Phormictopus cancerides
🔤 Taxonomy
Phormictopus cancerides is a large Caribbean tarantula. The genus contains several similar species, so precise labels are important in breeding and trade.
English common names used in the hobby:
- Hispaniolan giant tarantula
- Haitian brown tarantula
📌 Description
Phormictopus cancerides is a New World tarantula kept mainly as a display invertebrate. Adult size is usually 7-8 cm body, 18-20 cm legspan, and lifespan is females 10-15+ years; males shorter after maturity. It should not be handled routinely. Even species considered calm can bolt, fall, bite, or flick urticating hairs when stressed. The keeper’s job is to provide a secure enclosure, stable moisture gradient, safe fall height, and enough privacy for normal feeding and molting.
🌍 Distribution
Hispaniola, including Haiti and the Dominican Republic; warm scrub, forest edge, disturbed ground, and terrestrial retreats.
For captive care, the useful lesson is to provide secure retreats, a suitable moisture gradient, species-appropriate warmth, and enough usable space for normal movement.
Range information should be used as a care clue, not copied into unstable enclosure weather. The useful question is how the animal finds shelter, warmth, water, and seasonal security.
⚖️ Legal status
As checked against current official sources in April 2026, Phormictopus cancerides is not currently listed in the CITES Appendices, and no species-specific EU wildlife-trade Annex listing was found. It is not relevant to the Bern Convention unless a country applies separate native-wildlife rules. Local rules on ownership, import, sale, transport, breeding, invasive-species control, dangerous-animal licensing, and proof of lawful origin may still apply; keep purchase and breeding records.
🧭 Life stage differences
Babies or slings should start in smaller secure enclosures such as small secure cup with moisture gradient and no prey left during premolt. Smaller starter housing makes feeding, shedding or molting, hydration, and waste easier to monitor. Adults need the full planned enclosure, stronger locks or lids, and more stable environmental zones. Do not buy a young animal unless the adult housing, food supply, and legal responsibilities are already realistic.
Fast movement and a strong feeding response are normal. Pre-kill or remove prey if the spider is in premolt, open the enclosure only in a controlled area, and keep a catch cup ready before starting maintenance.
For adults, the enclosure should be boringly secure: tight lid or doors, ventilation that cannot be widened by the spider, a water dish that cannot flood the retreat, and no high hard decor above open ground.
For spiderlings and juveniles, stability matters more than display. Keep the container small enough to locate prey and check molts, but include cover and a moisture choice so the animal is not forced to sit in the open.
🤌 Husbandry
House one animal per enclosure. A practical adult enclosure is 35 x 25 x 25 cm minimum; 40 x 30 x 30 cm is better for large females. Larger is useful when it creates more usable movement, better gradients, and safer maintenance. Use secure ventilation, stable furnishings, and a written log for feeding, sheds or molts, weight changes, and behaviour. Quarantine new animals and avoid mixing species or uncertain locality lines.
💡 Lighting
A clear 10-12 hour day-night cycle is useful. UVB is optional for most snakes when whole prey and correct heat are provided; for tarantulas, ordinary room light is enough and bright lamps should be avoided. Do not use visible night lights. For snakes, any UVB must have shade and measured exposure; for tarantulas, avoid lamps that dry small enclosures or overheat retreats.
🌡 Heating and temperature
Practical target range: 24-28 °C, with overheating above 30 °C avoided. Measure with digital probes and, for basking or warm surfaces, an infrared thermometer. All reptile heat sources must be controlled by thermostats. Tarantulas are usually safer with warm room temperatures or side-mounted gentle heat rather than hot lamps or under-tank pads.
💧 Humidity and water
Target humidity and water: 65-75% with a moist lower layer, water dish, and good ventilation. Fresh water should always be available in a stable dish appropriate to the animal’s size. Avoid stagnant wet air. Chronic dryness causes bad sheds or dehydration; chronic wet substrate causes skin, scale, mold, or respiratory problems depending on the animal.
🌿 Enclosure and decoration
Provide a warm retreat, cooler retreat, water, safe texture for shedding or molting, and enough cover that the animal can move without feeling exposed. Juvenile setups should be simple enough to inspect but not bare. Adult enclosures must be built for strength, stable furniture, secure doors or lids, and safe cleaning access. For tarantulas, fall height matters: heavy terrestrial species should have deep substrate and limited open height. For snakes, all cable ports, sliding doors, and ventilation gaps must be escape-proof.
🪳 Feeding
Feed roaches, crickets, locusts, and occasional worms; strong feeders can become obese. Size meals to the animal, not to appetite alone. Babies or slings eat smaller meals more often; adults usually eat less often and should be kept in lean, muscular condition. Remove uneaten insect prey before a tarantula molts, and avoid handling snakes for at least 48 hours after meals.
🥚 Breeding
Mature animals can be productive but defensive. Pair under supervision and prepare many secure spiderling cups because escapees are fast. Breeding should use healthy mature animals with known identity and lawful origin. Keep dates, pairings, offspring numbers, and transfer records, and do not produce more young than can be housed and placed responsibly.
🩺 Common problems
Common problems include dehydration, retained shed or bad molt, burns or overheating, mites or parasites, injuries from escapes or falls, refusal to feed with weight loss, and stress from exposure or poor security. Warning signs include wheezing, bubbles at the nostrils, open-mouth breathing, repeated regurgitation, a shriveled tarantula abdomen, leaking injury, failed molt, swelling, twisting posture, sudden lethargy, or repeated escape attempts. Consult a reptile- or exotic-animal veterinarian for severe weakness, injury, breathing signs, swelling, repeated regurgitation, failed molt, or prolonged refusal to feed.
📌 Conclusion
Phormictopus cancerides does best when the keeper plans for the adult animal and not only the attractive juvenile. Secure housing, measured conditions, appropriate feeding, and honest records are the foundation of responsible care.
📚 Sources and further reading
- ReptiFiles species search and related snake husbandry references, checked April 2026
- GBIF species backbone entry for taxonomy and distribution context
- CITES Appendices, checked April 2026
- EU wildlife-trade references, checked April 2026