Ceratogyrus marshalli

🔤 Taxonomy

Ceratogyrus marshalli Pocock, 1897 is the accepted scientific name in the World Spider Catalog. The name Ceratogyrus cornuatus De Wet & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 1991 was later placed in its synonymy and may still appear in older identification material.

Older names and combinations associated with the species include:

• Ceratogyrus cornuatus De Wet & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 1991

English common names used in the hobby:

• Straight-horned baboon tarantula
• Great horned baboon spider

German common names used in the hobby:

• Gerade Hornvogelspinne

The prominent, nearly upright foveal horn is most obvious on mature females, but it is not a safe stand-alone sexing method. Use an intact molt or experienced ventral assessment and keep the scientific name, breeder line, and any locality information with the animal’s records.

📌 Description

Ceratogyrus marshalli is a burrowing Old World tarantula from Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Mature females carry the genus’s most striking straight carapace horn; the body is usually dark brown to black with paler radial markings and a patterned abdomen.

Adult size is usually about 5-6 cm body length and roughly 12-16 cm diagonal leg span. Females are heavier and may live around 12-15 years; mature males are slimmer and often survive only a few years in total.

This is an advanced display species. It is fast, can stand its ground at a disturbed burrow, lacks New World urticating hairs, and may bite if escape is blocked. Its strong feeding response and dense silk around the entrance reward observation, but maintenance must be designed around distance, a catch cup, and a retreat that never needs to be dismantled for routine watering.

☠️ Venom

No controlled human toxicity series exists for C. marshalli, so its precise venom severity is uncertain. It should nevertheless be managed as medically significant: published reports involving African and other Old World theraphosids describe intense local pain and sometimes prolonged muscle cramps or wider systemic effects. Large fangs also cause mechanical puncture wounds.

There is no species-specific antivenom used in routine care. Never handle the spider or pin it with tools. After a bite, move away from the enclosure, wash the wound, contact a poison centre or medical service, and seek urgent care for breathing difficulty, severe or spreading pain, repeated cramps, weakness, vomiting, or symptoms in a child or medically vulnerable person. Do not attempt to capture the spider by hand for identification.

🌍 Distribution

The World Spider Catalog limits the accepted native range of C. marshalli to Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Reviewed GBIF observations cluster in eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent Manica Province in Mozambique, matching a warm seasonal savanna and woodland landscape with a pronounced dry season. The spider lives in a silk-lined burrow, where temperature and moisture fluctuate much less than exposed weather readings.

For keepers, the useful habitat cues are:

• a low terrestrial enclosure with more floor space than height
• enough substrate for digging or reshaping a retreat
• dry to moderately dry surface conditions with a water dish available
• strong ventilation and stable warm room temperatures
• fall prevention, because heavy terrestrial tarantulas are easily injured

Seasonal does not mean unstable captive care. A secure burrow with a dry surface, a small moisture reserve, and good airflow is more useful than repeated whole-enclosure spraying.

🌡 Climate across the native range

Monthly climate normals from reviewed GBIF occurrence locations:

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com · CC BY 4.0 · Monthly normals calculated by Herpeton Academy from daily archive values.

Location references use GBIF.org occurrence data where available; original occurrence records retain their source dataset licenses.

⚖️ Legal status

The official CITES Appendices and the EU annexes in Regulation (EU) 2026/1383 were checked on 5 August 2026. Ceratogyrus marshalli is not CITES-listed and no species-specific entry was found in EU Annexes A-D. It is not relevant to the Bern Convention because it is not native to Europe.

Local rules on import, sale, transport, and proof of legal origin may still apply. Captive-bred animals remain preferable.

Keep the invoice, seller or breeder details, advertised locality, photographs, molt history, and sexing confidence. If an inherited label uses C. cornuatus, record the label history rather than silently replacing it.

🤌 Husbandry

This species should be kept alone. A practical adult setup usually emphasizes safe floor space and substrate depth rather than decorative height.

