Defining Characteristics:

• An awesome dwarf species from Africa
• Heavy-webbing little beauties
• An interesting addition to any collection without requiring much space
• Fascinating patterns

Name: Heterothele villosella is commonly known as the Tanzanian Dwarf Chestnut Baboon Tarantula.

Recommended Enclosure Size & Setup: Heterothele villosella 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 two times the spider's diagonal leg span in one direction and three times the diagonal leg span in the other. We recommend against allowing your fossorial spider more than two 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. ABG mix, coco cradle, or Dig-It are good substrate options, but our Pet Bug Team prefers ABG all the way!

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

Humidity: These spiders thrive in a slightly dry to slightly humid environment, so the recommended ambient humidity should stay between 40% and 60%. This can be achieved by making sure that roughly 1/4 to 1/2 of the substrate is always at least slightly moistened with 1/2 or more of the substrate staying dry. Depending on your location, you may need tools such as a humidifier to achieve this environment.

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: At the time of sale, these animals are 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Females can reach an adult size of 3 inches, and typically the males are a bit smaller. We use diagonal leg span to measure our spiders.

Age: Females live 4-6 years and males rarely live longer than 2 years.

Feeding: These spiders are currently eating 4 to 6 melanogaster 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.

Social Behavior: Heterothele villosella is not a sociable animal and should be housed as an individual. Attempts at cohabitation can result in cannibalism. 

This species builds a network of web tunnels above the substrate. They are very fast if/when they decide to bolt.

Natural Range: Heterothele villosella can be found in the wild in the tropical forests and grasslands of Tanzania.

History in the Hobby: This species has been available in the hobby for more than a decade.

Links of Interest:

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

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