Avicularia
- Dominik Alexander
- Nov 26, 2025
- 18 min read
This genus comprises arboreal species that can be found throughout Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. All of the Avicularia species have pink foot pads. Many species in this genus have been transferred to other genera. Currently, there are 12 accepted Avicularia species. Historically, over 50 species were classified as Avicularia. Fukushima 2017 is a large-scale taxonomy summary of this genera.
All species in this genus are strictly arboreal and commonly make webs at the top of the enclosure in captivity. Broadly speaking, adults have a dark body with pink toe pads; many species show dramatic color changes from sling to adult. Certain species have been known to jump short distances as well as shoot poop on an unwilling participant.
Brief History of Avicularia
The story of Avicularia goes all the way back to the earliest days of spider science. In 1705, naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian published a famous illustration of a large New World spider eating a small bird, inspiring the legend of “bird-eating spiders.” A few decades later, in 1758, Carl Linnaeus formally described Aranea avicularia, giving scientific recognition to what would become one of the best-known tarantulas in the world.
During the 1800s, many fuzzy, arboreal tarantulas from Central and South America were lumped together under the name Avicularia, and the genus became a catch-all for pink-toed tree spiders. Over time this created a taxonomic mess, with dozens of species names and lots of confusion between hobby and scientific use.
A major modern revision in the 2010s finally cleaned things up (Fukushima & Bertani 2017), redefining Avicularia as a smaller, well-characterized group and moving many familiar “pinktoe” species into new genera such as Caribena and Ybyrapora. As recognized today by the World Spider Catalog, Avicularia is a smaller, well-defined genus of New World arboreal tarantulas comprising 12 accepted species. Currently, Avicularia avicularia remains the iconic “pinktoe tarantula,” and the genus stands as an important, historically rich lineage in the New World arboreal tarantula group.
Avicularia avicularia
Common name: Pinktoe Tarantula (also known as Common / Guyana / South American Pinktoe).
Origin: Arboreal New World species from humid tropical forests of northern South America and nearby islands, including Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and Trinidad.
Lifestyle: Strictly arboreal, spending its life climbing and webbing in trees, shrubs and other vertical structures. In nature and captivity it builds silken tube retreats among foliage and is an active, agile climber.
Adult size: Typically around 4–5 in (10–13 cm) diagonal leg span, with a body length up to about 2.5–2.75 in (6–7 cm).
Growth rate: Medium–fast growth for a New World species; slings grow steadily and can reach maturity in a few years under good conditions. (Often listed simply as a “fast” grower in care guides.)
Temperament: Generally calm and tolerant, making it a popular beginner arboreal tarantula. However, it is still quick, agile and can be skittish, preferring to bolt or jump rather than stand its ground.
Color & appearance: A. avicularia is instantly recognizable by its fuzzy dark body, often showing blue-green or teal iridescence on the carapace, a reddish or bronze abdomen, and distinctive pink to pink-orange “toes” at the tips of each leg. Juveniles tend to have stronger patterning with lighter bands and more contrast, gradually darkening and developing the classic pinktoe look as they mature.
Species History
Avicularia avicularia, the classic Pinktoe Tarantula, is one of the oldest spiders formally described by science. First named Aranea avicularia by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, it later became the type species for the genus Avicularia when Jean-Baptiste Lamarck created the genus in 1818. Because it’s the “reference” species for the whole group, it has a particularly long and sometimes confusing taxonomic history, with many old names and varieties later shown to be the same spider and tidied up in a major 2017 revision of the genus.
In the wild, A. avicularia is an arboreal tarantula from the tropical forests of northern South America and the Caribbean, found across Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. Adults are instantly recognizable: a dark, velvety body topped off with those famous pink toes, while juveniles show the opposite color pattern and “flip” as they mature. Early European naturalists even helped inspire the term “bird spider” after an influential 1705 illustration of an aviculariine tarantula preying on a small bird – the origin of both the name Avicularia (“little bird spider”) and many dramatic common names.
