Guatemalan Tiger Rump Tarantula (Davus pentaloris) Care Sheet

Scientific Name: Davus pentaloris

Common Name: Guatemalan Tiger Rump

Type: Terrestrial Opportunistic Burrower

Category: New World

Endemic Location: Southern Mexico and Guatemala

Body Length: 2” (5cm)

Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 4.75” (12cm)

Urticating Hairs: Yes Type III

Growth Rate: Fast

Life Expectancy: Females 11 years / Males 3 years

Recommended Experience Level: Intermediate

Davus pentaloris, also known as the Guatemalan Tiger Rump.  This is a New World, terrestrial tarantula and an opportunistic burrower.  This species comes from Southern Mexico and Guatemala which is a warm and temperate area with temperatures rarely going above 82f.  Males of this species only live about 2.5-3 years while females have a lifespan of nearly 11 years. Females can grow to a size of 4-4.5in with most seeming to top out in size at 4”. The only sexual dimorphism in this species in size, so to determine the sex of your T you will need to examine a fresh molt or wait for the male to mature, emerging from its molt with tibial hooks and papal bulbs. This T should not to be confused with the Davus fasciatus which has a darker or black carapace, a different pattern on the abdomen, and originates from Costa Rica. Davus pentaloris is the only species firmly established in the hobby. It is sometimes mistakenly sold in the hobby as D. fasciatus. So if you think you own D. fasciatus, it is very likely a D. pentaloris.  This species is known to be docile but can be skittish at times. Being a new world tarantula, this T does not have medically significant venom, but does have urticating hairs which can be very uncomfortable if the urticating setae gets on your skin and can cause serious problems if they were to get in your eyes, nose or mouth. Mine has never shown me a threat pose or even kicked hairs at me. Though it has nearly bolted from its enclosure when startled by me dropping prey on it web or when it is time to rehouse. This T has an amazing feeding response and mine spend most of the time out on display. I keep these T’s like most New World terrestrial in an enclosure that has more width than height. As spiderlings, they tend to like to burrow much more than adults, so be sure to give them plenty of deep substrate til they put on more size. I usually keep their substrate a little more moist than most New Worlds by overflowing the water dish every few weeks and then letting it dry out. As they get larger, I provide them with a hide and a few plants or decorations to use as anchor points as they can be prolific webbers. I keep the water dish full and continue to overflow it every couple weeks, but I avoid getting the substrate swampy and too wet. I only dampen a corner or ⅓ on the substrate enough so that it can fully dry out in 10 - 14 days. This helps to prevent issues with mites and mold.   As far as feeding, I feed my smallest spiderlings under ½” flightless fruit flies, confused flour beetles,  or chopped up pieces of cricket about twice a week. As they grow larger I feed them a couple pre-killed small crickets twice a week initially, but switch to live prey as soon as they're big enough to take down a small cricket safely. Juveniles I will feed one or two medium crickets a week, not much larger than the size of the tarantulas abdomen. And as adults I feed 3 or 4 large crickets or mealworms every other week depending on the size of the abdomen. This T will stop taking food when in premolt, so if your tarantula doesn't eat, be sure to remove any uneaten prey within 24 hours and try again in a week or two. They can easily go weeks or even months without eating while in premolt, it is nothing to worry about. After your adult molts, wait a week - 10 days before offering prey again so you can be sure to give your T plenty of time to stretch out and harden up. Spiderlings don't take as long to harden up and will be ready for food after 3 or 4 days. Since this species does appreciate a little humidity in its enclosure, it is essential to spot clean the enclosure and remove any molts, dead prey, boluses, or anything of that nature regularly to prevent issues with mites, mold and bacteria. The husbandry for this tarantula is pretty straightforward and makes for a great beginner T. With the bright and unique color patterns, voracious feeding response, and mostly docile nature of the T, you can't really wrong adding one to your collection. I do not handle my D. pentaloris personally, as they can be flighty and bolt suddenly..but that is more for the tarantulas safety than my own.