Melopoeus sp. 'Bach Ma' (Bach Ma Earth Tiger Tarantula) 0.5-0.75" FREE AFTER $200 SPENT
Pickup available at Home Office
Usually ready in 2-4 days
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✅ Live Arrival Guarantee: reship if reported within 2 hours, or replaced on your next order within 24.
Description
Melopoeus sp. "Bach Ma" (Bach Ma Earth Tiger Tarantula)
This rare Vietnamese Earth Tiger comes out of the highland forests of Bach Ma National Park — recently reclassified from Cyriopagopus to Melopoeus per the 2026 World Spider Catalog revision. The carapace is a rich gold, with gold striping running down a jet black abdomen and black legs with bright gold banding at the joints. A true fossorial Old World species that spends most of its time underground, constructing deep burrows and ambushing prey from the darkness. It is one of the more visually impressive species in the Earth Tiger group and a serious grab for Old World collectors. Grab this Old World fossorial tarantula for sale today if you want a rare, striking species that stands out even in a seasoned collection.
Why do hobbyists keep Melopoeus sp. "Bach Ma"?
- Coloration — Gold carapace, black abdomen with gold striping, and jet black legs banded in gold at the joints. The contrast is striking even among other Earth Tigers.
- Feeding Response — Nocturnal ambush predator that feeds readily at the burrow entrance on crickets, roaches, and mealworms. A disappearing spider is a well-fed spider.
- Adult Size — Reaches around 5 inches. Heavy-bodied with a serious Old World presence. Though fossorial, a well-set-up enclosure gives you glimpses at the burrow entrance regularly.
- Fossorial Behavior — A true deep burrower that will build elaborate tunnel systems given enough substrate. Watching their excavation work over time is one of the most rewarding parts of keeping this species.
How should Melopoeus sp. "Bach Ma" be kept?
- Adult Size: Reaches around 5 inches. A heavy-bodied fossorial with a solid presence when seen at the burrow entrance.
- Enclosure: Fossorial setup with 2 times the leg span as footprint and 3 times as height, with substrate depth 2 to 3 times the leg span to support deep stable burrows. Prioritize depth over floor space. A secure lid is non-negotiable — this is a fast, defensive Old World species.
- Temperature: 75 to 80 degrees F. Stable room temperature works well for most keepers.
- Humidity: Moderate to high. Keep lower layers of substrate slightly damp while allowing the top to dry a bit. Never swampy. The moisture gradient gives them the choice they would have in the wild.
- Water: Provide a water dish near the burrow entrance. Fossorial species benefit from ambient moisture and will use a dish placed at substrate level.
- Diet: Crickets, roaches, and other feeders sized appropriately to the carapace (head). Feed weekly for spiderlings, every 7 to 10 days for adults.
- Temperament: Very defensive, fast, and prone to bolting. Best suited for experienced keepers. This is a display-and-observe species, not a handling animal.
Are there any additional notes or considerations?
- Substrate depth matters: Needs depth of soil and good airflow to get fresh air into burrows and prevent mold growth. At least 6 to 10 inches of packable, moisture-retaining substrate.
- Settling in: True burrowers will dig straight down and deep given sufficient substrate depth. A starter burrow against the enclosure wall helps them settle faster.
- Visibility trick: Less disturbance equals more surface visibility. Most specimens will be seen at the burrow entrance if left alone and given time to feel secure.
- Captive bred: Our animals are 100% captive bred.
Listing Notes
This listing includes multiple size options. Animals are unsexed, there is approximately a 50/50 chance of male or female on most species.
Photo credit: spidershop.pl. Image used with written permission.
How our rewards and freebies work
How does the Exotics Unlimited rewards program work?
Our rewards program has three parts and they work together instead of cancelling each other out. Subscribe to our email list for free and you get 10% off invertebrate orders as an ONYX member, climbing to GOLD at 13% once your lifetime spend passes $1,000 and PLATINUM at 15% past $3,000. Any single pet invertebrate order over $1,200 takes 20% off on its own, whatever tier you are. The one exception is items already marked down for a weekly deal or an event special. Those say so in the title, and the discount is already built into the price. If your total after that discount reaches $300, shipping to a FedEx facility for pickup is free. And your freebie credit is built from that same total, so you are choosing free animals on top of both. Feeders and supplies get a flat 5% for subscribers, separate from the invertebrate discount.
A $340 invertebrate order is the clearest way to see it. Your 10% brings it to $306, that clears the $300 mark so facility pickup is free, and that same $306 is your freebie credit to spend on animals you pick yourself. One order, all three benefits. Full tier breakdown on our VIP program page.
What is a freebie tarantula and how do I get one?
