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Can anybody tell me a little bit about the Hapalopus sp tarantula?

A

Allthingsterrarium

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
220
Hello everybody! Last month I went to a reptile show called Repticon in Waukesha Wi and there were of course a lot of breeders there selling all kinds of interesting stuff. As I expected some people were selling tarantulas, many species and sizes. I actually almost got a species called a Haitian brown which I later learned was a type of birdeater but the guy told me they are an aggressive species and get enormous so as I'm still a beginner with tarantulas aggressive species for the time being. Another one that caught my eye though seemed much more reasonable. I forgot what it was for a while but I found it online and then I remembered it was called a pumpkin patch tarantula and the scientific name is Hapalopus sp. He was probably still very young and was being kept in a large vile, not huge by any means, probably a little smaller than a penny and had made a little web for himself. The price was very good at a little under $20 and I was really considering getting him but I decided not to as I have no knowledge of the species and needed to do more research as I did not know about how long it lives, it's temperament or just what it would turn into. For all I knew at the time it might have been just a juvenile of something huge and aggressive that would live for decades. I'm going to go back to Repticon in August and if there is another pumpkin patch for sale I just might get it. I'm sure there are a lot of resources online and I'm going to go look at those but I also want to learn all I can from people that have them or have kept them. Here's a picture I found on Pinterest that looks pretty much identical to the one I almost got except he was a brighter yellow if I recall correctly. Any information would be welcome and appreciated, in particular how big do they get and how long do they live? Any special requirements for care?
 

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A

Allthingsterrarium

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
220
Allthingsterrarium said:
Hello everybody! Last month I went to a reptile show called Repticon in Waukesha Wi and there were of course a lot of breeders there selling all kinds of interesting stuff. As I expected some people were selling tarantulas, many species and sizes. I actually almost got a species called a Haitian brown which I later learned was a type of birdeater but the guy told me they are an aggressive species and get enormous so as I'm still a beginner with tarantulas aggressive species for the time being. Another one that caught my eye though seemed much more reasonable. I forgot what it was for a while but I found it online and then I remembered it was called a pumpkin patch tarantula and the scientific name is Hapalopus sp. He was probably still very young and was being kept in a large vile, not huge by any means, probably a little smaller than a penny and had made a little web for himself. The price was very good at a little under $20 and I was really considering getting him but I decided not to as I have no knowledge of the species and needed to do more research as I did not know about how long it lives, it's temperament or just what it would turn into. For all I knew at the time it might have been just a juvenile of something huge and aggressive that would live for decades. I'm going to go back to Repticon in August and if there is another pumpkin patch for sale I just might get it. I'm sure there are a lot of resources online and I'm going to go look at those but I also want to learn all I can from people that have them or have kept them. Here's a picture I found on Pinterest that looks pretty much identical to the one I almost got except he was a brighter yellow if I recall correctly. Any information would be welcome and appreciated, in particular how big do they get and how long do they live? Any special requirements for care?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant "no" aggressive species for the time being
 
Meludox

Meludox

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
573
Location
Airville, PA
I love my Hapalopus sp.! There are two variations of this species, 'Klein' which is the dwarf version and 'Columbia' which reaches 4-5 inches. They both look the same, and are kept the same. I have a Columbia just over an inch and it's one of my favorites in my collection. Care is pretty simple, dry sub with a waterdish. I provided a hide with a pre-dug burrow that the spider has extended a bit, they are known to burrow around sometimes and they web over everything! If you're into prolific terrestrial webbers (like me) this is a great species to have.

As far as temperament goes, I'm actually not sure. I don't believe that they're particularly defensive but usually feisty enough to kick hairs every now and again. Mine is also pretty skittish, but that's mostly because she's young. Feeding response is great.

I think this is a great spider for you to have, and you should definitely take up the opportunity to get one next time it comes around. :)
 
Enn49

Enn49

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3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
10 Year Member
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11,180
Location
Malton, UK
One tip - ask the seller which it is Klein or Gross then you won't be worried if it stays small or panic when it gets bigger than you expected :)
 
MassExodus

MassExodus

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5,547
Location
Outside San Antonio, TX
They're a smaller, faster, prettier version of the gbb. They're incredibly fast for terrestrials. I recommend a moist half of substrate for babies, and careful when you open the enclosure. These and pcams are little escape artists. And I don't see much difference in speed..
 
A

Allthingsterrarium

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
220
Meludox said:
I love my Hapalopus sp.! There are two variations of this species, 'Klein' which is the dwarf version and 'Columbia' which reaches 4-5 inches. They both look the same, and are kept the same. I have a Columbia just over an inch and it's one of my favorites in my collection. Care is pretty simple, dry sub with a waterdish. I provided a hide with a pre-dug burrow that the spider has extended a bit, they are known to burrow around sometimes and they web over everything! If you're into prolific terrestrial webbers (like me) this is a great species to have.

As far as temperament goes, I'm actually not sure. I don't believe that they're particularly defensive but usually feisty enough to kick hairs every now and again. Mine is also pretty skittish, but that's mostly because she's young. Feeding response is great.

I think this is a great spider for you to have, and you should definitely take up the opportunity to get one next time it comes around. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Meludox! Good to know! Yeah I'd love to get one. Yours is certainly beautiful :)
 
A

Allthingsterrarium

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
220
MassExodus said:
They're a smaller, faster, prettier version of the gbb. They're incredibly fast for terrestrials. I recommend a moist half of substrate for babies, and careful when you open the enclosure. These and pcams are little escape artists. And I don't see much difference in speed..
Click to expand...

Wow good to know! My little B. Boehmei is fast enough already :)
 
Kymura

Kymura

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Messages
3,314
Location
Alabama
Mine is slightly spastic but I have it set up where it can find hiding spots. So zero escape attempts. Had to practically drag it out when I re-housed.
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 

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