Brazilian Pink Bloom Tarantula (Pamphobetus sp. Platyomma) Care Sheet
Care & Husbandry Video
I explain how I keep and how much I feed my spiderling, juveniles and adult Pink Bloom Tarantulas. I also show you the enclosures I use and how I set them up.
Scientific Name: Pamphobetus sp. Platyomma
Common Name: Brazilian Pink Bloom
Type: Terrestrial Opportunistic Burrower
Category: New World
Endemic Location: Ecuador
Body Length: 3.5” (9cm)
Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 8” (20cm)
Urticating Hairs: Yes type I and III
Growth Rate: fast - medium
Life Expectancy: Females 20 years / Males 3-4 years
Recommended Experience Level: Intermediate
Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma known also by the common name Brazilian Pink Bloom Tarantula, is a New World terrestrial, opportunistic bird spider that can be found in Ecuador and Brazil. There are many Pamphobeteus sp in the hobby including P. sp. Ecuador, Ecuador II, Tigris, antinous, machala, and Solaris to name a few. They are found throughout north western parts of South America with some being undescribed and labeled by the location they're endemic to. This is a medium-fast growing tarantula reaching up to a 7-8in leg span. These Ts put on size fast and there are noticeable size differences after a molt. Females can live over 20 years, but males usually live no more than 5 years or so at most. There is sexual dimorphism in these Tarantulas with the males producing bright pink and purple colors with their ultimate molt with females mostly being dark grey, brown or black.
I keep my spiderling Pamphos is basic spiderling enclosures with more width than height, but I make sure they have plenty of depth so they can burrow deep into the substrate if they choose. I keep my juveniles in my standard juvenile acrylic enclosures and again provide plenty of substrate and a hide for them to be able to burrow as they find comfortable. I keep my adults in 5-10 gallon size enclosures and ensure that there is at least 4” of substrate, more if possible because sometimes these Ts appreciate being able to retreat into a deep burrow. I use a two level system of substrate with these Ts though that isn't absolutely necessary. I have a bottom layer of substrate that is about a 50/50 mix of coco fiber and organic top soil. I also mix in a small amount of sand and some vermiculite to help with drainage and water dispersion while also discouraging mold growth. For the top layer I use straight coco fiber or coco fiber mixed 70/30 or 80/20 with top soil and vermiculite. I provide a water dish at all stages of growth and make sure to keep it full. About twice a month I water the substrate and then let the top layer dry out completely before watering the substrate again. This keeps the bottom layer moist while the top layer is mostly dry so as the water in the bottom layer evaporates it keeps the over all humidity in the enclosure up.
These are large, heavy Ts so be careful not to leave too much space between the top of the enclosure and the floor. You do not want to risk your T climbing to the top of their enclosure and falling a long distance causing them to possibly rupture their abdomen. I usually make sure there is no more than 1 ½ times their legspan in height.
I feed my Pampho slings confused flour beetle larvae until they're over 0.5” then switch them to small crickets about twice a week. As juveniles I will feed them 1 or 2 medium crickets at least once a week depending in the size of the abdomen. I make sure the crickets are no larger than ⅔ the size of the t. And for my adults, I feed 3-5 large crickets once a week depending on their appetite and size of their abdomen. These Ts are powerful and excited eaters and usually will eat right up til they molt. My Pamphos rarely refuse a meal and attack their prey with conviction and excitement. I make sure to remove any uneaten prey or boluses within 24 hours to reduce the risk of mold or mites.
These Ts can be nervous, but usually prefer to retreat into hiding before showing a threat posture, but they seem to like to kick some hairs as they are entering their burrow. So whenever I am rehousing, spot cleaning, or will have my hands inside the enclosure for any reason...i am sure to wear gloves to help protect against any urticating hairs as they can be very irritating.
I keep all species of Pamphobeteus I have in my collection the same way for the most part. These make for great display Tarantulas. My slings through adults spend a lot of time outside their burrows unless I disturb them. Even though the females aren’t nearly as colorful as the adult males, they are still gorgeous and can have some nice highlights of color. Due to this species bolty behavior and propensity to kick hairs along with its size and preference for a little more humid environment, I would say it is more of an intermediate species than a beginner species. But it is fast growing, has an amazing feeding response and is one of the few species you wont be disappointed if it matures out male. Pamphos of many types are fairly common and you can pick up slings between $40-$100 depending on the species and size but there are some more rare species like the Solaris that commands a much heavier price tag. All in all, this is one of my favorite species to film feeding and to watch move around its enclosure, but I do not attempt to ever handle my adults.
