Ornithoctoninae

The subfamily Ornithoctoninae was erected in 1895 to house a distinctive group of Southeast Asian tarantulas with strong burrowing habits, powerful chelicerae and a characteristic stridulating organ (sound-producing hairs) between the jaws and palps. These features, combined with their Asian distribution, separate them from the similar African Harpactirinae.

Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, most of the “classic” genera were described:

• Ornithoctonus (Pocock, 1892) – the original “earth tiger” genus and type for the subfamily.

• Cyriopagopus (Simon, 1887) and Haplopelma (Simon, 1892) – fossorial species that became some of the best-known Asian tarantulas in the hobby (e.g. the cobalt blue, Thai zebra, Chinese black).

• Citharognathus, Phormingochilus, Lampropelma and Omothymus – genera that include both burrowing and arboreal “tree tigers” from Borneo, Sumatra and surrounding islands.

Through the 20th century these spiders were broadly treated as one Asian “earth tiger” complex, but their exact genus boundaries were messy. Starting in the 2000s, several key revisions began to clean things up. Von Wirth & Striffler (2005) refined generic diagnoses and added species such as Ornithoctonus aureotibialis and Haplopelma longipes, helping to stabilise the concept of each genus. Later, Smith & Jacobi (2015) and Sherwood & Gabriel (2019+) re-examined the arboreal genera, moving a number of species between Phormingochilus, Lampropelma, Omothymus and Cyriopagopus based on more reliable male and female characters. These studies also highlighted that Cyriopagopus is closely tied to the traditional Haplopelma concept, which is why you’ll see the same species under different genus names in older versus newer sources.

Revision is still ongoing. In 2024 a brand-new genus, Aspinochilus, was described for the striking red species Aspinochilus rufus from East Java, expanding the known generic diversity of Ornithoctoninae. Modern catalogs now recognise a small but growing set of Southeast Asian genera within this subfamily, and new species – and sometimes entirely new genera – continue to be described as more regions are surveyed.

For keepers and collectors, Ornithoctoninae today includes many of the hobby’s most iconic Asian tarantulas: deep-burrowing, highly defensive “earth tigers” and brilliantly colored blues, golds and reds from forests and hillsides across tropical Asia.

Ornithoctoninae sp. Vietnam silver

Common name: Vietnam Silver Earth Tiger (also sold as Vietnam Silver Tarantula)

Origin: Undescribed Old World species from the forested highlands of Vietnam, where it’s found in cool, humid habitats with dense leaf litter and canopy cover.

Lifestyle: Terrestrial / semi-fossorial: this species readily constructs silk-lined burrows and retreats, but will also make use of surface webbing and low structure. Best treated as a fossorial “earth tiger” in captivity.

Adult size: Approx. 5–6 in (12–15 cm) diagonal leg span, with females reaching around 5.5–6 cm body length.

Growth rate: Moderate to fast; slings and juveniles can put on size quickly under good husbandry and are considered faster-growing than many New World species.

Temperament: Typical Ornithoctoninae: very fast, defensive, and reclusive. This is an advanced Old World species not recommended as a first tarantula and best appreciated as a display animal that’s usually seen at the mouth of its burrow.

Color & appearance: Adult females show an intense metallic silver to steel-blue sheen over the carapace, legs, and abdomen, often with contrasting golden to yellow-orange setae on the legs and rear of the abdomen, giving a “molten metal” look in the right light. Males are more muted beige with abdominal striping, and juveniles start out brown with reddish legs before gaining their signature silver.

Species History

Ornithoctoninae sp. “Vietnam Silver” is an undescribed Old World tarantula that entered the hobby only within the last few years, after collections from forested regions of Vietnam made their way into European and Asian breeding projects. Early offerings were extremely limited and commanded high prices, with slings appearing in specialist shops as a rare “new Ornithoctoninae” around the early–mid 2020s.

As captive-bred stock became established, the Vietnam Silver shifted from a near-mythical rarity to a still uncommon but increasingly available earth tiger, now sold by select breeders and retailers worldwide. Despite its growing popularity, the species remains scientifically undescribed, so the “Vietnam Silver” name is a hobby trade name rather than a formal scientific designation.

Natural Habitat

In the wild, Ornithoctoninae sp. “Vietnam Silver” is believed to occur in the cool, humid highland forests of Vietnam, particularly in tropical upland areas with dense canopy cover. On the forest floor it makes use of loose, leaf-littered soil, roots, and rotting wood, where it constructs silk-lined burrows and retreats, much like other fossorial members of the Ornithoctoninae subfamily. The habitat is warm but not extreme, with cooler nights, consistently high humidity, and filtered light under evergreen and mixed broadleaf forest, creating a stable, shaded microclimate ideal for an ambush predator that waits at the burrow entrance for passing invertebrate prey.

Our Specimen:

Given name: Mai

Sex: Female

Life stage: Sub-adult

• Approximately 4.25 inches

• Reclusive but present at night (sometimes)

• Seemingly eats but have not witnessed a take down

• Remarkable metallic silver coloration.

Ornithoctoninae sp. Ho Chi Minh

Fossorial species from Vietnam. This species has a gold carapace with a dark brown striped abdomen. Regarded as highly defensive with a nasty disposition. This species is believed to reach 5 or 6 inches. Available in the hobby but typically as slings or juveniles.

Habitat: Lives under pieces of bark or in burrows. This species ranges from central Vietnam to northern Vietnam.

Our Specimen:

Given name: Sah

Sex: TBD

Life stage: Sub-adult

• New addition to our collection.

• Absolutely beautiful specimen.

• Rescued this specimen from a questionable retailer. Initially sluggish and unresponsive.

• Has eaten for us and is getting healthy.