Lasiodora parahybana

🔤 Taxonomy

Lasiodora parahybana is the currently accepted scientific name. Modern revisions treat the name as valid for the large northeastern Brazilian species traditionally known in the hobby as the Brazilian salmon pink birdeater.

Taxonomic and locality notes useful to keepers:

• The type locality is associated with Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil.
• Lasiodora acanthognatha Mello-Leitao, 1921 is treated as a junior synonym in modern revisionary work.
• Some old or casual trade labels may confuse L. parahybana with other large Lasiodora species, so breeding records should include source and locality information where known.

English common names used in the hobby:

• Brazilian salmon pink birdeater
• Salmon pink birdeater
• LP

📌 Description

Lasiodora parahybana is a very large terrestrial New World tarantula from Brazil, famous for its fast growth, heavy body, and pinkish or salmon-colored hairs over a dark base color. It is one of the largest tarantulas commonly kept in captivity and is often chosen by keepers who want an impressive display animal with strong feeding behavior.

Adult size is usually about 9-11 cm body length and about 20-25 cm legspan, with females typically heavier than mature males.

It is not a handling species. Large specimens can be very food-responsive and may kick urticating hairs readily when stressed. The main risk in normal care is not exotic venom; it is a large heavy spider falling, bolting during maintenance, or injuring itself against hard decor.

Fast growth is part of the appeal, but it also means the keeper needs adult housing plans early. A small sling can become a large, strong juvenile quickly compared with many slower-growing genera.

☠️ Venom and safety

A bite from Lasiodora parahybana 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

Lasiodora parahybana is native to northeastern Brazil. Revisionary material places it from Piaui through Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, Pernambuco, and Alagoas, with records around Atlantic Forest areas and forested enclaves within the Caatinga biome. Animals have been found in burrows, ravines, root spaces, and under logs or rocks.

For enclosure design, the important takeaways are:

• a low terrestrial enclosure with deep, shape-holding substrate
• a secure hide and room to retreat below the surface
• moderate humidity with good ventilation, not stale wet substrate
• fresh water always available
• fall prevention and calm maintenance

That range supports a balanced setup: more moisture than a dry baboon tarantula, but not stagnant wet substrate. Large adults need both humidity management and strong ventilation.

🌡 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

Lasiodora parahybana is not currently listed in the CITES Appendices. No specific current listing for this species was found in Annexes A-D of the EU wildlife trade regulations during the May 2026 check.

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

Brazilian wildlife export and local-origin rules can be strict even when a species is not CITES-listed. In the pet trade, captive-bred stock with clear seller records is the responsible default.

🤌 Husbandry

• Adult enclosure: 75 × 50 × 40 cm (length × width × height).

Planning example for one large adult around 25 cm in leg span; unusually large animals need more floor area. The 40 cm is total internal height including about 20 cm of firm substrate, leaving about 20 cm above it, not a 40 cm open fall. Increase substrate depth or use lower housing if the spider’s size or furnishings leave an unsafe drop; remove hard landing surfaces. Exact dimensions are an editorial example. Spiderlings and juveniles need smaller, monitored containers scaled to their current size.

Stage management is especially important in large terrestrial species. Slings need smaller containers with reachable prey and slightly more stable moisture around part of the substrate. Juveniles can be moved up gradually as they gain size. Heavy adults need low, stable enclosures with deep substrate and no tall fall zone, because abdominal injuries from falls are a serious risk.

Keep the setup simple and dependable:

• Deep substrate
• A secure hide
• Good ventilation
• A large water dish
• No dangerous climbing structures

Use a water dish that cannot tip easily, because large individuals can bulldoze light decor. Keep the fall zone low by using deep substrate and avoiding hard stones or tall branches.

💡 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: 22-27 °C
• Night: 20-23 °C

Very high heat should be avoided because large heavy-bodied tarantulas can dehydrate quickly. Stable room warmth is safer than a hot spot that dries one side of the enclosure.

💧 Humidity and water

Lasiodora parahybana does best with moderate humidity and constant access to fresh water. The enclosure should not stay swampy, but it should not remain bone dry for long periods either.

One part of the substrate can remain slightly more moist than the rest.

For adults, a damp lower layer or one moist side is usually more stable than surface misting. Good ventilation is essential, because warm stagnant moisture encourages mold, mites, and bacterial problems.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use a substrate that holds shape and allows shallow digging, such as coco fiber, unfertilized soil, or mixed terrestrial substrates. Adults usually benefit from 20 cm or more of substrate depth.

Keep the setup simple and sturdy. A heavy-bodied tarantula should not be given unsafe height or unstable decor.

The hide should be large enough for the spider to enter fully and turn around, but not so oversized that it feels exposed. Cork bark partly buried in compact substrate works well.

🪳 Feeding

Lasiodora parahybana is insectivorous and usually has a strong feeding response. Suitable prey includes:

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

Fast-growing juveniles can eat often, but adults usually do better on a measured 7-10 day rhythm adjusted to body condition.

Feeding changes with age. Slings can eat smaller prey or prekilled pieces more often, but uneaten prey should come out quickly, especially around premolt. Adults need less frequent meals, and an oversized abdomen is a reason to slow down, not feed more.

Avoid routine vertebrate feeding. Invertebrate prey is sufficient for normal care and is cleaner, safer, and easier to portion.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems include dehydration, stagnant wet conditions, poor ventilation, dangerous enclosure height, and problems during molts.

Warning signs include a shriveled abdomen, lethargy, refusal to feed with clear decline, fall injury, leaking hemolymph, and difficult molts.

A very hungry feeding response is not proof that conditions are correct. Track molts, feeding dates, water availability, and abdomen size so overfeeding and dehydration are both easier to spot.

📌 Conclusion

Lasiodora parahybana is a classic giant display tarantula that rewards simple, steady care. A large low enclosure, deep substrate, moderate humidity, fresh water, and safe footing are the key points.

📚 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: Lasiodora parahybana — 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
• GBIF: taxonomy record; identity and classification, not husbandry targets
• University of Illinois veterinary guidance: feeding precautions, water and undisturbed molting; general tarantula guidance
• Enclosure planning reference: The Tarantula Collective — Lasiodora parahybana — layout guidance; the exact dimensions selected here are an editorial planning example.