Davus fasciatus

Davus fasciatus
Adult female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Theraphosidae
Genus:	Davus
Species:	D. fasciatus
Binomial name
Davus fasciatus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1892[1]
Synonyms[1]
Cyclosternum fasciatus Valerio, 1982

Davus fasciatus, commonly known as the Costa Rican tiger rump, is a species of a new-world tarantula native to Costa Rica. This is a terrestrial species with a maximum legspan of 12 centimetres (4.7 in), which makes it a rather small tarantula species, yet it is one of the largest of its genus.

As pets

There is another species in the hobby often mis-sold under this name. Those as pets may be kept in terrariums. They require a 10 gallon to 15 gallon enclosure as adults and juveniles can be kept in much smaller containers like critter keepers or deli cups. Substrate should be 4 to 6 inches of a mixture of dryish soil/peat/etc. They should be kept around room temperature or slightly higher. Humidity should be low, although helpful to have a water source available or mist on occasion.

Feeding

Generally, in captivity, the species often sold as D. fasciatus or the synonym Cyclostermum fasciatum feed upon a variety of pesticide-free insects such as locusts, crickets and cockroaches. Spiderlings can be fed small 'pinhead' crickets, or scavenge the bodies of pre-killed crickets.

Reproduction

Females possess spermathecaes and males possess tibial hooks on the front pair of legs. Gestation period is about 6 to 8 months. The female produces an egg sac which contains between 200 - 800 eggs about a month after mating.

References

• František Kovařík, Chov sklípkanů (Keeping tarantulas), Jihlava 2001
• http://care-sheet.com/index/Cyclosternum_fasciatum

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Davus fasciatus.