Poecilotheria rufilata — Fact Sheet

Poecilotheria rufilata · Poecilotheria rufilata

📋 At a glance

🏠 Enclosure

• Use the enclosure dimensions, heating, humidity, and safety values from the structured care profile and full care guide.

🪨 Enclosure furniture

• 5 cm of moisture-buffering substrate below the vertical retreat
• Large cork tube or bark slab sized for this large ornamental tarantula
• Stable branches creating an open climbing route that does not lead directly to the door
• Shallow water dish accessible without contact or flushing the spider from its hide
• Reliable locks and clear service space; avoid mesh lids, loose panels, and blocked water access

💡 Lighting

• No UVB or specialist lighting required; a normal room day-night rhythm is enough
• Photoperiod: 10-12 h of gentle ambient light; no night light
• Keep display or plant lighting indirect and away from the upper retreat
• Avoid hot lamps that dry bark quickly and make this fast arboreal spider harder to manage

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 25-27 °C
• Warm zone: 23-27 °C
• Cool zone: 21-23 °C
• Night: 20-23 °C

💧 Humidity & water

• Target 65-80% humidity with strong airflow and a shallow dish of fresh water
• Keep one small damp zone in the substrate and let bark surfaces dry between water additions
• Keep spiderlings in small secure arboreal containers with steady hydration and cross-ventilation
• During premolt, raise local moisture toward 75-90%, not the whole enclosure
• Avoid frequent heavy misting, persistent condensation, mold, and stale air

🪳 Feeding

• Feed according to the prey type and schedule in the structured care profile; remove uneaten prey promptly.

🩺 Health — warning signs

• Watch for appetite loss, abnormal posture, injury, breathing issues, failed shedding or molting, and sustained weight loss.