Phormictopus cancerides

Scientific Name: Phormictopus cancerides
Common Name: Hispaniola Giant or Haitian Brown
Lifestyle: Terrestrial
Endemic Location: Hispaniola
Adult Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 7-8″ (18-20cm)
Growth Rate: Fast
Life Expectancy: Females 15+ years / Males 5 years
Recommended Experience Level: Intermediate/Expert – Defensive and aggressive if provoked.

An attractive choice for the intermediate enthusiast. To call this tarantula brown is actually a poor choice in it’s name, this is actually a gorgeous looking tarantula that has black velvety-brown, reddish-brown and purplish-brown colours with copper tones all over it’s body and carapace.

Haitian brown tarantulas are a terrestrial, semi fossorial (burrowing) species that grow large at 18 to 20cm and although this is a new world species, the Haitian Brown tarantula acts like a typical old world species, bold and hardy with a fast growth rate and a cheeky temperament. A threat display is a common sight with this species and careless keepers will tell you that the Haitian Brown takes no prisoners when it comes to biting, so extra care should be taken with this species.

Being an opportunistic burrower, the keeper should provide a terrestrial enclosure with deep substrate to allow for burrowing, but also enough terrestrial space as it enjoys a lot of time out in the open as well, making it a good display tarantula. This bird spider has explosive feeding responses, rarely ignoring a chance for a meal.