SPECIES CARE GUIDE
LSD Earth Tiger
Cilantica psychedelicus
ENVIRONMENT
Core care conditions
Use these ranges as a starting point and adjust for life stage, enclosure ventilation and observed behaviour.
HUSBANDRY OVERVIEW
At a glance
- Taxonomic group
- Arachnida
- Origin
- Western Ghats, India
- Lifestyle
- Fossorial
- Adult size (diagonal leg span)
- 12-14 cm
- Temperament
- Defensive and lightning-fast
- Experience level
- Experienced keepers
- Visibility
- Rarely visible
- Burrowing
- Fossorial
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Urticating hairs
- No
- Venom
- Medically significant
- Tarantula region
- Old World
- Male lifespan
- 3-5 years
- Female lifespan
- 12-15 years
CARE NOTES
Keeping considerations
Haploclastus devamatha is a striking, highly fossorial species from the Western Ghats of India. Because of their heavy burrowing nature, provide a deep, moisture-retaining organic substrate (at least 6-8 inches for adults) and maintain high humidity between 75-85% with moderate cross-ventilation. Keep a shallow water dish filled at all times. Due to their lightning-fast speed, highly defensive temperament, and medically significant venom, this species is strictly recommended for experienced keepers and is not suitable for handling.
PRACTICAL HUSBANDRY
Day-to-day care
Diet & prey
rickets, roaches, locusts, and mealworms (sized appropriately to the spider)
Feeding
Feed spiderlings every 4–5 days; juveniles to adults every 7–10 days with appropriately sized feeder insects.
Enclosure
Terrestrial/fossorial setup; minimum 3x to 4x the spider's diagonal leg span in length/width with extra vertical depth to allow for deep burrowing.
Substrate
Deep, moisture-retaining organic topsoil or coconut fiber mix, kept damp to support high humidity and burrowing (minimum 6-8 inches deep for adults).
Ventilation
Moderate cross-ventilation to prevent stagnant air while retaining the high humidity required.
Hydration & misting
Keep a shallow water dish filled with fresh water at all times and lightly mist one corner of the enclosure periodically to maintain high humidity.
Handling
Not recommended for handling due to lightning-fast speed, defensive temperament, and medically significant venom.
Sex differences
Polychromatism: Females exhibit spectacular colour shifts as they grow. Spiderlings (slings) display softer rose and powder-blue hues, whereas mature females gradually deepen into a velvety, saturated jet-black highlighted by an intense metallic blue lustre across the carapace and legs
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Keeper notes
Possesses potent (medically significant) venom, is extremely fast, and displays a defensive temperament. Capable of delivering a severe bite.
CARE VIDEOS
Watch and learn
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the references
Care can vary by species, life stage and local conditions. Review multiple reputable sources before making husbandry decisions.
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