Poecilotheria smithi (Yellow Backed Ornamental Tarantula) (ESA NC SALES ONLY) 6" ADULT FEMALE

Poecilotheria smithi (Yellow Backed Ornamental Tarantula)

The Yellow Backed Ornamental Tarantula, or Poecilotheria smithi, is an Old World arboreal tarantula from Sri Lanka carrying a striking yellow saddle across its back set against legs that are mostly black, with reddish setae scattered through the abdomen. Spiderlings hatch out gray bodied like every young pokie before that yellow patterning starts coming in. P. smithi reaches a max diagonal leg span of about 7 to 8 inches, and females live 12 to 15 years while males live 2 to 3. This is an ESA listed species, so the Endangered Species Act prevents us shipping or selling it outside North Carolina. Grab one of the more elusive old world arboreal tarantulas for sale today. A molt-confirmed mature female with that full yellow and black patterning already showing, this one is offered here as an adult female.

Why do hobbyists keep the Yellow Backed Ornamental Tarantula?

• Stunning Coloration: A bright yellow saddle across the back, set against legs that are mostly black and reddish setae scattered through the abdomen, a striking combination even by Poecilotheria standards.
• Large Arboreal Species: Poecilotheria is known for having some of the largest arboreal tarantulas in the hobby, and smithi holds its own in that group at 7 to 8 inches.
• Confident and Visible: With enough room, smithi does not spend its life tucked away. It hunts actively after dark, is comfortable being out and visible during the day, and tends to be stubborn rather than skittish compared to a lot of other Asian arboreals.
• Great Feeding Response: Pokies take prey larger than most arboreals bother with, and smithi feeds readily and reliably in captivity from the earliest spiderling stages on up.
• Easy To Raise: Starts larger and eats better than a lot of the more timid arboreal species, giving real survivability, and comes from a region with a wet season and a dry season, so it tolerates real-world humidity swings better than its reputation suggests.
• Rare ESA Species: Smithi is protected under the Endangered Species Act, so it can only be sold and shipped within North Carolina. On top of that legal restriction, it has stayed especially hard to find in the hobby over the past several years, making it a genuine catch whenever it is in stock.

How should this Poecilotheria be kept?

• Adult Size: This species hatches at around 0.75 to 1 inch and grows toward its adult max from there. Adults reach a max diagonal leg span of about 7 to 8 inches.
• Enclosure: A 16 by 16 by 24 inch enclosure with one to two inches of substrate and a substantial piece of cork bark or a cork tube for it to climb into, sized for this species' full adult max so there is no further move ahead.
• Setup Tips: Real cork bark or driftwood pieces make a real difference for smithi, giving it natural climbing surfaces and webbing anchor points that help it settle in faster, at every size from spiderling on up.
• Rehousing: None needed. This enclosure is sized for this species' full adult max, so it is the last home this animal will need.
• Temperature: Keep this species between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for its optimal range, matching the warm tropical range it comes from. Room temperature works fine too and most animals do just fine there, but it can also lead to slower growth or molting issues, so we want every keeper aware of that and matching the native range when they can, which helps the animal thrive.
• Humidity: Keep humidity high with good, ideally cross, ventilation. That combination matters far more than hitting any single humidity number.
• 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: Feed crickets sized around 1 1/2 inch, roughly the size of the carapace, at least once a week.
• Temperament: Fast and defensive when it feels truly threatened, bolting into its tube rather than standing its ground. Given real space, though, smithi does not just hide: it is confident enough to be out and visible during the day as well as after dark, stubborn rather than skittish, and noticeably calmer than a lot of other Asian arboreals.

Are there any additional notes or considerations for the Yellow Backed Ornamental Tarantula?

• Medically Significant Venom: Yellow Backed Ornamental Tarantula carries medically significant venom, but it is not deadly to humans. Just something to consider before you purchase.
• Loves to Stretch Out: Like every Poecilotheria, smithi spends most of its life vertically oriented on bark, and it loves to stretch out flat with its legs in that same iconic vertical position to blend right in, whether that is on bark or any other surface in the enclosure. That is part of why generous space on all sides matters so much, not just for Poecilotheria but for Asian arboreals in general: give it room and you get to see the whole leg span and pattern stretched out at once.
• More Forgiving Than the Reputation: Every Poecilotheria comes from rugged, sometimes unforgiving parts of India and Sri Lanka, and smithi carries that same toughness into captivity. Poecilotheria tolerates real-world humidity and temperature swings better than its reputation suggests, with more margin for error day to day than most keepers expect from an old world arboreal.
• ESA Reminder: As a reminder, smithi is ESA protected and available for North Carolina sales and shipping only. ESA listed species cannot be imported, so in-state captive breeding is the only way we can keep them established in the hobby long term.

Looking for similar species?

• Browse our Old World Tarantulas and Arboreal Tarantulas collections to explore related care profiles and species groupings.

Listing Notes

• This listing is for a Poecilotheria smithi Yellow Backed Ornamental adult female measuring around six inches (6 inches) in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, a molt-confirmed mature female. This listing gets you a fully grown female with that full yellow and black patterning already showing at its best.
• Looking for other sizes? This species is also available as an about 1.5" spiderling.