Poecilotheria smithi — Fact Sheet

Poecilotheria smithi · Poecilotheria smithi

📋 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 beneath the vertical structure
• Cork tube or vertical bark slab forming a full-height private retreat
• Stable branches and foliage that let the spider move without crossing the door opening
• Shallow water dish positioned for contact-free servicing
• Secure anchors and narrow door gaps; avoid wide mesh and loose heavy decor

💡 Lighting

• No UVB or specialist basking lamp required; normal room light is sufficient
• Photoperiod: 10-12 h of gentle ambient light; no night light
• Use only indirect display light and keep it away from the upper webbed retreat
• Avoid bright heat that dries the retreat and forces the spider into exposed movement

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 23-26 °C
• Warm zone: 22-26 °C
• Cool zone: 20-22 °C
• Night: 19-22 °C

💧 Humidity & water

• Target 70-85% humidity as a ventilated gradient, with fresh water always available
• Maintain a moisture reserve in the substrate while allowing bark and upper webbing to dry
• Keep spiderlings in small secure arboreal containers with controlled moisture and cross-ventilation
• During premolt, raise local moisture toward 80-90%, not the whole enclosure
• Reduce watering or improve airflow if condensation, mold, or sour odor persists

🪳 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.