Davus pentaloris

🔤 Taxonomy

Davus pentaloris is the currently accepted scientific name. GBIF lists the species under the original 1888 description by Simon and records older combinations and synonymy that still appear in hobby searches.

Older names and combinations associated with the species include:

• Cyclosternum pentalore (Simon, 1888)
• Davus mozinno Estrada-Alvarez, 2014

English common names used in the hobby:

• Guatemalan tiger rump tarantula
• Tiger rump tarantula

Trade animals sold as “tiger rump” are not always locality-clean. When breeding or buying groups, keep labels such as Mexico, Guatemala, or El Salvador separate unless the breeder can document the line.

📌 Description

Davus pentaloris is a small to medium terrestrial New World tarantula from Central America, known for its orange abdominal pattern, dark legs, and active feeding behavior. It is popular with keepers who want a smaller species that still shows digging, light webbing, and visible hunting behavior.

Adult size is usually about 4-5 cm body length and about 10-12 cm legspan, with females typically heavier than mature males.

Like other New World tarantulas, it can kick urticating hairs when stressed. It is not a dangerous animal in normal private care, but it is still best treated as a display tarantula: quick maintenance, no routine handling, and no open work area where a small fast spider can disappear.

Its smaller adult size is an advantage for apartment keepers, but it also means hydration and prey size have to be managed carefully. Slings can dry out faster than large terrestrial species, and oversized prey can stress a molting juvenile.

☠️ Venom and safety

A bite from Davus pentaloris can cause puncture wounds, pain and swelling. Human bite reports are too uneven to predict an individual reaction or assign a precise venom potency to every species. Do not interpret a quiet animal or a “mild venom” label as permission to handle it.

Urticating hairs are a separate hazard: they can irritate skin and injure eyes. Avoid rubbing exposed skin or eyes; suspected eye exposure needs prompt medical assessment. Keep your face away from the enclosure and wear eye protection and gloves when removing molts or used substrate.

Use long tools and a catch cup, with a second containment tub for transfers in a closed room. Keep hands out of retreats and webbing, do not hand-feed, and do not chase an escaping spider. Keep transfers low to limit fall injuries to the animal.

After a bite, wash the wound with soap and water and contact a poison centre or medical service with the scientific name and time of exposure. Seek urgent care for severe or spreading pain, muscle cramps or persistent symptoms; call emergency services for breathing difficulty, throat swelling or collapse. Do not cut the wound or try to extract venom. Treatment focuses on wound assessment and symptom control under medical supervision.

🌍 Distribution

Davus pentaloris is native to Central America, with records and trade usage centered on Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and nearby Pacific-slope regions. In the wild it is associated with seasonal dry forest, scrub, leaf litter, soil pockets, and shallow terrestrial retreats rather than permanently wet rainforest.

A practical captive setup should provide:

• 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

🌡 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

Davus pentaloris is not currently listed in the CITES Appendices. No specific current listing for this species is typically applied in Annexes A-D of the EU wildlife trade regulations.

The species is not relevant to the Bern Convention because it is not native to Europe. Local rules on import, sale, transport, exhibition, and breeding may still apply, so proof of legal origin is advisable.

Because similar small theraphosids and locality forms are easily confused in trade, records should include the seller, advertised locality, molt dates, and any breeding-line information. Do not mix uncertain lines in breeding projects.

🤌 Husbandry

• Adult enclosure: 30 × 30 × 30 cm (length × width × height).

Height includes substrate. Keep the open drop above it short, with no hard landing surfaces; enlarge the footprint for an unusually large adult.

Davus pentaloris should be housed alone. A practical enclosure can be more compact than for giant tarantulas, but it should still provide substrate depth, a secure retreat, ventilation, and a reachable water source.

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. A sling should be able to find prey and a moist refuge without crossing a large exposed space.

Prioritize these basics:

• Adequate substrate depth
• A hide or starter burrow
• Good ventilation
• A shallow water dish
• A calm, low-disturbance setup

For adults, a low enclosure around 20-30 cm long is usually enough if the layout is usable. Add depth before height: this species benefits more from a firm retreat and a moisture gradient than from decorative vertical space.

💡 Lighting

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

🌡 Heating and temperature

Most keepers should target warm, stable room temperatures:

• Daytime air: 20-26 °C
• Night: 18-21 °C

Stable warmth is more useful than intense heating.

💧 Humidity and water

Davus pentaloris usually does best with moderate humidity rather than very dry conditions. Keep part of the substrate slightly more moist, especially for slings and premolt juveniles, while letting the surface dry between waterings.

Fresh water should always be available.

Avoid two extremes: a sealed damp cup with stale air, and a bone-dry enclosure with no lower moisture. Good ventilation plus a small moisture reserve is safer than frequent heavy spraying.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use a substrate that allows digging and holds shape, such as coco fiber, unfertilized soil, or mixed terrestrial substrates. A small hide, leaf litter, cork bark, and light web anchor points work well.

The enclosure does not need height, but it does need security and stability.

Leaf litter and cork fragments help this species create a small retreat entrance. Do not keep dismantling the webbed or dug area for tidiness; the retreat is part of the animal’s security.

🪳 Feeding

Davus pentaloris is insectivorous. Suitable prey includes:

• Small crickets
• Roach nymphs
• Small locusts where available
• Mealworms only in moderation

Use smaller frequent meals for slings and a steadier 7-10 day pace for adults, changing the schedule when body condition calls for it.

Remove uneaten prey quickly in small sling containers. A hidden premolt spider can be injured by crickets or roaches left overnight.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems include dehydration, stale air, substrate that is kept either too dry or too wet, and stress from too much disturbance.

Warning signs include a shriveled abdomen, poor feeding response in a declining animal, and unsuccessful molts.

If a specimen stays sealed in a retreat but the abdomen remains rounded, it may simply be settling or approaching molt. If it becomes thin, weak, or unable to right itself, check water, lower substrate moisture, temperature, and prey disturbance immediately.

📌 Conclusion

Davus pentaloris is an attractive smaller terrestrial tarantula with good display value and interesting behavior. A secure enclosure, moderate humidity, suitable substrate, fresh water, and steady warm conditions are the basics of good care.

📚 Sources and further reading

Taxonomy and legal references identify names and listing frameworks; they do not establish care limits. General husbandry references support the precautions described. Unless tied to a specific study in the text, the numerical enclosure, climate and feeding recommendations are editorial planning guidance, not experimentally established species-specific limits.

• Species+: CITES and EU listing records
• CITES Appendices: listing reference
• European Commission: wildlife-trade framework and annex resources
• GBIF: Davus pentaloris — taxonomy and recorded distribution; not a husbandry study
• MedlinePlus: tarantula bites and hair exposure
• Kaderka et al. (2019): urticating setae in tarantulas
• Waggoner et al. (1997): eye injury from tarantula hairs
• University of Illinois veterinary guidance: feeding precautions, water and undisturbed molting; general tarantula guidance
• The Tarantula Collective: davus pentaloris — specialist husbandry observations, not experimentally established limits
• Enclosure planning reference: The Tarantula Collective — Davus pentaloris — layout guidance; the exact dimensions selected here are an editorial planning example.