In modern times, the Pinktoe became one of the first arboreal tarantulas to be kept widely in captivity and remains a staple of the hobby today. Initially sold as an easy beginner species, many early imports fared poorly until keepers learned that, although they come from humid rainforests, they actually thrive in well-ventilated arboreal enclosures with moderate humidity rather than constantly soggy, stagnant conditions. Today, Avicularia avicularia is appreciated as a hardy, iconic species that bridges the history of both arachnology and the tarantula-keeping hobby.
Natural Habitat
Avicularia avicularia is a strictly arboreal tarantula from the tropical rainforests of northern South America, including Venezuela, northern Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and nearby islands such as Trinidad and Tobago. It spends its life high off the ground in trees, shrubs and other vegetation, hiding in silken retreats among leaves and hollow spaces. Warm temperatures, high ambient humidity and constant air movement define its microhabitat, with the spiders using their dense webbing to create secure, well-ventilated hideaways where they ambush insects and other small arboreal prey.
Our Specimen:
Given name: Cypress
Sex: Male
Life stage: Adult
Recently hooked out as a male
Approximately 4.25 to 4.5 inches
Would be great if we could find a breeding mate
Our Specimen:
Given name: Marlin
Sex: TBD
Life stage: Sling
New addition to the collection
Avicularia braunshauseni
Common name
Goliath Pink Toe (also sold as Giant/Goliath Pinktoe).
Origin
New World species from tropical northern South America, with hobby stock primarily linked to the Brazilian Amazon around Santarém and similar lowland rainforest localities.
Lifestyle
Arboreal pink-toe tarantula that lives high in trees and dense vegetation, building silken tube webs and retreats above ground.
Adult size
One of the largest Avicularia-types, with adult females typically reaching 7–8 in (18–20 cm) diagonal leg span; males mature smaller, around 4–5 in.
Growth rate
Moderate to fast for a New World arboreal: often listed as medium growth rate in care literature, with some sellers noting a fast-growing tendency.
Temperament
Generally docile but nervous/flighty: more edgy and skittish than many other Avics, with a reputation for bolting rather than biting when disturbed. Often described as “nervous but docile” or “a bit flightier but still docile.”
Color & appearance
A big, “fluffy” pink toe with:
Dark, velvety body (often brown to greenish-bronze carapace).
Bright pink toe pads on all feet, typical of Avicularia.
Dense red to orange hairs on the rear legs and abdomen, giving a fiery look and distinguishing it from the standard A. avicularia morphs.
Long, shaggy setae overall that make it look especially big and “long-haired.”
Juveniles/subadults may appear duller at first and brighten considerably with successive molts.
Species History
Avicularia braunshauseni was described in 1999 by François Tesmoingt from a specimen collected near Santarém in northern Brazil. The species was named in honor of André Braunshausen, who found the spider along a forest path in that region.
In the years that followed, problems arose because the original holotype (the main reference specimen) was lost. Without that specimen, later researchers couldn’t reliably compare new material to the original description. During the major revision of the genus Avicularia by Fukushima & Bertani (2017), Avicularia braunshauseni was therefore regarded as a nomen dubium (“doubtful name”)—a name that cannot be confidently applied to a specific, diagnosable species. The World Spider Catalog now lists A. braunshauseni as a nomen dubium rather than a valid, distinct species.
Within the tarantula hobby, however, the name has persisted. Animals historically sold as Avicularia braunshauseni are often marketed as the “Goliath Pink Toe” and are generally treated as a large morph within the Avicularia avicularia complex, frequently referred to as Avicularia avicularia “Morphotype 2” (ex braunshauseni). Hobbyists and keepers still commonly use labels such as Avicularia sp. “Braunshauseni” to distinguish this big, colorful pink-toe form, even though it is no longer recognized as a valid species in formal taxonomy.
Natural Habitat
Avicularia braunshauseni is associated with the warm, humid lowland rainforests of northern Brazil, particularly around the Santarém/Santana area in the central Amazon basin. In the wild it is fully arboreal, living high in trees and dense vegetation, where it builds silk retreats in hollows, forked branches, and leafy cover. These Amazonian forests are hot year-round, with daytime temperatures often around 30–34 °C, nights about 20–24 °C and consistently high humidity (roughly 70–85%), creating the warm, moist, well-ventilated conditions this large pink-toe tarantula is adapted to.
