Tliltocatl (Brachypelma) kahlenbergi (Veracruz Red-rump Tarantula) 0.5-0.75"

Tliltocatl (Brachypelma) kahlenbergi (Veracruz Red-rump Tarantula)

The Veracruz Red-rump, or Tliltocatl kahlenbergi (ex. Brachypelma), is a terrestrial tarantula from the Veracruz region of Mexico. Adults of this species have velvety black legs and a black body with a deep red abdomen, creating a beautiful high contrast coloration similar to its cousin, the Mexican red rump. Spiderlings do not start out colorful and the adult colors come in around 2 to 2.5 inches, while the species only grows to about 5 inches in diagonal leg span. Like others in the genus, along with Brachypelma, this species has a very long lifespan, with females reaching about 20 years while males live 3 to 5 years. This species is also very calm and forgiving, and one we recommend for beginner keepers or anyone who wants an easier keeping experience. Grab this docile new world tarantula for sale today, offered here as a spiderling.

Why do hobbyists keep Tliltocatl kahlenbergi?

• Stunning Coloration: Adults have velvety black legs and a black body with a deep red abdomen, giving it a beautiful high contrast coloration, and it builds toward that with every molt you raise it through.
• Docile Temperament: Slow to react and easy to work around, the trait this entire genus is known for.
• Beginner Species: This species is very forgiving in its care for newer keepers who are still learning how to keep spiderlings and tarantulas.
• Great Display Species: An opportunistic burrower rather than a dedicated one, so it spends plenty of time out where you can see it instead of sitting down a hole.
• Overlooked Beginner: An easy, forgiving beginner species that most collections still do not have in them, which is an unusual combination.

How should the Veracruz Red-rump be kept?

• Adult Size: These hatch out around half an inch (0.5 inch) and reach a max size of around 5 inches at full leg span, with the adult coloration coming in around 2 to 2.5 inches. That is a lot of growing to watch and two enclosure upsizes to plan for along the way.
• Enclosure: Enclosure included, so the spiderling housing is sorted out before it ships. Start this one in a 6 by 6 by 4 inch enclosure with about 2 inches of substrate and a hide such as a piece of cork bark to shelter under. We build to roughly 3 times the leg span for footprint and 2 times for height on terrestrials, and we size for where the animal is headed rather than where it sits today, so this enclosure is built for a 2 inch spider. That is a third of adult size, which means one enclosure carries it through years of growth. We ship ours a notch larger at 8 by 8 by 5 inches for the extra room.
• Rehousing: Three enclosures for life, two rehouses total. Next is a 12 by 12 by 8 inch setup with about 4 inches of substrate once it hits roughly 2 inches, then an 18 by 18 by 12 inch adult enclosure with 6 inches of substrate around the 4 inch mark. This is a slow growing species, 4 to 6 years to full size, so expect roughly 18 to 24 months out of each enclosure. Males mature considerably faster than females and often never need the third one.
• Temperature: Keep between 65 and 75 degrees F.
• Humidity: This is an arid species, so it is not one you keep wet. Let the substrate sit mostly dry and simply make sure it never dries out completely. At sling size we keep one damp corner going at all times, usually by overfilling the water dish and letting it wick in, since small spiders lose moisture faster than adults do. Organic coconut fiber works well here because it resists mold and lets you keep that gradient. 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, which is roughly the width of the carapace (head). At half an inch that means a 0.125 inch cricket or a small roach nymph. Crickets, roaches and mealworms all work. Feed at least once a week.
• Temperament: Docile and slow to react, hardy and tolerant of a range of conditions, which is exactly why this genus is recommended as often as it is.

Are there any additional notes or considerations for the Veracruz Red-rump?

• Solitary Species: House individually. Attempts at cohabitation can end in cannibalism, so one animal per enclosure with this genus.
• Mexican Endemic: One of the red rump tarantulas out of Mexico, from the Veracruz region, which is where the common name comes from and how it is told apart from the other red rumps in the genus.
• Lifespan: Like others in the genus, and like Brachypelma, this species has a very long lifespan. Females reach about 20 years while males live 3 to 5, so a female bought at any size is a decades long animal rather than a season.
• Slow Grower: Four to six years to full size, which is the trade for how long it then lives. Treat it as a long term animal and the slow pace stops reading as a downside.
• Sling Success Formula: Three things carry a sling of this species: prey sized to a quarter of the leg span, one corner of the substrate kept damp, and food at least once a week. Get those right and the rest takes care of itself.
• Captive Bred: All Tarantulas are 100% captive bred.

Listing Notes

• This listing is for a Tliltocatl kahlenbergi Veracruz Red-rump 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. This is about the size the species hatches at, which makes it your cheapest way to collect this species. On an animal that stays with you for years, starting at the beginning is most of the appeal, and the red on the abdomen deepens with every molt you raise it through. A baby tarantula from this genus is about as forgiving a first sling as the hobby offers.