Tips on the Togo Starbust

[rosehaired1979]

Was wanting some tips on this species as well the Togo Starbust (H.muculata) . Also read the care sheet and I know they are fast just want some insider tips.

 

[Poecilotheria]

They like it dry, and spend more time on the ground than other arborels eg. Avicularia, Poecilotheria. So they don't need a very tall cage.
Steve

 

[bluerich74]

I guess theyre all different Steve,Ive had mine for several months now and actually ive never seen it on the ground.It has a really cool tube-like web on its piece of driftwood,and it just sits there,waiting,waiting for me to open the lid so...................well you of all people know what it has in mind.lol....Rich

 

[phoenixxavierre]

I currently am keeping one very large female, one on it's way to large, two other females that are smaller, and a submale "Togo."

My largest female I keep in an inverted ten gallon with a rubber tree plant which she occasionally webs on, a paper towel tube which she has hidden in 90% of the time, peat substrate with a water dish. After I first got her and a mature male they stuck together. I think the male annoyed the female quite a bit. An eggsack never resulted that I know of. The female eventually ate the male but they lived together for quite a while before that occurred. I have a screen lid on the tank with carboard holding the substrate in. At first the male and female webbed up and stayed between the cardboard and the screen lid. This grew tiresome for me to have to coax them out of the crevices there to replace the screen lid. So I placed the paper towel tube in there. The female took to it right away. It took her a few months at least before she actually began to come out. Months of coaxing with tasty treats like june bugs and moths, along with crickets, first brought her feet to the opening of her paper towel tube like a faceless killroy, lol! And just recently she has begun showing herself more often, much to my delight.

This species is found throughout central and western africa, and I suspect eastern africa as well (I have heard rumors). At any rate, if we were to take a glimpse into their native country of Togo as an example here is what we would find environmentally:

Lome, Togo

Over the next ten days: 5 days of scattered thunderstorms, 1 day of thunderstorms, and 4 days of isolated thunderstorms. Temperatures are ranging from 72F at night to 83F during the day. On average over the next 10 days the chance of precipitation per day is 39%.

This month on average there is 3.9" of rain. The rainy season is ending there. Last month there was 9.9" of rain. The month before 6.6" of rain. May and June are the wettest month of the year in Lome, Togo. April leads into the wet season and July leads out of the wet season.

Daytime humidities are around 75% and nighttime humidities are around 95%.

I've found this species to be very shy, but quick when cornered AND prodded. Of course, these are wild caughts, and not captive bred. I imagine the captive breds may be a bit more used to human interaction (not that I recommend handling them).

Hope this info is of some interest.

Best wishes,

Paul