Our Specimen:
Given name: Arbor
Sex: Undetermined
Life stage: Sub-adult
Approximately 5 inches
Relatively docile but slightly skittish
Typically on display.
Our Specimen:
Given name: Banyan
Sex: Undetermined
Life stage: Sling
New addition to our collection
Molted recently and gained considerable size
Excellent consumer of food
Avicularia purpurea
Common name
Purple Pinktoe Tarantula, also known as the Ecuadorian Purple Tarantula / Ecuador Purple Pinktoe.
Origin
Native to South America, with its known range centered in the Amazon region of Ecuador, where it inhabits warm, humid rainforest and adjacent disturbed areas.
Lifestyle
Avicularia purpurea is a strictly arboreal New World tarantula. It spends most of its time off the ground in trees or tall vegetation, building silk tube retreats in hollows, crevices, and among leaves and epiphytes.
Adult size
Adults typically reach about 4–5 in (10–13 cm) legspan, with some sources giving up to ~5.5 in (14 cm) for large females.
Growth rate
Generally described as medium to fast growing for an arboreal tarantula, reaching maturity in a few years under good husbandry.
Temperament
Often regarded as calm and moderately tolerant of disturbance compared to many arboreals, though individuals are still quick and can be skittish or defensive if startled or cornered. Most will prefer to flee into their webbing rather than stand their ground.
Color & appearance
Adults are famous for their intense purple to blue iridescence on the carapace, legs, palps, and chelicerae, contrasted with a velvet-black abdomen and long dark reddish-brown setae. The “pinktoe” name comes from the pale cream-to-pink tarsal toe tufts at the ends of the legs. Juveniles start out darker with more subtle coloration and brighten considerably with each molt, finishing as striking, fuzzy purple tree-dwellers that stand out even among other Avicularia species.
Species history
Avicularia purpurea was formally described in 1990 by British arachnologist Peter Kirk, based on specimens from the Amazon region of Ecuador. Since then it has become widely known in the hobby as the Ecuadorian purple tarantula or purple pinktoe, a member of the arboreal New World genus Avicularia.
In the wild this species occurs mainly in eastern Ecuador, where it inhabits humid lowland and foothill rainforest, sheltering in tree hollows, under loose bark, and among epiphytic plants. Early field observations noted its striking blue-purple iridescence and pale “pink toes,” which set it apart from other Avicularia species and helped justify its recognition as a distinct taxon.
Modern taxonomic work, including the 2017 revision of the genus Avicularia by Fukushima & Bertani, has confirmed A. purpurea as a valid species within the complex, clarifying its diagnostic features and distribution. Despite these updates, its scientific name and placement in Avicularia remain stable, giving keepers confidence that the “purple pinktoe” they see offered today corresponds to the original species description.
In captivity, A. purpurea entered the hobby through imports from Ecuador and has since been established in breeding programs worldwide. Hobby lines are now largely captive-bred, and the species is appreciated for its moderate size, vivid adult coloration, and typically calm demeanor compared with many other arboreal tarantulas.
Natural habitat
Avicularia purpurea is an arboreal tarantula from the Amazon region of Ecuador, with some records extending into nearby parts of Peru and southern Colombia. In the wild it lives high off the ground in warm, humid rainforest, sheltering in tree hollows, under loose bark, and among foliage and epiphytic plants where it builds silken tube retreats.
These forests stay consistently warm (roughly mid-70s to upper-80s °F / low- to mid-20s °C) with high humidity for most of the year, and frequent rainfall. A. purpurea is often found along forest edges and in scattered trees over pasture or agricultural land as well as more intact jungle, making use of any suitable elevated hiding place in trunks, branches, or man-made structures.
Our Specimen:
Given name: Laurel
Sex: Female
Life stage: Adult
Approximately 5 inches
Reclusive but active at night.
Commonly out at night
Pleasant disposition
Our Specimen:
Given name: Willow
Sex: TBD
Life stage: Sling
New addition to our collection
Avicularia metallica "white hair"
Common name
Metallic Pinktoe Tarantula (often shortened to “Metallic Pinktoe”).
