Heterothele gabonensis

Heterothele gabonensis – The shimmering golden mini tarantula from Gabon

Heterothele gabonensis is one of the most beautiful small tarantulas in Africa. Its golden shimmer, the fine patterns on its carapace and its calm yet curious nature make it a truly special species. Although it remains significantly smaller than many other species, it has an enormous presence and displays exciting behavior that you can observe excellently in the terrarium.

This species originates from the tropical regions of Gabon, where it lives in burrows and small structures. It also exhibits exactly this behavior in the terrarium. It likes to build tubes, but also uses existing structures such as cork and roots. Particularly interesting is the way Heterothele gabonensis finely lines its surroundings with webbing, creating a natural-looking network. This means that even a small terrarium quickly looks like a small “mini biotope”.

A terrarium of at least 20 × 20 × 20 cm is sufficient for an adult animal as long as there is sufficient substrate. We recommend 8-10 cm of forest humus so that the spider feels comfortable digging. A cork tube or a small piece of root wood provides additional structure. The climate should be warm and slightly damp. Temperatures of 24-27 °C are ideal during the day and 20-22 °C at night. You can easily achieve a humidity level of around 70 % by spraying lightly in a corner. At the same time, good ventilation ensures that mold does not form.

Heterothele gabonensis eats reliably and likes to take prey directly from its web. Crickets, small cockroaches, crickets or flies work very well. Despite its small size, it shows a lot of energy when eating and grabs its prey with determination. At the same time, it tends to be reserved in its behavior and prefers to retreat into its tube if it feels disturbed.

The social behavior of this species is particularly exciting. Heterothele gabonensis can be kept in groups under good conditions. With several animals, a beautiful network of webs is created, which they all use together. However, it is important to provide a good supply of food, plenty of hiding places and a close eye on behavior. When everything is right, this species shows an amazingly harmonious coexistence that is rarely seen in tarantulas.

If you are looking for a small, fascinating and easy to keep tarantula that nevertheless exhibits unusual behavior, you will be delighted with Heterothele gabonensis very happy. It combines beautiful colors with a social structure – a real specialty in the hobby.