Aphonopelma Seemani is the scientific name for a species of tarantula native to Costa Rica. Some of its common names include the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula and the Striped Knee Tarantula.
This burrowing species has a large distribution and can be found throughout a large portion of Central America including Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. There are also reported sightings in Guatemala.
Some of the other commonly kept species of New World Tarantulas include the Green Bottle Blue Tarantula, Guyana Pink Toe Tarantula, Mexican Fireleg Tarantula, Pumpkin Patch Tarantula and the Venezuelan Suntiger Tarantula.
Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula Taxonomy
The Aphonopelma Seemani 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.
The Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula belongs to the genus Aphonopelma. This is a genus of New World Tarantulas native to the Americas. This is a large genus containing 59 species at the latest count.
The majority of species in this genus are from Central America but a number of species are native to the United States. The scientific name for the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula is Aphonopelma Seemani.
Aphonopelma Seemani Description
The Aphonopelma Seemani Tarantula is a medium sized tarantula that can obtain a leg span of around 6 inches. They typically have a uniform dark brown or black coloration with lightly colored hairs on their carapace, abdomen and legs.
They also have very distinctive white or cream colored ‘striped’ running vertically down their legs. This is what gives the spider its common name, the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula.
They also have these white or cream stripes running horizontally along the front of their carapace and along the joints of their legs. This gives the spider its other common name, the Striped Knee Tarantula.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Aphonopelma Seemani Tarantula is native to parts of Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. However, they do not live in the humid Rainforests typically associated with many species of Costa Rica.
Instead, they prefer the drier forests of Northern Costa Rica and up into Nicaragua and Honduras. They are a terrestrial species that live in burrows on the forest floor. They may also be found under fallen logs or beneath leaf litter.
It shares part of its range with species such as the Central American Banded Gecko, the Curly Hair Tarantula, Blacktail Cribo and the Yellow Spotted Lizard.
Aphonopelma Seemani as Pets
Before you decide to purchase an Aphonopelma Seemani Tarantula you need to carefully consider whether you are prepared to look after one of these spiders for a long time.
Females can live in captivity for up to 20 years while males will usually live for 6-8 years. This is a big commitment to make so you should consider your purchase carefully before committing.
Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula Feeding
A spiderling Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula can be fed flightless fruit flies or small crickets twice a week. Any prey item larger than the spider’s abdomen must be pre-killed.
Any uneaten prey should be removed from the enclosure within 24 hours. It is also normal for a tarantula to refuse a meal while they are in pre-molt. After they molt, allow the shell to harden before offering them food again.
A good rule of thumb is to offer insects that are no larger than the length of the spider’s abdomen, although you can go a bit smaller if you wish.
Juveniles can be fed two small or medium crickets every 10-14 days or so. These tarantulas are not ferocious feeders like many other species and usually won’t accept as much food.
An adult can be fed 3-4 crickets every 2-3 weeks. There is no set amount to feed a tarantula and you really have to judge it based on the condition of the spider. If they are starting to look skinny, increase the meal sizes or reduce the duration between feeds.
If they are starting to look fat, reduce meal sizes or increase the duration between feeds. You can also supplement their diet with different insects such as roaches’ mealworms, super worms and locusts.
Aphonopelma Seemani Housing
A spiderling Aphonopelma Seemani Tarantula can be housed in a small, secure enclosure. Ensure that the floor space is at least 3-4 times the length of the spider. You should also fill the enclosure two thirds of the way with substrate to allow them to burrow.
As the spider grows, you will need to move them into a larger enclosure. Juveniles should also be kept in a terrestrial setup with at least 3 times their leg span in floor space. Again, ensure the setup is filled with enough substrate to allow them to burrow.
These setups don’t have to be over elaborate as they will spend much of their time in their burrows. However, you should include some cork bark hides on the surface as well as a water dish.
An adult Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula can comfortably be housed in an enclosure measuring 18” wide x 12” deep x 12” high. This should be filled at least half way with substrate.
Aphonopelma Seemani Handling
The Aphonopelma Seemani Tarantula is best kept as a display species and handling them isn’t recommended. These spiders like to spend most of their time in their burrows so even as a display species, you won’t see them that much.
A Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula can be defensive and handling is not recommended as they can be very shy and skittish. Excessive handling of a species with this temperament can be very stressful for the spider.
A skittish spider can also make an attempt to escape if you try to handle them. This is a terrestrial species and a fall from any kind of height can be fatal.