Origin
Tropical rainforests of northern South America, with animals in the trade typically associated with Guyana and surrounding regions (part of the broader Avicularia avicularia range across Central and South America).
Lifestyle
Arboreal New World tarantula
Lives high in trees and shrubs, building silken tube webs and hammocks among bark, hollow branches and dense foliage.
Adult size
Typical adult diagonal leg span: around 4–6 inches (10–15 cm).
Growth rate
Generally classed as medium (moderate) growth; slings and juveniles put on size steadily but not as fast as many “speed-demon” arboreals.
Temperament
Typically calm to moderately skittish
Often described as relatively docile but quick, with a tendency to jump or bolt when startled.
Possesses urticating hairs and, like many Avicularia, may “poop-shoot” as a quirky defensive behavior instead of kicking.
Color & appearance
Overall impression is a shimmering metallic blue-green tarantula with contrasting pink toes:
Carapace & legs: iridescent blue-green / teal metallic sheen.
Abdomen: darker blue to charcoal, often with a metallic wash.
Distal leg segments (toes): distinct pale pink to salmon “socks”, shared with other pinktoe species.
Covered in dense, velvety setae that give adults a plush, “fuzzy” look; slings are more contrasty, with pinkish legs and darker feet.
Species history
Avicularia metallica was originally described in 1875 by Anton Ausserer from material collected in Suriname, and placed in the arboreal New World genus Avicularia (family Theraphosidae). The original type specimen, which should be housed in the Natural History Museum in Vienna, can no longer be located, and Ausserer’s written description is too vague to confidently match to modern material.
In 2017, a major taxonomic revision of the genus Avicularia by Fukushima & Bertani re-examined all historical names. Because A. metallica lacks a verifiable type and cannot be reliably tied to any known population, the authors formally treated it as a nomen dubium—a “doubtful name” used when a species name cannot be applied with certainty. The World Spider Catalog now lists Avicularia metallica with this doubtful status rather than as a valid, diagnosable species.
Despite this, the name “Avicularia metallica” remains deeply embedded in the tarantula hobby. In the pet trade it is commonly known as the Metallic Pinktoe or Whitetoe tarantula and is usually associated with a metallic blue-green, pink-toed form of Avicularia avicularia (often referred to as morphotype 6). Modern dealers typically describe its range broadly across the humid forests of northern South America (e.g., Guyana, Suriname, Brazil and neighboring countries), reflecting the wider A. avicularia complex rather than a single clearly defined species.
Natural habitat
In nature, “Avicularia metallica” (a hobby form within the Avicularia avicularia complex) comes from warm, tropical rainforests in northern South America, including countries such as Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil and Colombia.
This is a strictly arboreal tarantula that spends its life high in the forest canopy, hunting among tree trunks, branches, vines and dense foliage. There it weaves silken tube webs and hammocks in hollow sections of bark, leaf clusters and other snug crevices, using the heavy vegetation for cover and ambush points.
These forests are humid and warm year-round, with stable tropical temperatures, frequent rain and constant air movement through the canopy. In this elevated, leafy micro-habitat, the Metallic Pinktoe feeds on flying and climbing insects and relies on height and quick bursts of speed—rather than burrows—for safety.
Our Specimen:
Given name: Luxe
Sex: Female
Life stage: Adult
Approximately 6 inches (big girl)
Active and pleasant
A new addition to the collection but already a fan favorite.
Avicularia pucallpa
Common name: Mardi Gras Pinktoe, Pucallpa Pinktoe, Cosmic Dream Pinktoe
Origin: Tropical lowland rainforest along the Ucayali (Ukajali) River region around Pucallpa, eastern Peru (northern South America).
Lifestyle: New World, fully arboreal pinktoe; lives in trees and tall shrubs, using silk retreats above the ground.
Adult size: Typically around 4–6 in (10–15 cm) leg span, with most adult females maturing near the 5–6 in range.
Growth rate: Medium to fairly fast for an arboreal New World species; slings reach juvenile sizes relatively quickly under good conditions.
Temperament: Generally docile but skittish/flighty – more likely to bolt or jump than stand and fight. Active, alert, and considered suitable for careful beginners familiar with arboreals.
