Ybyrapora sooretama spiderling • 3/4 – 1″ (harlequin pink toe)

Description

Ybyrapora sooretama has been in the hobby for years, admittedly with patchy availability. Y. diversipes is its more commonly seen cousin. Both are from Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil, with Y. sooretama living a bit farther south. Each species is notable for bright colorful contrast in the spiderling stage, with adults shaded brown and reddish brown.

A healthy Y. sooretama‘s appetite always seems to be good. Spiderlings do require more attention than juveniles or adults however. Keeping parameters are narrower. We suspect a fair number don’t make it to adulthood.

We recommend keeping Y. sooretama spiderlings in vertically oriented enclosures with vertically placed cork bark or wood. We typically use acrylic or polystyrene containers with a volume of 100 to 200 mL. Room temperature (68-72F) is fine. As always, warmer temperatures promote appetite and growth rate, at the risk of faster drying.

Perhaps the most important point to make about raising Y. sooretama spiderlings regards enclosure moisture. We start by saying that with any tarantula there is no need to keep enclosure air saturated or nearly so (95-100% RH). While many terrestrial spiderlings can handle air nearly saturated with water, New World true arboreal spiderlings do better with enclosure air moisture kept safely away below the dew point, that is, below the point where water condenses. If not, normal drops in temperature (such as at night) causes water to condense on the walls and drip, eventually producing wetness on both wall and substrate surfaces. Repeated cycles of condensation result in mixed biofilm (bacteria and other organisms). Spiderlings go off feed and get the dwindles. Some may be sold in this condition.

We suspect the above-described circumstance are what many hobbyists are calling “stagnant air ” (without defining it). They strongly avoid humidity, going so far as to use dry or no substrate, daily or twice daily misting, and an abundance of holes along the top and sides. A problem remains: Drop humidity too low for too long and the spiderling goes off feed and dehydrates. Thus, the arboreal spiderling is kept on a knife-edge of hydration/dehydration. Yet the method does work.

We prefer a system where the spiderling can go a week or more if need-be, safely and without intervention. We avoid the dew point and use moderate enclosure humidity in the range of 75-85% RH +/- 5%. It can be achieved fairly reliably with substrate dry to touch, a water vessel, and controlled ventilation. More exacting parameters depend on enclosure design, room air temperature and humidity.

Photos: 1-4-one of the spiderlings for sale (ArachnoEden); 3-spiderling in web tunnel (ArachnoEden); 4-spiderling feeding on a cricket (ArachnoEden)

Care highlights:

• slightly dry substrate + water test tube or other humidity source
• room temperature (68-72F) up to 80F
• elevated humidity (75-85% RH) for rooms with stable temperature
• vertical structure for climbing and webbing