Selenocosmia crassipes

This is a very exciting species from an ecological aspect, in that there are valid reports of this species actually eating the Cane toad (Bufo marinus) an animal with very few predators. They are not afraid to take on very large prey, they will attack a full grown rat , an animal perhaps 4 times their own body weight. They are very strong and have been seen (S.Nunn, pers. comm) to drag a full grown rat over a foot long about 12″ back into it’s burrow. Despite being a burrowing asian species, as adults they tend to stay out in the middle of the enclosure and develop a strong sense of self confidence.

Dr Robert Raven has quoted this species as the largest species on average in Australia. The species epitah “crassipes” is Latin and means thick (crassi) foot/leg (from pes peddes or “the foot”). Keep in typical asian burrowing circumstances. The information also applies to the sister form, Phlogius sp. “Sarina”.

We where the first to import a small number of this species legally from out of Australia in 2006.