The majority of tarantulas are black and brown, but some species are tremendously attractive, having dark and vivid colors. The Orange Baboon Tarantula or the pterinochilus murinus is a handsome tarantula with a bright yellow-red-orange color that makes it more appealing. There are sunburn marks on its abdomen, and these unique patterns make it one of the most preferred tarantula.
| Scientific Name | Pterinochilus Murinus |
| Size | 5 to 6 inches |
| Dwelling | Semi-arboreal/Terrestrial |
| Lifespan | 14 years Female/ 4 years Male |
| Food | Crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches and Dubai roaches |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Body length | 6 cm |
| Category | Old World |
| Urticating hairs | No |
Scientific name
Reginald Innes Pocock discovered this name”Pterinochilus murinus” in (1897) given the name OBT (Orange Baboon Tarantula). The other word is Orange Bitey Thing, which spider experts use.
Physical appearance of Orange Baboon Tarantula
The Orange baboon has incredible rusty-red color over its entire body and legs, making it rather apparent to pick out. Over the skin, there is a star pattern, and the abdomen is also covered with wishbone patterns and contains various lines and spots. Legs are visible and make their overall look clear. Sometimes this tarantula has sparkling green and blue sheen under the legs.
A fully grown African baboon tarantula is 4-6 inches. Similar to all other tarantulas, the Female has a larger size than the Male. This measurement is based on the tip of the front left leg to that of the back right leg.
There are almost five different beautiful colors and sizes of this spider. These are addressed with contractions such as:
- Pterinochilus murinus brown colour (BCF), which sleets from Tete in Mozambique
- Typical colour (TCF) from Kenya
- Dark colour (DCF) Botswana Zimbabwe
- Orange colour (OCF) from the Usambara mountain area
- Red colour (RCF) sleets from the Usambara mountain area
Size
Females have growth as long as 6 inches in length. Males, though, are approximately 5 inches (13cm) but have longer, skinnier legs. After their first four molts, slings grow to 1.5″ and in length 0.5″.
For more information and interesting facts about New World tarantulas, visit here.
Temperament
They are very distrustful and will instantly bring up with their front legs when approached. They are sometimes very aggressive and can be prone to biting if they cannot run away. You should take care because they suddenly sprint up tongs and bite if they feel threatened. Due to this habit of tarantula, only the expert handlers can keep these spiders as pets. They will also whisper noisily, letting anyone know it does not want to be worried.
Lifespan
Similar to all other tarantulas, the Females are dominating the lifespan record for the Male. The Male lives for 4-5 years, and the Female lives for 10-20 years.
Orange Baboon Tarantula Care sheet
Feeding and Diet
These beautiful orange baboons, which have a habitat in Savannah, eat small mice, lizards, birds, rodents, etc. In captivity, we cannot provide them with such kind of foodstuff. So it would be best if you gave cockroaches to the adult tarantulas and fruit flies to the spiderlings. For baby orange baboon, you should arrange baby crickets as a great treat. You can also feed your pet tarantula 1 inch Dubai roaches weekly.
As they are hungry eaters, It is fantastic to watch them take down the victim. The only time they refuse to eat a meal is when in pre-molt.
Feeding time
The adult will eat once a week but are very tough for longer waiting times between nourishing. The baby baboons will eat more often but not more than two times a week, particularly not after they have molted. The mature spiders also avoid eating during molting since their fangs or exoskeleton will not be tough enough to slice hard pest shells.
Handling
As you know, the OBT is a very aggressive spider; that’s why all experts agree that you should not handle this except when moving or taking it out to the new area. This tarantula can bite, and the bite is very hurting. There is a pain in the bite spot as muscles cramp and also have swelling. You should avoid touching one spider because it will try to bite you and perhaps will if you are not alert. It is suggested that, use long tongs and gloves to move your spider. To know more about the handling of this tarantula visit here.
Orange baboon tarantula could attack you even if you are cleaning their enclosures, as they have defensive nature. So keep some tools or a pair of tweezers to keep them away during cleaning.
