Omothymus cf. rafni 1-1.25" *RARE*

Omothymus cf. rafni

Omothymus cf. rafni is an Old World arboreal tarantula from Sumatra, Indonesia. Adults have jet black legs with gold banding at every joint, a gold carapace, and gold blushing across the abdomen. Spiderlings do not start out colorful and the adult coloration comes in around 3.5 inches, while this species is expected to reach about 8 inches in diagonal leg span, an estimate we will firm up as more specimens mature in the hobby. Like other Asian arboreals we keep, females of this species live about 10 to 15 years while males live only 2 to 3. This species is fast, alert and defensive, quicker to retreat than to stand its ground, the same feisty temperament typical of Asian arboreal earth tigers. Grab this rare old world tarantula for sale today, offered here as a spiderling.

Why do hobbyists keep Omothymus cf. rafni?

• Gold and Black Coloration: A mature specimen carries jet black legs banded in gold at every joint, a gold carapace, and gold blushing across the abdomen.
• Color Change: This coloration is not there yet on a young sling. It comes in and intensifies around 3.5 inches, so you get to watch it develop firsthand rather than buying it already finished.
• Great Display Species: A fast, alert species that tends to stay near the entrance of its tube rather than hide deep in its enclosure, so you actually get to see the animal you are keeping.
• Heavy Webber: Lays down thick sheet web around its retreat, filling in the enclosure and giving it a lived-in look within weeks.
• Rare in the Hobby: This species only arrived in the US hobby this year, and specimens are still hard to come by.

How should Omothymus cf. rafni be kept?

• Adult Size: Spiderlings hatch out around 0.75 to 1 inch in diagonal leg span, growing to an adult max of about 8 inches, an estimate we are still confirming on this recently discovered species. This tier runs 1 to 1.25 inches, just past hatch size.
• Enclosure: We size every arboreal tarantula enclosure to our standard Three Cage System, ahead of the animal rather than to its current size, built tall with a vertical cork tube as the centerpiece. At this size that means a 6 by 6 by 8 inch enclosure with at least 1.5 inches of substrate.
• Setup Tips: Real cork bark or wood pieces make a big difference for arboreal species at this size. They give it natural climbing surfaces and webbing anchor points that help it settle in and start webbing faster.
• Rehousing: Two more rehouses ahead across this species' medium to fast growth rate, reaching full adult size in about 2 to 4 years, with each enclosure lasting roughly 8 to 12 months along the way.
• Temperature: Keep them between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the optimal range for most tropical species like this one. Cooler temperatures are survivable, but increase the odds of trouble molting and growing, so we recommend staying in this range for the best results. Most keepers do not need any extra heating to hit it.
• Humidity: Never let the substrate dry out completely. This is a tropical species and it likes things a little wetter than most terrestrials, so keep it slightly damp and top it up before it goes dry rather than after.
• Water: Provide a shallow water dish placed in an elevated position if possible. This is more natural for arboreal species and helps prevent crickets from falling in and drowning. A weekly misting is suggested as well, so the animal can drink off the side of the enclosure or its own webbing if it prefers that to the dish, as long as you are wetting surfaces rather than soaking the substrate.
• Diet: Prey length should run about a 1/4 to 5/16 inch cricket at this size, roughly a quarter of the leg span. Feed at least once a week.
• Temperament: Fast, alert and defensive, but it would always rather run than fight, and it can be a little feisty. This is typical of the Asian arboreals rather than anything unusual about this one.

Are there any additional notes or considerations for Omothymus cf. rafni?

• Success Formula: This one leans toward the more delicate end of the fragility scale, so three things carry it: substrate that never dries out completely, correctly sized prey every week, and a tube it can retreat into from day one. Get those right and the rest takes care of itself.
• Cork Tube Is Essential: A vertical cork tube is not decor for this species, it is the enclosure. Real cork or sterile natural wood from the spiderling stage helps it settle and web faster than anything else we have tested.
• Captive Bred: All tarantulas at Exotics Unlimited are captive bred.

Frequently asked questions about Omothymus cf. rafni

• What does "cf." mean in Omothymus cf. rafni? "Cf." is short for the Latin "confer," meaning "compare to." It tells you this animal keys out to Omothymus rafni but has not been confirmed down to the last detail, which is common with a species this new to the hobby. You are getting the same animal, just labeled with the honest level of certainty we have on it right now.

Listing Notes

• This listing is for an Omothymus cf. rafni well-started spiderling measuring around 1 to 1.25 inches in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, unsexed, with roughly a 50/50 chance of male or female. It is not showing the gold coloration yet, and that is the point: it starts coming in around 3.5 inches, so you get to watch it come in and intensify from here.