Blue Panay Tarantula (Orphnaecus sp)
Originating from the Philippines, the Blue Panay is an exotic and extremely rare species of tarantula. Usually arboreal in nature, they can reach a leg span of 7 to 10 cm. One of the most striking aspects of these spiders is their pitch dark color with a slight tinge of blue. While the color of the females can be variable, their basic color is blackish, gray or dark brown. In certain cases, they even have long strands of urticating hairs on their legs.
The Blue Panay features a prominent dorsal shield. When you see it for the first time, you’d be amazed by its light brown hue with a shimmering shade of metallic gold. Their legs too are equally beautiful with yellowish stripes right above the tibia and the femur. While this species is available in both fresh and dark skinned variants, the former has a striking bluish glow. Also, unlike the females, the male Blue Panay species come with dense, reddish hair throughout their body.
The Blue Panay is usually arboreal in nature and it thrives in the tropical temperatures between 23 and 31 degree Celsius. These species are also pretty peaceful by nature. So if you don’t provoke them, they won’t initiate an attack.
Scientific Name
Orphnaecus sp
Geographical distribution
The Blue Panay is usually found in the Panay island of Philippines.
Preferred natural habitat
This species of tarantula prefers living in dry areas with little to moderate rainfall. Their ideal temperature ranges between 23 and 31 degree Celsius. Being arboreal by nature, the Blue Panay usually inhabits bushes, trees, and large barks. However, in certain cases, you’d also find them in the small crevices of rocks.
Preferred food in the wild
Being peaceful and calm by nature; the Blue Panay hides in trees, cork barks and branches. Once it spots a prey, it tactfully devours it. Ideally, this tarantula thrives on grasshoppers, cockroaches and small crickets.
Personality
The Blue Panay is a very peaceful and quiet tarantula. So if you don’t disturb them, they won’t really budge. In most cases, you’d find them hiding in the barks of the trees or within the big bamboo cases.
Feeding as a pet
You can try feeding small fruit flies and baby crickets to your Blue Panay spiderlings. Once they reach their juvenile stage, start introducing small grasshoppers and roaches (1-2 cms). This species doesn’t eat voraciously. So you can always feed them the crickets, roaches and grasshoppers, once-twice a week.
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Life span both male and female
Both male and female Blue Panays have a lifespan of 8+ years.
Pet enclosure type
The Blue Panay is an in-born burrower. So as a spider-ling, you can keep them in a small vial that accommodates around three to four inches of substrate. This will help them in burrowing. Once they are juveniles, start using a terrarium that accommodates around five to seven inches of substrate. Additionally, you can also keep a small water dish in your tank. While you can always add small corks and branches, the Blue Panays don’t really need additional support to hide. Almost every one of these species finds their hiding places by themselves.
P.S- While using a terrarium; always ensure that its size is not less than 20X20X40 cms.
If you need help buying an enclosure why not check out our enclosure review. Click here for the article.
Pet enclosure habitat layout
Since Blue Panays are natural burrowers they’d need a relatively thick substrate. So try adding a five inches substrate which is made from a combination of peat moss, dirt and vermiculite. In addition to this substrate, it is also equally necessary to maintain the level of humidity. Ideally, your tarantulas will thrive in humidity between 70 to 80 percent. For their maximum comfort, you can also dampen a part of the substrate in their terrarium by adding more water to their water-dish and eventually allowing it to dry up.
Mating / reproducing
These tarantulas are pretty peaceful even while mating. Unlike other tarantulas, the female wouldn’t really devour the male when you introduce him to her vial. Their mating season occurs during the late autumn, while the cocooning phase commences between the fall and the spring.
Development rate
Blue Panays have a moderately fast growth rate. In most cases, they’ll reach a leg span of 7-10 cms within one to two years.
I lived and grew in Panay, when I was younger it was really common to see them on every crevices, they are quite rare nowadays, however, I have never encountered an arboreal Panay Blue, they don’t dig burrows in the wild and would prefer a damp crevices to house, also, I have noticed before that some specimen live quite close to each other, literally neighbours, with the entrance about a centimeters away from each other. I have no way of proving these claims as it was when I was younger.
I found one outside our house here in San Jose, Antique .. Didn’t even know it was that rare! I just let it loose cause it was so vibrant and beautiful.