{"product_id":"omothymus-cf-rafni","title":"Omothymus cf. rafni 1-1.25\" *RARE*","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOmothymus cf. rafni\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOmothymus cf. rafni is an Old World arboreal tarantula from Sumatra, Indonesia. Adults have jet black legs with gold banding at every joint, a gold carapace, and gold blushing across the abdomen. Spiderlings do not start out colorful and the adult coloration comes in around 3.5 inches, while this species is expected to reach about 8 inches in diagonal leg span, an estimate we will firm up as more specimens mature in the hobby. Like other Asian arboreals we keep, females of this species live about 10 to 15 years while males live only 2 to 3. This species is fast, alert and defensive, quicker to retreat than to stand its ground, the same feisty temperament typical of Asian arboreal earth tigers. Grab this rare old world tarantula for sale today, offered here as a spiderling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy do hobbyists keep Omothymus cf. rafni?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGold and Black Coloration:\u003c\/strong\u003e A mature specimen carries jet black legs banded in gold at every joint, a gold carapace, and gold blushing across the abdomen.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColor Change:\u003c\/strong\u003e This coloration is not there yet on a young sling. It comes in and intensifies around 3.5 inches, so you get to watch it develop firsthand rather than buying it already finished.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGreat Display Species:\u003c\/strong\u003e A fast, alert species that tends to stay near the entrance of its tube rather than hide deep in its enclosure, so you actually get to see the animal you are keeping.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeavy Webber:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lays down thick sheet web around its retreat, filling in the enclosure and giving it a lived-in look within weeks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRare in the Hobby:\u003c\/strong\u003e This species only arrived in the US hobby this year, and specimens are still hard to come by.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow should Omothymus cf. rafni be kept?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAdult Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spiderlings hatch out around 0.75 to 1 inch in diagonal leg span, growing to an adult max of about 8 inches, an estimate we are still confirming on this recently discovered species. This tier runs 1 to 1.25 inches, just past hatch size.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEnclosure:\u003c\/strong\u003e We size every arboreal tarantula enclosure to our standard Three Cage System, ahead of the animal rather than to its current size, built tall with a vertical cork tube as the centerpiece. At this size that means a 6 by 6 by 8 inch enclosure with at least 1.5 inches of substrate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSetup Tips:\u003c\/strong\u003e Real cork bark or wood pieces make a big difference for arboreal species at this size. They give it natural climbing surfaces and webbing anchor points that help it settle in and start webbing faster.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRehousing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Two more rehouses ahead across this species' medium to fast growth rate, reaching full adult size in about 2 to 4 years, with each enclosure lasting roughly 8 to 12 months along the way.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTemperature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Keep them between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the optimal range for most tropical species like this one. Cooler temperatures are survivable, but increase the odds of trouble molting and growing, so we recommend staying in this range for the best results. Most keepers do not need any extra heating to hit it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHumidity:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater:\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Prey length should run about a 1\/4 to 5\/16 inch cricket at this size, roughly a quarter of the leg span. Feed at least once a week.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTemperament:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast, alert and defensive, but it would always rather run than fight, and it can be a little feisty. This is typical of the Asian arboreals rather than anything unusual about this one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAre there any additional notes or considerations for Omothymus cf. rafni?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSuccess Formula:\u003c\/strong\u003e This one leans toward the more delicate end of the fragility scale, so 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCork Tube Is Essential:\u003c\/strong\u003e A vertical cork tube is not decor for this species, it is the enclosure. Real cork or sterile natural wood from the spiderling stage helps it settle and web faster than anything else we have tested.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCaptive Bred:\u003c\/strong\u003e All tarantulas at Exotics Unlimited are captive bred.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFrequently asked questions about Omothymus cf. rafni\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does \"cf.\" mean in Omothymus cf. rafni?\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Cf.\" is short for the Latin \"confer,\" meaning \"compare to.\" It tells you this animal keys out to Omothymus rafni but has not been confirmed down to the last detail, which is common with a species this new to the hobby. You are getting the same animal, just labeled with the honest level of certainty we have on it right now.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eListing Notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis listing is for an Omothymus cf. rafni well-started spiderling measuring around 1 to 1.25 inches in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, unsexed, with roughly a 50\/50 chance of male or female. It is not showing the gold coloration yet, and that is the point: it starts coming in around 3.5 inches, so you get to watch it come in and intensify from here.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Exotics Unlimited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67717098176831,"sku":null,"price":175.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0701\/5828\/7167\/files\/WhatsAppImage2026-10-14at2.16.30PM.jpg?v=1792014496","url":"https:\/\/exoticsunlimitedusa.com\/products\/omothymus-cf-rafni","provider":"Exotics Unlimited","version":"1.0","type":"link"}