Ceratogyrus darlingi

Ceratogyrus darlingi is one of Africa’s most beautiful spiders with its cephalic protuberance and carapace patterns. Known from Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa this species is a widely distributed species and can be found sympatric in many areas with Pterinochilus murinus, Idiothele nigrofulva and Pterinochilus lugardi. This species comes from a dry climate and temperatures can vary from 25-35 degrees, but burrow temperatures are around 24-45 celcius and this species does benefit from a slight night-time drop to 22 celcius.

In addition to the distinctly slanted protuberance on the carapace, C. darlingi has distinct cream patterning on the ventral abdomen on both pairs of book lungs, a large amount of radial striping on the carapace and a distinctive abdomen pattern. This species is fast growing and shows sexual dimorphism at maturity, especially in the size of the protuberance.

A standard terrestrial enclosure with coir, a hide and a waterbowl are sufficient for keeping this tarantula. Try to keep the first inch of substrate dry. Very easy to keep and breed, a perfect “first time” African species, but not to be provoked.