New Guinea Rust-Orange Tarantula

Selenocosmia arndsti, the New Guinea rust-orange tarantula, is an Old World species from New Guinea that you may also see under the older names Selenotypus arndsti or Chilocosmia arndsti. Published husbandry is thin, and most of what follows comes from two dealer pages, so treat it as a starting point rather than a settled standard. Sellers describe a fast, defensive, deep-burrowing spider with a very strong feeding response, reaching about 6 to 7 inches. One suggests a terrestrial setup with at least 4 to 5 inches of substrate, a hide, 75 to 82 F and humid but well-ventilated conditions; another points to the Philippine tangerine care sheet as a comparable guide. Old World tarantulas lack urticating hairs, and the seller calls the venom potent, though we found no verified bite data. This is not a beginner animal: use a secure lid and long tools.