Stegodyphus dufouri 'Oman' (Desert Velvet Spider)

Stegodyphus dufouri 'Oman' (Desert Velvet Spider)

The Desert Velvet Spider, or Stegodyphus dufouri 'Oman', is an arboreal true spider from Oman, building tangled, sticky webs among sticks and brush a little higher off the ground than its ground dwelling cousins. Adults have a white velvet coloration with a warm orange tint across the body, and the abdomen carries a bold, jagged striped pattern, more angular than the stripes on our Sahara Striped cousin, creating a strikingly different look within the same genus. Spiderlings hatch out far more muted than this, with the full white and orange pattern coming in and sharpening with every molt. This species only grows to about 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diagonal leg span for females, with males maturing smaller at about 0.75 inch, and it has a long lifespan for a true spider, with females living around 8 years while males live only 2 to 3. This calm, low-maintenance true spider gets everything it needs from its food and asks for almost nothing beyond feeding, making it one of the easiest invertebrates in the whole hobby to keep. Grab this velvet spider for sale today, a true spider and not a tarantula, offered here as your size of choice below.

Why do hobbyists keep the Desert Velvet Spider?

• White And Orange Coloration: Adults carry a soft white velvet coloration with a warm orange tint, and the abdomen shows off a bold, jagged striped pattern that sets this locality form apart from the rest of the genus.
• Low Maintenance Care: This species gets nearly everything it needs from its food and a light misting once it is past spiderling size, making it one of the easiest true spiders in the whole hobby to keep.
• Large Adult Size: At up to about 1.5 inches in diagonal leg span, females of this species reach an impressively large size for a true spider in this family.
• Long-Lived True Spider: Females can live around 8 years, giving keepers a genuine long term companion rather than the short lifespan most true spiders are known for.
• Alternative to Jumping Spiders: This true spider gets larger and lives longer than most jumping spiders while staying just as calm and easy to watch, making it a great next step for anyone who already enjoys keeping small, visible arachnids.

How should the Desert Velvet Spider be kept?

• Adult Size: Velvet spider size for this species starts around 0.125 inch at hatching and reaches about 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diagonal leg span for females, with mature males staying smaller at about 0.75 inch.
• Enclosure: Enclosure size depends on which size you choose below, each size page gives the exact dimensions for that animal.
• Setup Tips: A velvet spider enclosure does best with real sticks and twigs, along with a layer of moss, which make a big difference for this species, especially at spiderling size. The sticks and twigs give it something secure to anchor its silk retreat and tangled web to, while the moss helps hold a touch of humidity without ever staying wet, and we have seen a real increase in how quickly a new arrival settles in when this kind of real, natural material is available from day one, rather than bare substrate.
• Rehousing: Rehousing follows three cage sizes for life, with the exact timing depending on which size you start with, see the size page for specifics.
• Temperature: Keep it around 75°F, which is fine at normal room temperature, no extra heating needed for most households.
• Humidity: Humidity needs are size gated for this species, see the size page you choose for the exact approach.
• Water: Spiderlings don't need any water at all, since they're very easy to make too wet at that size, so we recommend holding off until it's larger. Past that point, mist lightly once a week or offer a small dish, never soaking it, and let it dry out fully within 24 hours. See the size page you choose for the exact cutoff.
• Diet: We recommend prey size from 1/16 up to a 3/16 inch cricket depending on the size you choose, offered at least once a week.
• Temperament: Calm by nature, though like any true spider it can be unpredictable if it feels threatened.

Which size should I choose?

• 1/8-1/4" Spiderling: Starts right at the size this species hatches at, the newest and smallest stage we carry.
• 0.33" Spiderling: A little more established than our smallest size, past the most delicate early days.
• 0.33-0.5" Spiderling: Nearing the point where light misting and the next enclosure size come into play.
• 0.5-0.75" Juvenile: Our most established size, already through the size gated water transition and settling into real juvenile care.

Are there any additional notes or considerations for the Desert Velvet Spider?

• Solitary Species: This is a solitary true spider, not one of the rare social or colony forming velvet spiders occasionally seen in the trade.
• Color Form May Vary: This is a color form of a true spider, and individual animals can vary somewhat in pattern and intensity, so yours may look slightly different from the listing photo.
• Wild Supply Is Tightening: Export closures across part of this genus's wild range are making genuine wild Stegodyphus bloodlines harder to source every year. Grab this one while it's available, since numbers like these are only going to get harder to come by going forward.
• Included Habitat Vial: This species ships in a small, roughly 5 gram vial lined with moss, about half an inch wide and an inch and a half tall, the same housing we use for animals at this size in our own facility. It's not a complete habitat kit, just a small, effective setup that means no watering is needed while it's in there. We suggest keeping a spiderling in this vial until it reaches about 0.5 to 0.75 inch so it is easy to keep track of, though our standard 2x2x3 inch enclosure works perfectly well for the smallest sizes too if you would rather size up right away, so see Enclosure above for what to grow it into from here.
• Looking for other Stegodyphus velvet spiders? Browse our Sahara Velvet Spider (Stegodyphus lineatus), Asian Gold Velvet Spider (Stegodyphus tibialis), and White Desert Velvet Spider (Stegodyphus sp. 'Xijiang White') to see the rest of the genus.

Frequently asked questions about the Desert Velvet Spider

• Is the Desert Velvet Spider a tarantula or a true spider? It's a true spider, not a tarantula. It belongs to Eresidae, a true spider family recognized by its velvet textured coat, which is where the "velvet spider" name comes from.
• Do velvet spiders need water? Not at the smallest sizes. Under about 0.5 inch, no standing water or misting is needed at all. Past that size, a light misting or a small water dish is appropriate, though not required if the animal is fed well.
• Can I handle my velvet spider? We prefer these be left in their web rather than handled, since that's where they're most comfortable. They can be picked up if needed, but as with any animal there is always some risk of a bite.
• Why do velvet spider moms feed their babies? This is a true spider behavior called matriphagy. After guarding her egg sac, the mother allows her own spiderlings to consume her, which gives the newly hatched young their first meal before they disperse.