Defining Characteristics:

• Females of this species have a strong maternal instinct—they not only protect their young, which are more than happy to stay in a colony with the mother, but the mother M. balfouri will bring meals to her young.
• One of the few tarantula species observed in the wild to live communally—a family group of this species would be a fun undertaking for an experienced keeper
• Monocentropus balfouri are some of the best webbers in the tarantula family! These fossorial beauties will readily turn their enclosure into an elaborate maze of webs.
• An Old World tarantula, this species is noted to have fairly strong venom and extra care should be taken to avoid bites. It is for this reason that we do not recommend these for inexperienced keepers.

Name: Monocentropus balfouri, commonly known as the Socotra Island Blue Baboon Tarantula. The genus Monocentropus comes from Greek and translates to "single spur." Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour was a renowned Scottish botanist and was honored in this species’ name for his extensive exploration and documentation of the flora and fauna of the isolated Socotra Archipelago in Yemen, where this tarantula is endemic.

Recommended Enclosure Size & Setup: Monocentropus balfouri is a fossorial species, meaning this animal will spend a lot of time underground and may need additional substrate to burrow. Surface area of the enclosure should be no less than 2 times the spider's diagonal leg span in one direction and 3 times the diagonal leg span in the other. We recommend against allowing your terrestrial spider more than 2 times their diagonal leg span as head space above their substrate, as a fall from any higher could result in serious injury.

The enclosure should be tall enough to accommodate 2-3 inches of substrate for slings and 5+ inches for adults. Arachnid BioBedding is our top pick for substrate, as it was developed specifically with the needs of tarantulas in mind! ABG Mix, coco cradle, or Dig-It are good substrate options, as well.

They will benefit from a variety of terrarium furniture as well to climb on and foliage to hide behind. Live plants can be beneficial to air quality.

Temperature (°F): This species thrives in the mid 70s to low 80s, so a temperature of 80° is ideal. Temperatures regularly dipping below 65 or spiking above 85 degrees should be avoided. A reliable thermometer is strongly recommended.

Humidity: This species thrives in a dry environment, so the recommended ambient humidity should stay between 15 and 40%. Spiderlings should be kept on lightly moist substrate, and adults with mostly dry substrate. Just be sure not to let it get too dry, as this can cause dehydration and issues when molting. Depending on your location, you may need tools such as a humidifier or dehumidifier to maintain this environment. Another option is to occasionally overflow the water dish to keep the humidity higher in that area, while allowing the other areas of the enclosure to stay mostly dry.

The enclosure sides and décor should be spritzed at least lightly around twice a week to provide your animal droplets to drink from, 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: At the time of sale, these spiders are about 1/4-1/2 of an inch. As adults they range from 4-6 inches (females larger than males), and grow at a medium rate for tarantulas. We use diagonal leg span to measure our spiders.

Age: Before making this species available to our customers, we ensure that they are well-established. This means our spiders are generally molted to a minimum of third instar and will have hatched 2 to 3 months prior to being listed for sale.

For spiders that we have not produced in house, we like to get 2 to 3 solid feedings in as well as the aforementioned minimums. They go through a 2-week minimum quarantine process to ensure the health of the animal. 

For this species, the average lifespan is 4 to 6 years in males, and 20+  years in females when provided an adequate environment. They are currently approximately 3 to 6 months old.

Feeding: These spiders are currently eating 4 to 8 hydei fruit flies once a week. As your spider grows, there are a variety of appropriate prey items that you can offer, such as roaches, waxworms, black soldier fly larvae, hornworms, and silkworms. 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. Consider feeding your prey items with our gutload formula to give your pet well-rounded nutrition.

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, Monocentropus balfouri sold by Josh's Frogs are unsexed.

Check out our individually listed spiders to see if we have what you’re looking for!

Coloration/Patterning: Babies are an almost steel gray color with dark legs. Adult females sport an aqua carapace, blonde femurs, and shiny, iridescent blue legs.

Social Behavior: Monocentropus balfouri can be kept communally under certain circumstances. Success in keeping this species together requires research and the correct habitat. This species can be kept alone and that is the safest way to keep them.

This species creates extensive silk lined tunnels, but are often seen above ground, which they also completely cover in silk.

Natural Range: Monocentropus balfouri are found on the island of Socotra, which is located Northeast off the coast of Somalia, and South of Yemen, its mother country.

History in the Hobby: This species was considered a, “Holy Grail” species in the early 2000s, when it first became popular. If you could even find one, ¾” spiderlings were selling for $350. Now, thanks to captive breeding efforts meeting the demand a little better, they are MUCH more affordable!

Links of Interest:

• Arachnoboards.com
• TarantulaForum.com
• TheTarantulaCollective.com

Still not sure if Monocentropus balfouri from Josh's Frogs is the right pet for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!