Housing the OBT
The best thing about these tarantulas is they do not take much room for housing. The orange baboons are very hardy, so a pill vial or a deep deli cup can make a better home for them. But the adult tarantulas need 5-10 gallon tanks for housing. As they are very inactive spiders, it would b insane to take a large house for them, it will be hard for them to move into a giant house and get food, and most foodstuffs are wasted. These tarantulas are not very exciting pets so that the extra space will be dirt. To prevent escape, you should use safeguards in the enclosure. The top lid and windows should be strong enough and do not use the front opening lid. If you have small children in your house, use a lock for safety.
As they are very aggressive spiders so, any accident may be happening. Please do not give them enough room and climbing things, although they burrow. For pterinochilus murinus, Plastic enclosures can be suitable, but they don’t last so, we suggest a glass enclosure for a couple of reasonable grounds. Please do not do too much washing as it makes the surface dull and dry. If you have a female tarantula, a showcase tank is better than showing it off in style.
Accessories
Their different hides make these spiders more attractive. The addition of obstacles will make them more fascinating tarantula. There should be more decoration and beautiful accessories in the enclosure. This decoration is generally for cleaning relief since this species is a profound Webber. The plastic and rock plants are an excellent addition to the house.
Substrate
The OBT enjoys burrowing, so the deep substrate is a better idea. Before putting anything into the habitat, the material should be clean and bacteria-free. It is because the tiny insects and bacteria in the soil can harm your tarantula. It is necessary to cook in an oven and kill all living things. The oven’s temperature should be 150F for 1 hour, ensuring that your substrate doesn’t become a death corner for your pet.
A little deep substrate of loamy soil or vermiculite is better if you want your OBT to live the burrowing lifestyle and be happy. This lifestyle makes OBT feel secure and free. Gardeners use vermiculite in the form of pellet grains which helps retain water. Use 5-4 inch substrate on the bottom of your tank. Don’t overwet the material, and concentrate on the hygrometer!
Lightning and Cleaning
The cleaning of the enclosure is most important; standard cleaning includes changing water, removing the different prey, and drying insect bolus. Due to the moisture in the substrate, monthly cleaning is necessary. Otherwise, the fungus and mold grow in the material. It also helps to make sure there is no rash of possible bug or parasite invasions too.
Lightning is also an essential factor of housing, so; use an incandescent lamp with a 30-watt bulb inside. They need to get some sunshine from time to time because the lights make them happy. But if the weather is too hot, they avoid getting out from his burrow.
Temperature and humidity
The orange baboon tarantula is hardy and does not need heat sources. Some experts recommended that a heat mat is necessary, but it is usually put in the bottom of the orange baboon burrow. When they feel the heat, they will try to burrow deeper to run away from the heat. They are not unbeatable but hardy.
The orange Bitey likes humidity in the tank. A hygrometer is used to maintain the level. Many recommended that 60-70% is acceptable for yearly conditions they are used in the wild. In the Zambezi Valley, the temperature can range from 80-90F from season to season. To replicate a more mild weather pattern, your habitat should be 78-82F. If the outdoor temperature is burning, you need to turn off the heat mat.
Breeding
The orange baboon tarantula is usually cruel to humans but is never too heartless to make a replica. In the same year, this species can breed more than twice and produce a double-clutch that will supply more than 200 eggs. Each clutch is a partition from the other. The female tarantula will build a silk cocoon. The spiderlings require two years to be adult enough to reproduce. Molt’s males will start creating the sperm web after the second year and then be ready for mating with a female. Before mating, it is essential to feed them properly. Usually, attacks by the Female can kill the Male.
Make sure that you have one more male tarantula if you choose to pair them for mating. You can move the newly hatched spider to their small habitat. It would help if you kept them in small containers to keep them safe. After that, you can sell them to other fanatic or private foreign pet stores. If the mating is successful, you can earn extra income. The price of tiny spiders is around 50 dollars.
Common health Problems of OBT
They don’t have any problems because these tarantulas come from an area that is pleasant enough to stay alive. The only issue that needs attention is the substrate. Some experts guarantee that moisture is suitable for substrate, while some owners think bone dry is best. In the African region, a little moist soil is ordinary. Their yearly cycle to grow bigger is molting. These OBTs stop drinking water and feeding to get smaller. You should not be panic if you see your tarantula on its back one day. It will probably molt in a day or two, and after that, it will go back to a safe area to dry out. The mites and fleas will be no problem if you go after the sterilization of the substrate properly. Read about old world tarantulas to discover more about their fascinating behavior and unique habitats.
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