Davus sp. 'Panama' (Lava Tarantula) 0.5" FREE AFTER $750 SPENT
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Description
Davus sp. 'Panama' (Lava Tarantula)
The Lava Tarantula, or Davus sp. 'Panama', is a dwarf terrestrial tarantula native to Panama. Adults display a beautiful bright red orange coloration with black legs, a black carapace (head), and black markings on the abdomen, creating a high contrast pattern that makes the whole animal look like it is glowing, which is where the lava name comes from. Spiderlings start out pink and black, and that pink brightens into a vivid red orange through the juvenile stage and keeps intensifying as the animal grows. This dwarf tarantula reaches a max diagonal leg span of about 3.5 inches, and females live about 10 years while males live 2 to 3 years. This species is docile but skittish, far more likely to run than stand its ground, and is great for keepers who want a small tarantula with serious color. Grab one of the most popular dwarf new world tarantulas for sale today, offered here as a spiderling.
Why do hobbyists keep Davus sp. 'Panama'?
- Stunning Coloration: A bright red orange body set against black legs, a black carapace and black markings on the abdomen. In person the contrast is high enough that the animal reads as though it is lit from inside.
- Drastic Color Change: The pink and black spiderling turns red orange as it grows, and the juvenile stage is where that color runs brightest, so the change happens in front of you rather than arriving finished.
- Popular Dwarf Species: Dwarf tarantulas suit keepers who want a small tarantula that is easier to house and less intimidating to work around, and this one gives up nothing on color for being small.
- Heavy Webber: One of the heaviest webbers we keep at this size. It will web over most of the enclosure until the setup itself becomes the display.
- Docile Temperament: Calm but skittish, and far more likely to walk away or duck into its webbing than to stand its ground. It moves quickly for a new world terrestrial this size, but it has no interest in a confrontation.
How should the Lava Tarantula be kept?
- Adult Size: Spiderlings start out around a third to half an inch (0.33 to 0.5 inch) in diagonal leg span, growing to an adult max of about 3.5 inches. A stout bodied dwarf that keeps real visual presence at a size that stays easy to house.
- Enclosure: A 4 by 4 by 3 inch enclosure with about an inch of substrate, a hide, and anchor points for webbing. We size every terrestrial tarantula enclosure ahead of the animal rather than to its current size, so there is room to grow into and enough depth to web heavily and scrape out a shallow burrow.
- Rehousing: Two rehouses ahead of it. This one starts in cage 1, then moves into an 8 by 8 by 5 inch enclosure and finally a 12 by 12 by 8 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. This is a tropical species and it does noticeably better warm, so the upper half of that range is where it feeds hardest and grows fastest.
- Humidity: Never let the substrate dry out completely. This is a tropical species and it likes things a little wetter than most terrestrials, so keep it slightly damp and top it up before it goes dry rather than after. 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: A shallow textured water dish works well, something they can grip when climbing out.
- Diet: Prey length should run about a quarter of the leg span, roughly the width of the carapace. At 0.5 inch that is a 1/8 inch cricket or a small roach nymph. Feed at least once a week. This species feeds hard and grows steadily when kept consistently.
- Temperament: Docile but skittish, and quick to walk away or duck into its webbing when disturbed. This is not a species that stands its ground.
Are there any additional notes or considerations for the Lava Tarantula?
- Moisture Matters: Slightly moist substrate, never wet, holds humidity, drives the heavy webbing this species is known for, and keeps the spider out where you can see it rather than tucked away.
- Spiderling Care: Spiderlings want steady moisture, and the formula is three things: keep the substrate consistently slightly damp, feed correctly sized prey every week, and leave it alone to web. Get those right from the start and the rest takes care of itself.
- Freebie Terms: Our invertebrate freebies are only valid on purchases of invertebrates, meaning tarantulas, spiders, centipedes and scorpions. They do not apply to reptiles, dry goods or merch.
- Captive Bred: All Tarantulas are 100% captive bred.
Listing Notes
- This listing is for a Davus sp. 'Panama' Lava Tarantula spiderling measuring around half an inch (0.5 inch) in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, unsexed with roughly a 50/50 chance of male or female, and it is available free with a qualifying purchase of invertebrates, which includes tarantulas, spiders, centipedes and scorpions. This is about the size the species hatches at, which is normally your cheapest way to collect it, and here it costs nothing at all. The pink and black is already showing and the whole color change is still ahead of it.
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.
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. 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.