Harpactira marksii

Harpactira marksii(Harpactira marksii)

Phylum —arthropoda
Class —arachnida
Order —araneae
Family —theraphosidae

Genus –harpactira

Appearance

Being well fed it can be the size of up to 7 cm, the span of the legs reaches 12-14 cm.

The body is dark brown, covered with golden hairs.

Habitat

It lives in South Africa.

Behavior

Harpactiramarksii is an obligate burrower, a pet hole that spends most of its time in its burrows or silken retreats. As a sling, even if provided with a burrow or plenty of substrate – it will create a shallow “tent” on the surface of the substrate using a mixture of webbing and substrate for the canopy. This tent acts like a pressure sensitive blanket over the baboon spider, alerting it to anything that could become a juicy meal.

Harpactiramarksii is a skittish spider from young through to adulthood and will normally bolt and disappear with any disturbance, it may even display a threat pose if caught off guard.

Diet

This spider feeds on insects.

Reproduction

It has got a fixed-type cocoon. Spiders are born quite large, the body size of a newborn spider is about 1 cm. It grows very fast.

In captivity

Lifespan: females – 10 to 12 years, males – 2 to 3 years.

It is not for keepers-beginners.It is an active, fast and nervous species. The bite is toxic.

This species is kept in the following conditions:

• Temperature: 25 to 28 degrees Celsius.
• Humidity: low, provided by watering a small part of the substrate. Most of the substrate is dry.
• Substrate is coconut shavings, at least 5 cm deep, in which the spider arranges a system of burrow tunnels.
• The terrarium is horizontal.

These spiders actively dig and weave, so additional shelter is not necessary.

In such conditions, spiders eat well and grow quickly.

It eats insects of a suitable size.