Color & appearance:
As juveniles they are lighter with contrasting patterns on the abdomen, typical of many Avicularia slings.
Adults show a tri-color, iridescent look: metallic greens on the front legs, purples or deep blues on the abdomen, and golden or bronzy tones on the carapace, finished with bright pink toes.
Overall appearance is a fluffy, richly colored pinktoe that stands out even among other Avicularia species.
Species History
The tarantula sold as Avicularia sp. “Pucallpa” (aka Mardi Gras Pinktoe, Cosmic Dream Pinktoe, or Pucallpa Pinktoe) is an arboreal pinktoe from the rainforests around Pucallpa, in Peru’s Ucayali River region in eastern Amazonia. Animals from this area began circulating in the hobby under locality-style labels like sp. Pucallpa and sp. Ucayali, highlighting that they were a distinctive local form rather than a formally described species.
Despite the trade name “Avicularia pucallpa”, there is no officially described species by that name. Modern taxonomic references recognize only 12 valid species in the genus Avicularia, and pucallpa is not one of them. Because of this, the most accurate way to label the animal scientifically is Avicularia sp. “Pucallpa” (an undescribed locality form).
In 2017, Fukushima & Bertani published a major revision of the genus Avicularia, redefining species boundaries and describing several “morphotypes” within Avicularia juruensis. Following that work, many hobbyists and dealers have treated the Pucallpa form as part of the Avicularia juruensis complex, often calling it Avicularia juruensis morphotype 1 “Pucallpa” or otherwise noting its close relationship to those morphotypes. There’s still some disagreement (some sources link it more closely to morphotype 1, others to morphotype 2), but all agree it belongs within the A. juruensis group rather than being a separate, formally named species.
Within the hobby, Pucallpa pinktoes quickly became sought-after because of their tri-color iridescence: metallic greens on the front legs, purple tones on the abdomen, golden hues on the carapace, and the classic pink toes that define the genus. A combination of striking coloration, generally calm temperament, and relatively limited availability keeps this locality form in high demand among pinktoe enthusiasts worldwide.
Natural Habitat
Avicularia sp. “Pucallpa” comes from the lowland rainforests around Pucallpa in eastern Peru, along the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon at roughly 150–200 m (500–650 ft) above sea level. This region has a hot, humid tropical rainforest/monsoon climate: average temperatures sit around 25–26 °C (77–79 °F) year-round and never get truly cool, while annual rainfall is well over 1.5–2.5 m (60–100 in) with very high humidity and only a slightly drier period in mid-year.
In the wild, Pucallpa pinktoes are fully arboreal, living in the trees and tall shrubs of this evergreen jungle. They build silk-lined tube retreats several meters above the ground in tree cavities, vine tangles and among epiphytic plants like bromeliads, taking advantage of constant warmth, heavy rainfall and dense foliage for cover.
Specimen Notes:
Given name: Juniper
Sex: TBD
Life stage: Sling
New addition to our collection
Avicularia hirschii
Common names:
Red-Sided Pink Toe
Brazilian Phantom Pink Toe (used in the trade)
Origin / natural range:
Confirmed from Ecuador (type locality near Misahuallí in Napo/Oriente).
Broader range sometimes reported as Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, but Ecuadorian localities are the best documented.
Lifestyle / habitat type:
Arboreal New World tarantula.
Occupies vegetation and tree hollows in lowland rainforest; often seen on broad leaves, branches and shrub layer foliage.
Adult size:
Considered one of the smaller Avicularia.
Typical adult diagonal leg span roughly 10–12 cm (4–4.5"), smaller than the big “classic” pink toes. This is inferred from taxonomic and hobby descriptions that explicitly describe it as “one of the smaller species of the genus”.
Growth rate:
Likely medium for an Avicularia: noticeably faster than many terrestrials, but not in the “lightning fast” arboreal category.
Hobby reports describe slings putting on size steadily with regular feeding, similar to A. avicularia and related taxa (which are typically classed as average-to-fast growers).
Temperament:
Typical Avicularia behaviour:
Tends to flee and teleport-climb rather than stand its ground.
Bites are considered very uncommon; primary defense is bolting or short bursts of speed.
