Stromatopelma

Dominik Alexander
Nov 8
3 min read

Updated: Dec 8

Stromatopelma is a small genus of African arboreal tarantulas in the family Theraphosidae, established by German arachnologist Ferdinand Karsch in 1881. He based the genus on an older species described as Aranea calceata by Fabricius in 1793, which is now known as Stromatopelma calceatum and serves as the type species.

These spiders are native to parts of West and Central Africa, with different species recorded from countries such as Guinea, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Over the years, several names have been proposed for similar spiders (including the genera Scodra and Hyarachne), but modern taxonomic work treats these as junior synonyms of Stromatopelma.

Today, major catalogs recognize six taxa in the genus: S. calceatum (with the subspecies S. c. griseipes), S. batesi, S. fumigatum, S. pachypoda and S. satanas. Along with Heteroscodra and Encyocratella, Stromatopelma forms part of the subfamily Stromatopelminae, a group of fast, defensive arboreal tarantulas well known to advanced keepers.

Beyond the hobby, Stromatopelma has attracted scientific interest because of its unusually potent venom. Researchers isolated “stromatoxin” peptides from S. calceatum venom that act on specific voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv2 and Kv4), making the genus a useful model in neurophysiology and pharmacology.

Stromatopelma calceatum

Common Name: Featherleg Baboon / Cameroon Arboreal Baboon
Origin: Tropical forests of West Africa (including Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Nigeria and surrounding countries)
Lifestyle: Old World, arboreal tarantula that builds dense tube webs in tree hollows and foliage; strongly nocturnal and very secretive
Adult Size: Typically around 5–6" (13–15 cm) leg span, with some individuals reported slightly larger up to ~7" (17–18 cm)
Growth Rate: Fast-growing species, reaching adult size in just a few years under good husbandry
Temperament: Extremely defensive, very fast, and prone to stand its ground; potent Old World venom and not suitable for beginners
Color & Appearance:
- Warm tan to creamy base color on carapace and abdomen, with dark striping and a bold “fishbone” pattern on the abdomen
- Long, slender legs with contrasting dark bands and dense, fine “feathered” setae that give the common name “Featherleg”
- Overall a beautifully patterned, high-contrast arboreal baboon species

Species History

Stromatopelma calceatum is an Old World arboreal tarantula in the family Theraphosidae, subfamily Stromatopelminae. It was first described in 1793 by Johan Christian Fabricius as Aranea calceata, based on specimens from what is now southern Ghana in West Africa.

The genus Stromatopelma was later established by Karsch in 1881, and S. calceatum became its type and best-known species. Over the 19th and early 20th centuries this spider was repeatedly re-described under different names (including Stromatopelma alicapillatum, S. aussereri, S. brachypoda and S. horrida), all of which are now treated as synonyms of S. calceatum. Today it is recognized as a single, widespread West African species and is the only member of its genus that is regularly encountered in the tarantula hobby, where it is best known as the Featherleg Baboon or Cameroon Arboreal Baboon.

Natural Habitat

In the wild, Stromatopelma calceatum occurs across much of West Africa, with records from countries such as Benin, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso. It inhabits tropical forests, forest edges and forest–savanna mosaics, and is often described as native to both the savannas and forests of the region.

This species is strongly arboreal. Adults live high above the ground in tree hollows, under loose bark, and especially in the crowns of palm trees and dense foliage, where they spin heavy tube-like webs that double as ambush sites and daytime retreats. West Africa’s climate is hot and humid for most of the year, with average daytime temperatures around 25–30 °C and pronounced wet and dry seasons, conditions that shape this species’ preference for warm, well-ventilated but moisture-retentive microhabitats. Juveniles are sometimes found lower in the vegetation or even burrowing, but typically move upward into the canopy as they mature, remaining largely hidden in their web systems by day and emerging at night to hunt.

Our Specimen:

Given name: Zina

Sex: Female

Life stage: Sub-adult