Poecilotheria subfusca HIGHLAND (Highland Ivory Ornamental Tarantula) (NC SHIPPING ONLY) 1"

Poecilotheria subfusca HIGHLAND (Highland Ivory Ornamental Tarantula)

The Highland Ivory Ornamental Tarantula, or Poecilotheria subfusca, and its close relative the (Lowland) Ivory Ornamental Tarantula, were once sold and classified as a single species before careful analysis showed they are actually two distinct species. This is the Highland form, the smaller of the two localities and noticeably darker overall than its Lowland relative, with purple hues showing anywhere the animal is black and ivory banding carrying across the legs, carapace, and body. Both forms are highly variable individual to individual, and the amount of black on a given animal is not a reliable way to tell the two apart. Spiderlings hatch out gray bodied like every young pokie before that variable adult coloration starts coming in. This species reaches a max diagonal leg span of about 6 inches, and females live 12 to 15 years while males live 2 to 3. Please note, this is an ESA listed species, so the Endangered Species Act prevents us shipping or selling it outside North Carolina. Grab one of the most variable old world arboreal tarantulas for sale today. This is about as small as this confident old world pokie comes, which makes it the way to raise one from the very start and watch its color develop over time, offered here as a spiderling.

Why do hobbyists keep the Ivory Ornamental Tarantula?

• Stunning Coloration: A darker overall coloration than its Lowland relative, with purple hues showing anywhere the animal is black and ivory banding across the legs, carapace, and body. Light and dark forms are both possible within the species, so no two individuals look quite the same, even siblings from the same clutch.
• Large Arboreal Species: Poecilotheria is known for having some of the largest arboreal tarantulas in the hobby, and the Highland subfusca reaches about 6 inches, the smaller of the two subfusca forms but still a solidly built arboreal in its own right.
• Confident and Visible: With enough room, subfusca 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 subfusca 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: Subfusca is protected under the Endangered Species Act, so it can only be sold and shipped within North Carolina. It's also one of the most variable Poecilotheria in the hobby, which keeps it a genuine collector's pick on top of the legal restriction.

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 6 inches, the smaller of the two subfusca localities.
• Enclosure: A 4 by 4 by 6 inch enclosure with at least one and a half inches of substrate and a piece of cork bark set on an angle or a cork tube for it to climb into, plus a few silk or artificial plant anchors so early webbing has somewhere to start, sized ahead of the animal, simple spiderling housing that will not need a move any time soon.
• Setup Tips: Real cork bark or driftwood pieces make a real difference for subfusca, giving it natural climbing surfaces and webbing anchor points that help it settle in faster, at every size from spiderling on up.
• Rehousing: From here it moves up to an 8 by 8 by 12 inch enclosure, then a final 12 by 12 by 18 inch enclosure as an adult, each one lasting roughly twelve to sixteen months before the next move at this species' medium to fast growth rate.
• 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 1/4 inch, roughly the size of the carapace, offering two to three prey items per feeding at this size rather than one, 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, subfusca 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 Ivory Ornamental Tarantula?

• Medically Significant Venom: Ivory 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, subfusca 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 subfusca 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, subfusca 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 subfusca HIGHLAND Ivory Ornamental spiderling measuring around one inch (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 this form hatches at, the smallest size we currently offer of this form.
• Only one size is currently in stock for the Highland form. Once a second size is added, this section will link to it.