Because A. hirschii is rare, most of this is extrapolated from close congeners plus limited keeper reports, which describe them as shy, skittish but not particularly defensive.
Color & appearance (adult):
Abdomen (opisthosoma):
Rich red-orange lateral patches arranged as two bands along the sides.
Distinct black longitudinal stripe running down the center.
Legs:
Slender, with a bluish to metallic sheen in many specimens.
Lighter tarsi with reddish or pinkish hair tufts at the ends.
Carapace & overall look:
Brown to grey-brown base with lighter setae giving a frosted look.
The strong contrast between the black abdominal stripe and red sides is a key field/hobby ID feature.
Slings / juveniles:
Generally lighter and fuzzier, with:
A clearly visible dark dorsal abdominal stripe on a tan/orange background.
Less saturated reds and less obvious blue on the legs compared to adults.
Pattern becomes bolder and more contrasting with each molt.
Avicularia hirschii is a small, sought-after pinktoe tarantula from the tropical forests of northern South America. Adults reach around 3.5–4" legspan and show a dark abdomen with striking reddish side patches and contrasting leg setae, giving them a subtle but elegant look compared to flashier Avics. Like most pinktoes, A. hirschii is an arboreal, web-happy spider that prefers to bolt and hide rather than stand its ground.
Avicularia hirschii was formally described in 2006 by Bullmer, Thierer-Lutz & Schmidt, based on specimens collected from trees in an old pasture in Ecuador, with the type material deposited in the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt. Subsequent work, especially the 2017 Fukushima & Bertani revision of the genus Avicularia, confirmed its status as a distinct species, clarified its diagnostic features, and expanded its known range into Peru and Brazil within the western Amazon Basin.
In the hobby, A. hirschii appeared only in very limited numbers and quickly gained a reputation as one of the rarest true pinktoe tarantulas. Recent discussions and examinations of exported material have also highlighted that some spiders sold under this name are misidentified or represent closely related taxa, so “true” A. hirschii remain both scientifically interesting and commercially uncommon.
Natural Habitat
Avicularia hirschii is an arboreal tarantula native to the humid lowland rainforests of Ecuador, with records from the Misahuallí region in the Amazonian foothills. In the wild it lives high off the forest floor, sheltering in hollows, curled leaves and dense foliage where moisture is high and air movement is constant. These forests are warm year-round with frequent rainfall and high humidity, and the spiders spend most of their time climbing and webbing among branches and broad leaves, emerging at night to hunt small invertebrates.
Our Specimen:
Given name: TBD
Sex: TBD
Life stage: Sling
New addition to our collection
Avicularia geroldi
Common name: Brazilian Blue & Green Pinktoe, Royal Blue Gem Pinktoe, Gerold’s Pinktoe
Origin: New World arboreal species from the humid Atlantic rainforest regions of Brazil (and possibly nearby areas of northern South America).
Lifestyle: Arboreal “tree-top” tarantula that lives in tube webs among branches, bromeliads, and other elevated retreats. In captivity it favors vertical enclosures and builds dense webbing high in the setup.
Adult size: Medium-sized Avic; typical adult leg span around 4–5 in / 10–12 cm.
Growth rate: Moderate to moderately fast for a New World species – slings put on size steadily under good feeding and warm temps, but are not as explosive as many terrestrials.
Temperament: Generally calm, shy, and skittish rather than defensive. Prefers to bolt or retreat into its web; bites are rare, making it a popular display and handling candidate for experienced keepers.
Color & appearance:
Overall metallic teal to deep blue legs and carapace
Darker, almost black abdomen that may show subtle blue sheen
Characteristic pink to peach “toes” at the end of each leg
Slings and juveniles often show more greenish/blue tones that intensify into a saturated royal blue as they mature.
Species History
Avicularia geroldi was originally described in 1999 from material collected on Ilha de Santana, Brazil, as a distinctive blue-green arboreal theraphosid within the genus Avicularia. Subsequent work on the genus, especially the comprehensive revision by Fukushima & Bertani (2017), re-examined many historically described pinktoe taxa and concluded that A. geroldi lacked sufficient, reliably diagnosable characters to separate it from closely related forms. As a result, it is currently treated as a nomen dubium (taxonomically doubtful name) in the World Spider Catalog and related taxonomic resources.
