Davus sp. 'panama' (Lava Tarantula) 0.5-0.75"

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 well started 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 to 0.75 inch that is a 1/8 to 3/16 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.
• Captive Bred: All Tarantulas are 100% captive bred.

Listing Notes

• This listing is for a Davus sp. 'Panama' Lava Tarantula well started spiderling measuring around half to three quarters of an inch (0.5 to 0.75 inch) in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, unsexed with roughly a 50/50 chance of male or female. Since they hatch out around a third to half an inch, this one is already a few molts along, which takes the most delicate stretch off your plate. The pink is brightening toward red orange by this point and it eats readily, so it is an easier animal to get established than one straight out of the egg sac.