Old world tarantula list

Old World tarantulas are species that are native to what is called the “Old World”, a term that’s used to describe Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The species that inhabit these continents are quite a bit different from their New World counterparts, which inhabit North and South America. The primary difference between them is that Old World tarantulas are typically more venomous, faster, and lack urticating hairs. In addition, they’re also often less docile.

Because of this, not many of these species are recommended for beginners and are often better suited for intermediate or advanced tarantula owners.

If you’re up for the challenge and want an Old World species as your next pet, it might be hard to choose one. After all, there are hundreds of species in existence. For that reason, we’ve compiled this list of the top 10 species to consider.


The top 10 Old World Tarantulas


1. Poecilotheria Metallica






Common name

Gooty Sapphire Tarantula



Type

Arboreal



Leg span

6 inches



Lifespan

Females 12 years / Males 4 years



Experience level

Advanced





The Poecilotheria Metallica, better known as the Gooty Sapphire Tarantula, is one


As of this writing there are 954 known species of tarantulas in the world, with dozens upon dozens of described genus names. As research continues on these fascinating animals, new genus and species names are created and animals are being shifted into new nomenclature. You just never know when what you had yesterday as a

Brachypelma smithi

could now be

Brachypelma hamorii

tomorrow. What one day was

Avicularia versicolor

is now

Caribena versicolor

. As new species are discovered and more research is done, I am sure these shifts will continue.



Old World Tarantula



New World Tarantula



Old World Tarantula



One thing that has remained constant though is, based on where the tarantula comes from on the planet designates it as Old World or New World. I am often asked what the difference is. In a nutshell, Old World tarantulas come from Africa, Asia, Australia and parts of Europe. New World tarantulas can be found in North, Central and South America as well as on the Caribbean Islands. What is fascinating though is the differences between Old and New World tarantulas. Yes they are all big spiders, but there are some common similarities that all Old World ta


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A Comparison for the Potential Hobbyist




Back in the 90s when I was more into keeping snakes than tarantulas, my wife, Billie, and I attended a reptile expo in Massachusetts. While perusing the animals at the various tables, we saw a 10-gallon aquarium with about two inches of colorful aquarium gravel and a large black tarantula stood dead in the middle of it. It was easy to surmise that this spider was NOT happy, as it had its front legs raised high into the air and it would slap the ground every time a curious individual got too close to the tank. Although I did have two tarantulas at this time, I was still quite intimidated by them, and I found this threat display to be equally fascinating and terrifying. The cage was labeled simply, “Thailand Black Tarantula”, and I gave serious thought to purchasing the poor girl as she looked so stressed. I remember telling Billie, “their bites are no worse than a bee sting” so it wouldn’t really be dangerous to keep it.

What I didn’t know at the time was that this species was an
Old World
tarantula, and a bite from one would be a heck of a lot worse than a bee sting. I also had no idea that this was a shy,

Old World Tarantula Spiders



Old World Tarantulas
, especially those native to Asia, differ from the New World tarantulas as this species lack urticating hairs. Instead they use biting as a defensive mechanism (as well for subduing prey). In addition, these Old World spiders are far less docile and more likely to try and bite an adversary (including humans) if provoked.

The effect of Old World tarantula venoms is not well studied, however evidence suggests they have stronger venom than their New World counterparts.

There are many anecdotal reports from individuals in the tarantula pet trade of significant bites occasionally resulting in hospitalisation. Symptoms include localized pain and swelling, exhaustion, moderate to severe muscle cramping, laboured breathing and fever, sometimes delayed days after the initial bite.



Old World Tarantulas

Baboon Spider





The
Baboon spider
(Pterinochilus murinus), an old-world tarantula, is found on the African continent, in Angola, as well as central, eastern and southern Africa.

Among those who keep tarantulas as pets this spider is known as ‘OBT’ which means ‘Orange Baboon Tarantula’.

These nicknames reference a particular ora