Despite this formal status, the name Avicularia geroldi has persisted in the tarantula hobby as a well-recognized “trade species” associated with Brazilian blue-green pinktoes, and remains widely used in captive breeding, sales listings, and care literature.
This species is a medium-sized arboreal tarantula distinguished by its deep teal to blue-green carapace and legs, dark abdomen, and pale pink toe tips. Juveniles often show brighter contrast and gradually mature into a rich, velvety blue-green adult coloration.
Natural Habitat
In the wild, Avicularia geroldi is found in Brazil’s Atlantic coastal rainforests, where warm, humid air and dense vegetation dominate year-round. Individuals are primarily arboreal, living several meters above the forest floor in bromeliads and tree hollows between roughly 100–600 m elevation. In these microhabitats they line leaf axils and cavities with silk, taking advantage of constant moisture (high 70s–90% RH) and ambient temperatures around 24–28 °C, much like other pinktoe (Avicularia) species that inhabit tree canopies and shrubs in tropical South American forests.
Our Specimen:
Given name: Pixie
Sex: Female
Life stage: Sub-adult
New addition to our collection
Approximately 4.5 inches
Always on display and quite pleasant
Genus and species: Avicularia juruensis
Common name: Amazonian pinktoe / Peruvian pinktoe / Yellow-banded pinktoe (also sold as “Peru purple pinktoe” for M2).
Origin: Central–western Amazon basin in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, in humid lowland rainforest.
Lifestyle: New World arboreal tarantula; lives in trees, bromeliads and other vegetation, building silken retreats above ground.
Adult size: Body length ~3–4 cm (females slightly larger than males). Typical hobby DLS around 12–15 cm / 4.5–6 in.
Growth rate: Medium to fast for a New World arboreal; reaches adult size in a few years with good feeding and warmth.
Temperament: Generally docile but skittish/jumpy. Prefers to bolt or hop away rather than stand and fight; can use type II urticating hairs and the typical Avic “poo cannon” when stressed.
Color & appearance: Fluffy pinktoe with regional morphs:
Dark brown to black base with metallic blue-violet sheen on legs and carapace.
Leg rings pale yellow to cream (some lines more golden/yellow-banded).
Abdomen with contrasting reddish to copper or purple tones and dense, long setae.
Classic pink/orange toe pads on the tarsi.
Species History
A striking arboreal tarantula from the Amazon basin (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil), Avicularia juruensis is best known for its vibrant “pinktoe” feet and contrasting leg bands. Adults show one of two color morphs: a golden-pink animal with a pale carapace and light leg rings, or a deeper purple sheen with brighter yellow bands, both cloaked in long, plush setae.
Avicularia juruensis was first described in 1923 by Brazilian arachnologist Cândido Firmino de Mello-Leitão from specimens collected along the Rio Juruá in Amazonas, Brazil—hence the species name juruensis. In 1994, G. Schmidt described what he believed to be a new Peruvian species, Avicularia urticans, named for its irritating urticating setae. A major taxonomic revision of Avicularia in 2017 re-examined museum and fresh material and concluded that A. urticans is indistinguishable from A. juruensis, making urticans a junior synonym and formally uniting the Brazilian and Peruvian forms under the older name A. juruensis.
In the hobby, this history led to decades of confusion, with “A. urticans”, “Peru purple/pinktoe,” and various “yellow-banded” Avicularia being traded under multiple names until the revision clarified which lineages actually belong to A. juruensis.
Natural Habitat
Arboreal tarantula from the humid lowland rainforests of western Amazonia, recorded from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil (Amazonas, Acre, Pará). In nature it lives high above the forest floor in tree cavities, palm crowns and epiphytic bromeliads, where it builds dense silken retreats. These forests are warm and perennially moist, with average temperatures around 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) and high relative humidity (≈75–90%) year-round, but with plenty of airflow in the canopy where the spiders occur.
Our Specimen:
Given name: TBD
Sex: TBD
Life stage: Sling
New addition to our collection
Geographic Location of some Avicularia Species:
Avicularia Images from Fukushima 2017:
