Monocentropus balfouri

So what’s all the fuss about? Basically a Baboon spider with short blue hair covering its body as well as long white hairs covering their femurs with a bit of attitude included and some interesting behavior you have a very unique Tarantula.

Though possible present on other islands they are are found on “Socotra Island” which is the main island within group of islands in the Indian ocean which are south of the Arabian Peninsula. Unlike the other “Blue” Tarantulas they are a desert species and are a lot easier to rear and kept similar other Baboon species with substrate several inches deep to allow for burrowing with a low humidity apart from the occasional mist of the enclosure. They are an excellent display species as they are very prolific webber’s covering the enclosure and decor with heavy web which they also shelter in.

They reach maturity at around two years, and some females can be mated when just 4inches and still produce viable eggsacks. They are easy enough to breed and produce eggsacks which are small containing not that many spiderlings at a time.

The spiderlings can be kept and reared communally with the mother or by themselves. Though it is great to keep communally it does cause crippling anxiety about whether the three spiders you’ve seen tonight are the same three spiders you saw yesterday? Having to rehouse them twice as often as you normally would to count how many of the little buggers are still alive. Not since Big Brother went of air have so many people wondered at the end of week “How many are still in the house?”