The Cobalt Blue Tarantula is a stunning species that is native to parts of South-East Asia in countries such as Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. They are a medium sized Tarantula with a leg span of about 5 inches.
They are known to be a very defensive species and won’t hesitate to bit if they feel threatened. This makes them less of a beginner species than many other commonly kept tarantulas in captivity.
Cobalt Blue Tarantula Taxonomy
The Cobalt Blue Tarantula belongs to the Family Theraphosidae. This essentially means that the spider is a tarantula and over 1,000 different spiders have been identified as part of the family Theraphosidae.
Theraphosidae belongs to the infraorder Mygalomorphae. While many of the other species in this infraorder are often referred to as tarantulas or ‘false tarantulas’, the species in the family Theraphosidae are considered the ‘true’ tarantulas.
Tarantulas can be found throughout the American Continent (excluding Canada), Africa, parts of Mediterranean Europe, South-East Asia and Australia.
This species belongs to the genus Cyriopagopus, which is a genus that contains 12 Tarantulas from South-East Asia and China. Some of the other species in this genus include the Thailand Black Tarantula and the Asian Chevron Tarantula.
Until recently, the Cobalt Blue Tarantula was classified under the genus Haplopelma as Haplopelma lividum until it was reclassified as Cyriopagopus lividus.
Cobalt Blue Tarantula Description
The Cobalt Blue Tarantula is a medium sized tarantula with an average leg span of about 5 inches. Its most stunning feature is its iridescent blue legs which gives this species its common name.
The body and abdomen of the spider is generally dark brown or black in color. The legs also appear dark until they are exposed to adequate lighting, where they will transform into a vibrant blue iridescence.
Spiderlings are typically duller than adults and usually appear greyish blue in color.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
Cyriopagopus lividus is native to the tropical rainforests of South-East Asia. They can typically be found in countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore.
The Cobalt Blue Tarantula is a terrestrial species that live in burrows in the ground. They typically build these silken burrows themselves and will spend most of their time in them, leaving only to hunt for food.
They share much of their geographical range with species such as the Blood Python, Asian Vine Snake and the Dragon Snake, although it has its own unique habitat.
Cobalt Blue Tarantula as Pets
The Cobalt Blue Tarantula is a stunning species but isn’t recommended for beginner tarantula species. As with many Asian species, these spiders can be very defensive. This can often appear as ‘aggressive behaviour’ but it is actually a response to the spider feeling threatened.
Their first instinct when threatened is to flee, but if this isn’t an option, they will display a threatening pose in an attempt to scare off a potential threat. If this doesn’t work, they will not hesitate to bite.
While this is a stunning species, they don’t make a great display tarantula as they spend most of their time hiding in their burrow. At best, you will only see the front half of their body, poking out the front of the burrow waiting for food.
If you purchase a Cobalt Blue Tarantula, make sure you are committed to a long-term pet as males can live 5-6 years while females can live for over 15 years.
Cobalt Blue Tarantula Feeding
An adult Cobalt Blue Tarantula will do well on a couple of Crickets or Roaches every week. You can also offer other commercially available insects such as mealworms.
An adult Cobalt Blue Tarantula may even eat the occasional pinkie mouse. This would be a substantial meal so don’t overdo it with these.
Any leftover or uneaten food should be removed from the enclosure within 24hrs. Don’t stick your hand into the enclosure though, remove the uneaten items with feeding thongs.
Spiderlings can be fed pre-killed small crickets twice a week. At this size they will scavenge for food so accepting pre-killed usually isn’t an issue. Again, remove any uneaten food within 24 hours.
Cobalt Blue Tarantula Housing
As the Cobalt Blue Tarantula isn’t very active, an adult with a leg span of around 5 inches will do well in an 18″ x 12″ x 12″ tank. You will need to ensure that the tank is escape proof as these spiders are known to be escape artists.
You will need a deep layer of substrate as these tarantulas like to burrow so try to provide them with at least 6-8 inches of substrate. Coco Fibre or peat soil are good options to use.
They need high humidity so you will need to spray down the enclosure with a light misting to keep humidity levels up. However, you do not want soggy substrate so be mindful while misting.
You can also provide these spiders with above ground hides but they will spend most of their time in their burrow. A shallow water bowl will also help with humidity levels.
Temperature
You can keep your Cobalt Blue Tarantula at room temperature. If the temperature is comfortable for you, it will be comfortable for them. This adds to their ease of care as you don’t need any special heating equipment.
However, if you live in a cold climate, you may want to add some supplemental heat during the winter months. You typically want to keep them between a temperature range of 75F-85F.
Substrate
The Cobalt Blue Tarantula is a burrowing species so you need to offer them enough substrate to allow them to dig their burrows.
These tarantulas like high humidity so you need to choose a substrate that will hold humidity well without moulding. Coco Fibre is a great option for this but there is also a variety of other substrates that will work well.
You don’t want the substrate to be soaking wet. A light misting once or twice a day should be enough.
Cobalt Blue Tarantula Handling
The Cobalt Blue Tarantula is a popular species in the pet trade but it should be considered a hands-off species as these spiders typically don’t like to be handled at all.
They are often referred to as an aggressive species but this isn’t really the case. A better description is that they are very defensive. The difference is an aggressive species will actively look to attack while a defensive species will only attack if it feels threatened.
This is a fast species that will typically try to flee when you put your hand into the enclosure. They may also perform a defensive display of slapping against the ground to try and scare you off. If this doesn’t work, they won’t hesitate to bite.