Tiger Bromeliad Spider

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to Central America, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Inhabits humid tropical mountain forests, sheltering in bromeliads.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Trechaleidae family, genus Cupiennius. Often used as a model organism in neurobiological research regarding spider sensory systems.

Behavior and Habits: Nocturnal and arboreal. It does not spin webs to catch prey, but hunts by sensing leaf vibrations. During the day, it rests camouflaged within the leaves of bromeliads.

Morphology: Large size, with females reaching a legspan of 8.0 to 10.0 cm. Body is gray-brown with dark dorsal stripes and orange/red coloring under the chelicerae. Males are slimmer.

Terrarium Setup: Vertical enclosure of at least 30x30x45h cm. It is essential to include a real or synthetic bromeliad plant with large leaves to allow the spider to establish its hide.

Lighting and Heating: Keep daytime temperatures between 23°C and 26°C, with a slight night drop to 20°C. UVB lighting is not required. Keep in shaded or ambient light setups.

Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity levels of 70-85%. Mist once or twice daily on the plant leaves. The spider drinks water droplets collected on the foliage.

Feeding and Supplementation: Active carnivore. Feed live insects like crickets, roaches, and flies. Feed at night when the spider is active. Dusting is not required.

Compatibility: Solitary and territorial. Must be housed individually. Any cohabitation attempts will result in lethal fights and cannibalism.

Health and Common Diseases: Highly agile and capable of jumping; exercise caution during terrarium maintenance. The venom is not medically significant to humans but causes pain.