Exotics Unlimited gives away free tarantulas, true spiders, scorpions, and centipedes with qualifying invertebrate orders. Most shops call this a free gift with purchase. Ours works differently because you choose the animal instead of us picking one for you.
Every freebie says so right in its title, like FREE AFTER $150 SPENT. That line is what makes something a freebie, so if a product does not carry it, it is not one. Older freebie listings stay up around the site after they sell out, so the Freebies page is the one to shop. It is where the current lineup lives.
Your freebie credit equals your pet invertebrate subtotal after discounts and before shipping. Dry goods, feeders, supplies, and enclosures do not count towards your credit.
How much do I have to spend to get a free tarantula?
Freebies start at just $25. Free tarantulas and other invertebrates start at $50. Every freebie shows its cost in the title: FREE AFTER $150 SPENT means you need $150 in credit. Thresholds range from $25 up to $800 for rare species. Not looking for another animal? We also offer freebie merchandise like stickers, so there is always something to claim.
Can I get multiple free tarantulas in one order?
Yes. There is no cap on how many you take, only on what they add up to. Mix and match anything you want, including multiples of the same species, as long as their combined cost fits your freebie credit. With $350 in credit you could take one $350 species, two $150s plus a $50, or seven $50 spiderlings. Freebie programs across the hobby often limit you to one per species or one per spend tier. Ours does not work that way. If your credit covers it, take as many as you would like.
What makes your rewards program different from other tarantula shops?
Most rewards programs make you pick one: take the discount or take free shipping. Ours run together, and freebies sit on top of both. That is the part people notice first.
The rest of it: subscribing is free and gets you 10% off invertebrates for as long as you stay subscribed rather than a one-time welcome code, and it climbs to 13% and 15% as your lifetime spend passes $1,000 and $3,000. You choose your own freebies instead of receiving whatever a shop decides to send. And there is no cap on how many you take, only on what they add up to, where most reward and loyalty programs limit you to one free item per order or one per spend tier.
Freebie thresholds start at $25 and free animals start at $50, so the program is doing something on nearly every order rather than only on big ones.
Do I really get 10% off just for subscribing to the email list?
Yes. Subscribing is free and it takes 10% off every pet invertebrate we sell, tarantulas, true spiders, scorpions and centipedes included. It stays active for as long as you are subscribed. Most shops hand you a one-time welcome code. This one keeps working.
From there it climbs with your lifetime spend, 13% past $1,000 and 15% past $3,000, and any single order over $1,200 takes 20% regardless of tier, with nothing to claim or remember. It applies itself at checkout and you do not need to be logged in for it to work. Subscribers also get 5% off feeders and supplies. That one is a flat 5% for every subscriber and does not climb with your tier, but it applies for as long as you stay subscribed just like the rest. Items already marked down for a weekly deal or an event special are the one exception. The discount is built into the price on those, so a subscriber discount does not come off on top. You will always know which ones they are because it says so right in the title, the same way freebies do.
Does my VIP discount change my freebie credit?
Your discount comes off first, and the total after it is what builds your freebie credit. So a $340 invertebrate order at 10% leaves $306, and that $306 is both your freebie credit and enough to clear the $300 free shipping mark.
That is worth knowing when you are close to a threshold, because the number that counts is the one after your discount. You never have to work it out yourself though. The calculator on the Freebies page always shows your real credit.
Why does it say I don't qualify for my freebies?
You can add any freebies you want to your cart, but you will need enough freebie credit to cover all of them. If you are short, the calculator on the Freebies page shows exactly how much more to add in pet invertebrates.
Freebies will still show as $0.00 in your cart either way. That is just how they are priced. What matters is whether your credit covers their total cost before you check out. If it does not, we will reach out to sort it before your order ships.
What happens if I check out with more freebies than I qualify for?
Do not worry, we will reach out as soon as possible to help you get your freebies sorted before your order ships. We will work with you to either adjust your selection or add to your order to cover them. We never remove or swap your freebies without letting you know first.
To avoid the back-and-forth, check your freebie credit in your cart before checking out. We will always show you exactly where you stand.
What happens if my free tarantula arrives DOA?
Freebies are covered exactly like paid animals. There are two reporting windows and they buy different things.
Report within 2 hours of delivery and we reship. That is the full guarantee. A fast report tells us the problem came from transit, and it gives us the best shot at making it right properly.
Report within 24 hours and we replace it on your next order. You are still covered, the replacement just travels with your next shipment rather than going out on its own.
The 2 hour window is for FedEx facility pickup. Home delivery is 30 minutes, because by then the package has spent longer on a truck that is not temperature controlled. Either way, tell us the moment you see a problem rather than waiting.