Omothymus (Ex Cyriopagopus) sp. 'Valhalla' (Emerald Shadow Tarantula) 0.75-1" *SUPER RARE* TRUE VALHALLA LINE

Omothymus sp. 'Valhalla' (Emerald Shadow Tarantula)

The Emerald Shadow Tarantula, or Omothymus sp. 'Valhalla' (ex. Cyriopagopus sp. 'Valhalla'), is a large arboreal tarantula from Thailand. Spiderlings start out dark, with a tiger stripe pattern and faintly orange hairs. As they grow they lighten and keep those tiger stripes, and green starts appearing in the carapace (head) around 4 inches. On a female the black then comes in, and by about 6 inches she has jet black legs with long orange setae down every one, an emerald green carapace, and a jet black body and abdomen, hence the English name. This is a sexually dimorphic species where males turn gradually greener as they grow, eventually reaching a solid bright green on their final molt of life. Both males and females can max out at about 7 inches in diagonal leg span, and females live 10 to 15 years while males live 2 to 3. The Valhalla Tarantula is fast, alert and defensive, though it would always rather run than fight, and a little feisty in the way most old world arboreals are, which suits keepers who want a large arboreal with real presence. Grab one of these rare old world arboreal tarantulas for sale today, offered here as a spiderling.

Why do hobbyists keep the Emerald Shadow Tarantula?

• Stunning Coloration: A mature female has that iconic emerald green carapace over a jet black body and abdomen, with long orange setae down every leg. Not many species come close to this black and green, which is most of why it is so sought after.
• Large Arboreal Species: Seven inches is very large for an arboreal tarantula. Some species do get bigger, but most of the genuinely large tarantulas are terrestrial, so there is something extra impressive about an arboreal that reaches seven inches and spends its whole life off the ground.
• Drastic Color Change: What makes this one worth raising is not the spiderling, which is dark and striped like plenty of others. It is how far it travels. Watching a plain striped sling turn into that black and green adult over a few years is the reward, and it is the reason most people take one on.
• Arboreal Heavy Webber: Lays down thick sheet web around its retreat and works it constantly, so the enclosure fills in and the animal stays visible at the tube entrance rather than vanishing.
• Strong Feeding Response: Takes prey readily at every stage and grows quickly for a tarantula that ends up this large, so there is visible change between molts rather than long stretches of nothing happening.
• Rare in the Hobby: Still uncommon in collections, and rarely offered across this many sizes at once.

How should Omothymus sp. 'Valhalla' be kept?

• Adult Size: Spiderlings hatch out around three quarters of an inch (0.75 inch) in diagonal leg span, growing to an adult max of about 7 inches. A large arboreal, so plan the final enclosure with real height rather than footprint.
• Enclosure: A 5 by 5 by 8 inch enclosure built tall, with a vertical cork tube as the centerpiece and half an inch to an inch of substrate. We size every arboreal tarantula enclosure ahead of the animal rather than to its current size, so there is height to grow into and a retreat it can hold from day one.
• Rehousing: Two rehouses ahead of it. This one starts in cage 1, then moves into a 10 by 10 by 14 inch enclosure and finally a 14 by 14 by 24 inch one at full adult size. At this species' medium to fast growth rate each enclosure lasts roughly 8 to 12 months, and full size arrives in about 2 to 4 years. Males often mature before ever needing that third cage.
• Temperature: Keep them between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Kept on the warmer side, Asian arboreals eat more consistently and grow quicker, and it is much closer to their natural habitat. Kept cooler they will do fine, though it is possible they run into trouble with molts, which is something we have been seeing across tropical species generally.
• Humidity: Never let the substrate dry out completely. This is a tropical species, so keep it slightly damp and top it up before it goes dry rather than after, and keep the air moving through rather than sitting still. Good ventilation is critical. Cross ventilation works best, but ample top ventilation can also be effective as long as the enclosure is not over-misted.
• Water: Provide a shallow water dish placed in an elevated position if possible. This is more natural for arboreal species and helps prevent crickets from falling in and drowning. A weekly misting is suggested as well, so the animal can drink off the side of the enclosure or its own webbing if it prefers that to the dish, as long as you are wetting surfaces rather than soaking the substrate.
• Diet: Prey length should run about a quarter of the leg span, roughly the width of the carapace. At 0.75 to 1 inch that is a 3/16 to 1/4 inch cricket or a roach nymph. Feed at least once a week. This species eats consistently and will take prey straight off the web.
• Temperament: Fast, alert and defensive, but it would always rather run than fight, and it can be a little feisty. This is an old world tarantula, so it moves faster than a new world arboreal of the same size and it does not give much warning, which is typical of the Asian arboreals rather than anything unusual about this one.

