Aphonopelma hentzi (Texas brown tarantula) 0.33"

Species Overview

Aphonopelma hentzi, commonly known as the Texas brown tarantula and regionally called the Oklahoma brown tarantula, Missouri tarantula, or Colorado brown tarantula, is a medium-to-large terrestrial tarantula native to the central and south-central United States. Freshly molted specimens typically possess dark brown to black legs, a copper, brown, or tan carapace, and a dark abdomen clothed in short black hairs interspersed with longer reddish to orange hairs. These colors may fade substantially between molts, leaving individuals later in the molt cycle much paler and more uniformly brown. Coloration and proportions also vary considerably across the species’ exceptionally broad range. Adult females are robust and heavy-bodied, while mature males are slimmer and proportionally longer-legged, commonly retaining a contrasting copper-colored carapace and dark legs.

In captivity, A. hentzi is a slow-growing, long-lived species that commonly excavates beneath cork bark or enlarges a provided starter retreat. Spiderlings and juveniles may spend substantial periods underground, while larger specimens often remain visible at or near the entrance of an established retreat. Individuals may also refuse food for extended periods, particularly before molting or during seasonal changes in activity. This species is generally calm and deliberate, usually retreating when disturbed, although defensive individuals may flick urticating hairs. Its hardiness and straightforward environmental requirements make it suitable for keepers of any experience level.

• Common Name: Texas brown tarantula, Oklahoma brown tarantula, Missouri tarantula, Colorado brown tarantula
• Native Range: United States: Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona
• Life Habit: Terrestrial burrower
• Adult Size: 4.5–6.5 inches in diagonal leg span
• Lifespan: Males approximately 7–10 years; females 20–30+ years under optimal conditions
• Temperament: Generally calm and slow-moving; may flick urticating hairs
• Care Difficulty: Easy

Aphonopelma hentzi Care

Aphonopelma hentzi adapts well to captivity when maintained in a well-ventilated enclosure with ample substrate and a secure retreat. A mostly dry setup with localized moisture provides an appropriate humidity gradient without keeping the entire enclosure continuously damp. Spiderlings typically burrow readily, while larger juveniles and adults may occupy either an excavated burrow or a shallow retreat beneath cork bark.

• Enclosure: 1 oz condiment cup or similar for spiderlings, upgraded as needed with growth; 14” x 10” x 8” or larger terrestrial enclosure for adults.
• Substrate: Coconut fiber, peat moss, topsoil, or a similar moisture-retentive substrate with sufficient depth to permit burrowing. Provide a partially buried piece of cork bark or similar enclosure décor as a starter retreat.
• Temperature: 72–82°F.
• Humidity: Low to moderate ambient humidity is generally sufficient. Approximately 25–50% of the substrate should retain slight moisture to provide a humidity gradient while allowing the remaining substrate to stay dry. Avoid continuously damp conditions and inadequate ventilation.
• Diet: Fruit flies, crickets, cockroaches, and other appropriately sized feeder insects.
• Feeding: Spiderlings can be offered appropriately sized prey once or twice weekly. Juveniles and adults are typically fed every 7–14 days, with feeding frequency adjusted based on prey size, growth rate, and the condition of the individual animal.
• Water: Lightly moisten part of the substrate as needed and provide water droplets on the enclosure walls for spiderlings; juveniles and adults should have access to a water dish.
• Routine Maintenance: Remove uneaten prey, monitor moisture levels, and spot-clean when necessary.

Natural History

Aphonopelma hentzi was described by Charles Frédéric Girard in 1852 under the name Mygale hentzii. The type specimen was collected during Randolph B. Marcy’s expedition to explore the Red River, and the type locality has since been traced to the vicinity of the Wichita Mountains in Comanche County, Oklahoma, where the expedition camped in May 1852. It was the first tarantula species formally described from the United States. The species epithet honors Nicholas Marcellus Hentz, a pioneering French-American arachnologist whose work contributed substantially to the early study of North American spiders.

A comprehensive revision of the United States members of Aphonopelma, published in 2016, showed that A. hentzi encompasses considerably more geographic and phenotypic variation than earlier classifications recognized. Combined morphological and molecular analyses did not support Aphonopelma clarki, A. coloradanum, A. echinum, A. gurleyi, A. harlingenum, A. odelli, A. waconum, and A. wichitanum as separate evolutionary lineages, so they were placed in synonymy. Because A. hentzi closely resembles several related species and can occur alongside other members of the genus, reliable identification requires consideration of morphology and geographic origin rather than coloration alone.

Aphonopelma hentzi is the most widely distributed tarantula species in the United States and is probably also the country’s most abundant. Its established range extends from the Mississippi River west through portions of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and eastern Arizona. Across this range, it occupies environments ranging from prairies, grasslands, and open woodlands to rocky hillsides, semiarid scrub, and Chihuahuan Desert habitats. It also persists in human-modified environments and has been documented in residential lawns, cemeteries, parks, and other maintained landscapes within major metropolitan areas.

Retreat structure varies with local conditions. Individuals may excavate freestanding silk-lined burrows in suitable soil or inhabit shallow scrapes beneath rocks, fallen wood, and other natural cover. Tarantulas from lower-elevation plains habitats tend to be larger and more robust, while populations occupying rocky or higher-elevation areas may have smaller bodies and proportionally longer, thinner legs. This variation historically led to several regional populations being described as separate species.

Wild females are highly sedentary ambush predators that spend most of their lives within or immediately beside an established retreat. At one intensively studied Trans-Pecos site, females were primarily nocturnal and rarely moved more than a few centimeters from their burrow entrances. They positioned themselves in contact with the surrounding silk and waited for passing prey, retreating rapidly when confronted with unfamiliar ground vibrations. Burrow entrances may be sealed with silk during inactive periods and are commonly plugged throughout the winter. The diet consists primarily of arthropods, including beetles, cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, other spiders, scorpions, and solifuges.

Mature males abandon their retreats and travel in search of females during breeding periods that vary geographically. Some populations display spring and summer activity from April through August, while others breed primarily during September and October; both periods may occur at the same locality. These conspicuous seasonal appearances are often described as tarantula “migrations,” but radio-tracking found males moving in multiple directions without a consistent directional pattern. Individual males nevertheless covered substantial distances, with one study documenting movement of up to 1,300 meters. The activity is therefore better understood as widespread seasonal mate-searching rather than a coordinated migration.