Small juveniles do best in modest, secure rearing tubs at first; upgrade gradually instead of putting a tiny spider straight into an adult display enclosure.

Useful basics include:

• Deep packed substrate
• A secure hide or started burrow
• Strong enclosure security
• Minimal disturbance
• A water dish

For an adult, a secure enclosure around 30 x 30 x 30 cm is practical. Fill roughly two-thirds of its height with 15-20 cm of firm, shape-holding substrate and start a burrow beneath angled cork. A mix of unfertilized topsoil with coco fibre and a modest clay or sand fraction holds better than loose fibre alone. For slings, use small ventilated cups with a reachable damp corner and a pre-started retreat. Quarantine new animals for at least 60-90 days in a separate room or airspace where practical; use separate tongs and water equipment and record feeding, molts, waste, and unusual mites before placing the animal near an established collection.

💡 Lighting

Ambient room lighting is sufficient, with no need for UVB or basking lamps.

Bright direct lighting is unnecessary.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Suitable approximate temperatures are:

• Daytime: around 21-27°C
• Night: around 18-22°C is acceptable

It is safer to avoid overheating than to chase extreme heat.

💧 Humidity and water

Ceratogyrus marshalli is generally kept with a dry surface, a moisture gradient below, and fresh water. A room reading around 45-60% RH is a useful reference, not a reason to spray the whole enclosure.

Useful principles:

• Dry upper substrate
• Clean water dish
• Good airflow
• No swampy or constantly sprayed setup

Keep one lower corner lightly more humid for slings and molt support, then let the surface dry. Overflowing the dish occasionally is safer than frequent misting. Stale damp air, saturated substrate, and a bone-dry sling cup are all avoidable extremes.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

The enclosure should support digging and webbed retreat building while keeping the fall distance short.

Useful elements include:

• 15-20 cm of compact substrate for an adult
• Cork bark or a starter hide
• Minimal stable decor
• No dangerous climbing height

A low, front-opening enclosure is convenient only if it closes securely and lets the keeper work without placing hands near the retreat. Top-opening tubs can be safe for juveniles when the lid seals tightly and ventilation holes are too small for escape.

🪳 Feeding

This species is insectivorous and feeds readily on common feeder insects.

Suitable foods include:

• Crickets
• Roaches
• Locusts where available
• Mealworms in moderation

As a rough guide, feed slings every 3-5 days, juveniles once or twice weekly, and adults every 7-14 days when body condition supports it.

Prey should be removed if not taken. A sealed retreat is often premolt or settling behavior, not a reason to leave crickets loose in the enclosure.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems include falls, overheating, dehydration, poor enclosure security, and failed molts under bad conditions.

Warning signs include:

• Lethargic posture
• Wrinkled abdomen
• Persistent stress climbing
• Visible injury
• Failed molt

Old World tarantulas should not be managed casually. If serious problems arise, interventions should be deliberate and minimal.

📌 Conclusion

Ceratogyrus marshalli is best kept as a secure fossorial display species: deep substrate, a stable retreat, dry-surface husbandry, fresh water, and calm tool-based maintenance. It is not suitable for handling or casual rehousing.

📚 Sources and further reading

• World Spider Catalog — Ceratogyrus marshalli — accepted name, synonymy, and Zimbabwe-Mozambique range
• GBIF — Ceratogyrus marshalli — taxonomy and reviewed occurrence records used for climate context
• De Wet & Dippenaar-Schoeman 1991 — revision of Ceratogyrus — diagnostic and natural-history context
• The Tarantula Collective — Ceratogyrus marshalli care — specialist enclosure, substrate, temperature, and feeding comparison
• Fuchs et al. 2010 — muscle spasms after Old World tarantula bites — clinical risk context; not a species-specific bite series
• Official CITES Appendices and Regulation (EU) 2026/1383 — legal status checked 5 August 2026