Are there any additional notes or considerations for Omothymus sp. 'Valhalla'?

• Sexual Dimorphism: The sexes do not converge, they diverge. A female takes on the black behind the green and lives 10 to 15 years. A male turns gradually greener as he grows and reaches a solid bright green, often looking that way for a few molts before his final one, and lives 2 to 3. A confirmed female and a mature male are two completely different display animals.
• Cork Tube Is Essential: A vertical cork tube is not decor for this species, it is the enclosure. A flat-cut piece stood upright with a lengthwise cut makes a natural hollow you can partly see into, which is how you watch one without disturbing it. Real cork or sterile natural wood from the spiderling stage helps them settle and web faster than anything else we have tested, and we stock the same cork we use ourselves on our dry goods pages.
• Success Formula: This one sits in the middle of the fragility scale, not the most delicate spiderling in the hobby but not bulletproof either, and three things carry it: substrate that never dries out completely, correctly sized prey every week, and a tube it can retreat into from day one. Get those right and the rest takes care of itself.
• Captive Bred: All Tarantulas are 100% captive bred.

Frequently asked questions about the Valhalla Tarantula

• Which name is correct for the Valhalla Tarantula? All of them, and they are one animal. We have listed ours as the Valhalla Tarantula, the Emerald Shadow Tarantula, the Emerald Shadow Tree Spider, Omothymus sp. 'Valhalla' and Cyriopagopus sp. 'Valhalla'. The name on the label has changed more than once. Our source never has, and it is the same source that produces the animal everyone is actually after.
• Which genus is correct, Omothymus or Cyriopagopus? Omothymus. The species was officially moved there from Cyriopagopus, and the wider picture backs the move, since Cyriopagopus has largely been split up with most of its species reassigned. The animal agrees too. These are true arboreal, tube dwelling old world tarantulas built like the rest of the Omothymus, and they are not fossorial at all, so the name matches what you are actually keeping.
• Why do you call it the True Valhalla Line? Because more than one line has circulated under the Valhalla name, and they did not all grow out the same. Ours comes from a confirmed source and we have raised many specimens from it, so we name the line rather than leaving it to trust. Buying ours means the females end up black and green and the males end up bright emerald green.
• How big does the Valhalla Tarantula get? Both males and females max out at about 7 inches in diagonal leg span, which is very large for an arboreal. A few arboreals do get bigger, but most of the genuinely large tarantulas are terrestrial, so a spider this size that spends its whole life off the ground is an unusual thing to own.
• What temperature does the Valhalla Tarantula need? 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Kept on the warmer side, Asian arboreals eat more consistently and grow quicker, and it is much closer to their natural habitat. Kept cooler they will do fine, though it is possible they run into trouble with molts, which is something we have been seeing across tropical species generally.

Listing Notes

• This listing is for an Omothymus sp. 'Valhalla' Emerald Shadow Tarantula spiderling measuring around three quarters of an inch to an inch (0.75 to 1 inch) in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, unsexed with roughly a 50/50 chance of male or female. This is about the size the species hatches at, which makes it your cheapest way to collect this species. It arrives dark with the tiger stripes and faintly orange hairs already showing, and every stage of the change is still ahead of you. On a species where the green does not start until around 4 inches, starting here means you see the whole thing.