SPECIAL NOTE: USPS forbids shipping venomous spiders or scorpions in the mail.

Because of this, we ship these animals FedEx priory overnight for a flat fee of $39.99.

Defining Characteristics:

• One of the most popular arboreal species in the hobby due to their voracious appetite and Halloween coloration
• Preferring to stay hidden, they can occasionally be seen on daytime walkabouts during times of low traffic in their room
• While they lack urticating hairs, this species is fairly defensive and bites are reported to be very painful
• Preferring to burrow as slings and travel upwards as they gain some size, they are among some of the easier to house arboreal babies

Name: Psalmopoeus irminia or the Venezuelan Sun Tiger Tarantula is an absolutely stunning arboreal spider whose genus name has Greek roots meaning “create song.” With a genus full of absolutely stunning spiders, it’s not hard to see how they would serve as a muse.

Recommended Enclosure Size & Setup: As with most arboreal spiders, we recommend an enclosure with at least two times the spider’s diagonal leg span for length and width, and at least three times the spider’s diagonal leg span for height. Psalmopoeus slings require about 1-1.5 inches of a good moisture-retaining substrate to burrow into—ABG mix, coco cradle, or Dig-It are good options, but our Pet Bug Team prefers ABG all the way!

A vertical hide and some leaf clutter high in the enclosure is suggested to help the spider feel more secure as it decides to venture up from the ground.

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): A comfortable range for them is between 74 and 80°. Temperatures consistently 5 or more degrees outside of this range should be avoided for long term safety of the spider.

A reliable thermometer is strongly recommended.

Humidity: 65%-75%, which can be achieved by misting half of the enclosure every week or two, depending on ventilation. Mist more or less frequently if you find that the substrate is drying out too quickly or staying consistently wet.

A reliable hygrometer is strongly recommended to monitor humidity within the enclosure.

Size: At time of sale, specimens are about 1 inch. We measure tarantulas using diagonal leg span. Adult females generally reach 5-6 inches, while males will top out around 4-5 inches.

Age: At least 2 months at time of sale. They are a shorter lived species, with females reaching up to 12 years of age and males averaging roughly a third of that.

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: Due to their age, Psalmopoeus irminia sold by Josh's Frogs are unsexed.

Sexing can be done at 2.5-3 inch diagonal leg span accurately, and most accurately done by molt. Females, between the top two sets of book lungs in the molt will have a pronounced spermatheca and uterus externus that will present as a "flap" that will catch and open if a pin is gently run down it. Males will have just a simple slit that does not budge if manipulated.

Coloration/Patterning: Black with orange striping and designs on the abdomen and carapace that starts to form when they are fairly fresh, transforming and inverting as they grow until they are lovely velvety black with orange abdominal markings and leg striping. Mature males lose most of their orange and turn black and gray.

Social Behavior: Psalmopoeus irminia are not social creatures, any attempts to cohabitate will likely result in cannibalism.

Natural Range: As the name suggests, these spiders are primarily found in Venezuela.

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 Venezuelan Sun Tiger Tarantula from Josh's Frogs is the right pet bug for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!