Singapore Blue tarantula

Scientific Name: Omothymus violaceopes (formerly Lampropelma violaceopes)

Common Name: Singapore Blue Tarantula

Type: Arboreal

Category: Old World

Endemic Location: Malaysia and Singapore

Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 11”(28cm)

Urticating Hairs: No

Growth Rate: Fast

Life Expectancy: Females 14 years / Males 5 years

Recommended Experience Level: Advanced

The Omothymus violaceopes, formerly the Lampropelma violaceopes, is known commonly in the hobby as the Singapore Blue Tarantula. This is an Old World arboreal tarantula that comes from Malaysia and Singapore. Being an Old World tarantula, this species is known for having very painful and medically significant venom that can cause muscle aches and spasms, pain in the joints headaches, nausea, and severe pain around the area the venom was injected. This species is highly suggested for more experienced keepers not only because of their potent venom, but because they are extremely fast and grow to have a leg span of over 9in. This species also has more advanced husbandry needs than a typical Old World Tarantula. While females have bright blue, almost purple legs with an almost bone white carapace and tiger stripped abdomen...males will mature out with a golden greenish color all over with extremely long legs but a smaller sized abdomen and carapace. So this species does exhibit sexual dimorphism making it very easy to tell the mature females and mature males apart. This species can be a little more difficult to house due to its high humidity and warmer temperatures. (learn more on https://www.thetarantulacollective.com/caresheets/lampropelma-violaceopes)

They can be housed in a basic arboreal enclosure filled halfway with substrate as well as branches and leaves to climb on. They tend to be more fossorial as slings but will become arboreal as they mature. 

They are very hardy eaters and will pounce on given prey at first sight. Small spiderlings can be given 1-2 pinhead//small crickets or roaches depending on the size of the T itself. They can eat prey as big as themselves but it is recommended to go of the size of their abdomen. Juveniles can eat 2-3 medium sized crickets around once every 1-2 weeks. Adults can eat 5-10 crickets every 4-6 weeks they can eat a variety of insects from dubia roaches, mealworms, (super worms, hornworms on occasion)

This species is rather defensive and with respond accordingly when threatened use caution whenever handling or going into an enclosure to feed or clean.