Socotra island blue baboon tarantula

Socotra island blue baboon tarantula

In Socotra Island, off the coast of Yemen, you can find Socotra island blue baboon tarantula these beautiful creatures, which have been bred by humans for more than 100 years. The island is considered to be the most remote in the world. Blue baboons of Socotra Island are among the most rare animals on earth, and they are considered by many to be the most beautiful tarantulas. Monocentropus balfouri is one of those spiders. 

As a result of the Tarantula hobby, they are now thriving around the world after being almost wiped out from their home habitat on the island of Socotra. It is a stunning tarantula and, at 12cm, they are not the biggest tarantulas, but they are simply a must-have for any collection, especially since Monocentropus balfouri is one of the few species that are capable of co-habitation and can thrive in a community environment.

The spider was named after its collector Isaac Bayley Balfour. Therefore, the common name comes from Socotra Island. Terrain-dependent and an opportunistic burrower, this tarantula occupies a terrestrial environment.

In Socotra, the average temperature is 28°C, there is an average of 193 millimeters of rainfall per year, and the average humidity is 65%. The Hajhir Mountains, a limestone plateau, and narrow coastal plains characterize Socotra. Plants such as Dracaena cinnabari, the Dragon’s blood tree, are also unique to this island flora.

A unique feature of this tarantula is its communal behavior, with the mother spider caring for her young, even attacking predators if they approach her egg sac. Multiple males and females of different ages may live together in captivity without attacking one another as long as they receive enough food and care. Due to their cuddly appearance and communal nature, this species is very popular among hobbyists. In 2014, she won the award for the world’s most beautiful bird spider. 

There have been more than 30 spider species described, but only Atrophothele socotrana and Monocentropus balfouri are endemic to Socotra and belong to the Mygalomorphae suborder. In 1999 and 2003, different color variations were found, ranging from red to amber. Although that is the case, it is a very special plant. It is the same species that is slowly transforming into a beautiful plant with colorful leaves as shown in the picture.

Even though they may be found on other islands, they are found on “Socotra Island”, which is the main island of a group of islands in the Indian Ocean south of the Arabian Peninsula. Since they are desert species, unlike other blue tarantulas, they are easy to rear and are bred similarly to other baboons, with a substrate several inches deep to facilitate burrowing and only occasional misting. This species makes an excellent display species since they are prolific webbers that cover the enclosure and decor with heavy webs that serve as shelters as well.

In addition to being kept and reared communally with their mothers, spiderlings can also be reared independently. While it is great to keep them communally, it does cause crippling anxiety about whether those three spiders you saw yesterday are the same ones you saw tonight? To count how many of the little buggers are still alive, you have to rehouse them twice as often as you usually would.