Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Pterinochilus murinus

NAME: Pterinochilus murinus
COMMON NAMES: Usumbara Orange Baboon, Mombasa Golden Starbust, OBT - "Orange Bitey Thing"
ORIGIN: Zaire, Kenya, and Tanzania.
ADULT SIZE: Up to 6"
TEMPERATURE: 70 to 85 degrees
HUMIDITY: 40 to 65%
TEMPERAMENT: Fast, aggresive, very defensive
TYPE: Terrestrial, burrower, opportunistic burrower, prolific webber
LIFESPAN: Up to 12 years
BREEDING DIFFICULTY: Easy
EGG SAC SIZE: 75 to 100

NOTES: This spider is very fast and aggressive and should NOT be handled. As an old world species, they lack urticating hairs and make up for this with more potent venom. While the bite will most likely not seriously affect health, it is extremely painful and the spider will not hesitate to do so. They are easily adaptable to most environments and, aside from temperment, are considered one of the easiest spiders to keep. Due to this ease of care, they are often considered the beginner's aggresive tarantula, and are seen as a stepping-stone into the keeping of some of the more difficult aggressive species.