, but do not spray your spider directly. A hygrometer is a great way to monitor the humidity for your animal and see any needed adjustments. 

Size: Specimens sold by Josh's frogs will be at least 2.5 inches at time of sale. Adults can reach up to 6-7 inch diagonal leg span.

Age: Not much is known about the lifespan in captivity as they are a less commonly kept species, but it’s thought that in ideal conditions females could live around 25 years, in tarantulas males typically live about 1/3 as long as females. These animals are around 4 years old.

Feeding: These spiders are currently eating 2 to 4 - 3/4 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: Due to age, L. striatus spiderlings sold by Josh's Frogs are sold as unsexed. Specimens of 2.5-3 inch diagonal leg span will be able to start being accurately sexed. The most accurate method is always molt sexing, the molt of a female tarantula of appropriate size will have spermatheca and a uterus externus in between the top two sets of book lungs that will appear as a "flap" that will catch and open if a pin is gently run down this section of the old exoskeleton. Males will have a much more plain slit that will not budge with attempts to manipulate it.

Coloration/Patterning: As slings they are fairly uniformly light brown, as is fairly usual for a lot of new world terrestrials. As they molt and age, though they will turn into velvety black tarantulas with leg striping that can range from a light peach color to a fairly vibrant orange.

Social Behavior: Lasiodorides striatus are not social creatures and any attempt to cohabitate will likely result in cannibalism.

Breeding: Spiders for breeding purposes should remain supervised when together and should only be attempted well fed. Mature males can be put in the enclosure of a mature female for courtship/mating. Remove male promptly after insertion is observed, or immediately if female is aggressive rather than receptive.

Natural Range: Peru primarily but cursory research suggests populations in other South American countries may exist.

Links of Interest:

• Arachnoboards: a community of spider enthusiasts that will be able to or have already answered almost any question you can think of with regards to tarantulas.

Still not sure if the Peruvian Orange Stripe tarantula from Josh's Frogs is the right pet bug for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!