Logan Olson - 2012-04-30 Just got a Mombasa Baboon and set up her amazing enviroment in a 55 gal tank. She will be very happy here and sure enough a day or two after i bought her she has gone and started to molt. My other T did the same thing years ago as she grew up in a small cage and the moment she was able to stretch out she molted. Looking forward to this very aggressive T and watching her grow up for years to come.
aimee - 2009-03-04 My friend has one named gloria and it's really surprising to read how aggresive they are. I don't know about you but it's the laziest pet in the house and hasn't displayed any aggresive behavior to the hundreds of people who've handled it in the 2-3 months he's had it. I hope it's not sick or anything.
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Marc - 2010-07-30 It's like if you own a tiger. It might not be aggressive if it's been taught to be around humans, and it's well fed, but one day it might have fear or his instincts might get stronger and, pop, it will attack.
Simon - 2011-03-30 So long as the tarantula is eating on a weekly basis & the colors & hair look vibrant & fuzzy it should be ok mine is very lazy unless it involves food or making someone back away because he does not like to be messed with, if you have any questions please let me know I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years so please ask away I do not mind at all.
terry - 2008-08-29 I just had a night in hospital due to an orange baboon bite, no display, no warning just jumped and bit my index finger. Intense burning pain to finger followed by burning bruiselike feeling that progressed up to shoulder. Was put on oxygen and antibiotics. Pain eased after around 5 hours, finger was numb approx 12 hours during this. Heart rate and blood pressure went high, now approx 26 hrs later no pain to finger but there is to base of digit which showed bruising and am now getting random joint pain and cramps to legs arms and neck. Spider was not provoked in any way and I've kept various spiders for many years, this is my first time bite. Little knowledge around on reactions to bites so I thought I'd post this. I am male 51, 6ft, 18 stone, and never had any reaction to bee or wasp stings... Editor's Note: WOW! Thanks for sharing this important iformation! This knowledge can go a long way in helping other hobbyists be prepared and take preventative measures.
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went - 2010-07-23 Okay, are you sure you didn't provoke it, but having said that I have been told that old world tarantula spiders, are nasty and aggressive, so they may attack without provocation.
Penny - 2010-12-06 Old world tarantulas don't have urticating hair for defense which is one reason it is thought they are so aggressive. Mine would take the defensive position every time I fed her.
Simon - 2011-03-30 I've learned from raising a mombasa that they are known to do that unfortunately it was my ex that found out the only thing I've done to keep being bitten from mine considering his attitude problem is to either talk gently to him or sing to him when I'm servicing his cage & make sure that I keep a close eye on him as well & it's bad that he did bite but I'm just glad that it was an adult & it only happened once.
Daniël - 2012-01-12 Hey everyone, just thought I share this - was bitten by a Starburst Baboon Spider while camping at De Hoop this December. Scary experience and I can confirm the note of Terry above, the pain was severe and I experienced similar symptoms. I did not see the spider at all before the bite and must have frightened it accidently to evoke the attack. Thinking of getting one as a pet as after reading more about these special creatures I found them very interesting......
Michael Sparks - 2008-11-26 Hey all, I also have a Mombasa Golden Starburst Baboon and I have seen her eat but she is acting rather strange atm. I have kept various different spiders before but don't know too much bout my "mombasa". She keeps sitting outside of her burrow and tucking her legs up into her belly as if she is scared or not well. Any ideas what I can do? or is this normal? plz contact me if you know thanx, my E-mail is, brain_freeze_band@hotmail.com thanx x
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Simon - 2011-03-30 If it looks like she's been scratching then she's molting but she may also be not feeling well the only thing I can say is to keep a close eye on her & to make sure that she is eating & has good clean water & that her tank humidity should be between 50%-60% humidity & that her tank temp. should stay between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit, if you have any questions please ask I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years & I don't mind so please ask away.
jarrett skinner - 2011-03-19 I have a mombasa baboon I just bought it, it crawled to the top of the cage and won't come down don't know if it is he or she it won't eat and is very lethargic it is not even acting aggressive at all does anyone know what's up? I have a rose haired and it is fine.
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Simon - 2011-03-30 Mine did that for awhile & the best thing to do is to put it in a quiet dark area the like that a lot & make sure that the prey you put in there has something to eat because sometimes they prefer to eat alone & in the dark & with no spectators, I know mine does & always has, please feel free to ask me any questions I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years & I do not mind at all so please ask away.
jix - 2010-05-02 Heya, I just want to ask if the legs grow back? I found my mombasa this morning with one leg missing. I'm so worried.
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connor - 2010-07-03 Yes they do.
Simon - 2011-03-30 Yes the legs do grow back over time as they molt its nothing to be alarmed about, just make sure that the food they eat is easier for them to catch & that they have good clean water & your critter should be just fine, if you have any other questions please let me know, I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years so please feel free to ask away.
B.Kelly - 2008-12-21 I recently acquired my Starburst Mombassa, about 3 months ago, and was placed in a plastic vivarium-box-thing approximately 12"-wide, 18"-long and 7"-deep. For the most of this, she refused to accept any prey offered until recently she began heavily webbing. At first we thought she was preparing for moult, but then I watched how she sat there and got the thought to try some prey in there. Bang, straight away took it and devoured it fairly quickly (only a single hopper). I was speaking with a local exotic creature expert who claimed this species can apparently easily survive without food for up to a year (and has been documented as longer) though I cannot verify this. Mine is a fiesty and aggressive specimen. Every time I open the little plastic hatch in the lid either to offer prey or top up water or whatever, she will suddenly skitter across the entire tank and display or slap the paintbrush (if I'm prodding around) very aggressively. If provoked, she readily displays and if the provocation continues, she seems to 'drum' on her webs, which makes a very cute display!
She is certainly one of the more active spiders I have seen (I've spent hours watching her burrowing and excavating (she tends to web an area of soil, then roll the webbed area into a ball, carry it off in her fangs and dump it to one side) and even just wondering), but do be careful. She is very agressive and much faster than you'd imagine a spider to be.
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Simon - 2011-03-30 They are very interesting, mine is a male & he insists on building his web up off the ground in a corner & when he is provoked he will display, hiss & sometimes pull jump twist acrobatics in mid air before landing, he is grouchy but he is also lazy & goofy as well.
AlexKapper - 2009-07-24 I recently bought a Rusty orange spider From my local pet shop, one I have not seen before. I was told it was a King Baboon Spider But now that I've been doing research, it is not. It is a Mombasa Golden Starburst Baboon. His/Her Legspan is about 3-4 inches right now, and is one Mean Mutha. He is so fast it's unbelievable. So agile, so quick. From what I hear they are great escape artists. I got him in a exo Terra cage with the glass opening doors 18x18x24H, any Insight? I'm A first time owner of an Arachnid as well.
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bren - 2010-09-14 ooooops I just got one too and yes i'ts my 1st spider too and all I can say is BE CAREFUL IT WILL TRY TO KILL YOU they are fast as hell and 10x meaner I am 6 ft 1 190lb and it had me back off when it stood on 2 legs lean back and show me its fangs ..... beautiful spider but treat it with respect if you go near it you had best be a jedi!
Simon - 2011-03-30 They can be great escape artists but I have personally never had any trouble with mine except that Zoreander bit my ex. It's basically just a matter of getting a cage that has a complicated or locking door, I have had mine since he was about the size of a penny & they can get big though, I had fed mine a mouse because he was finally big enough & he would not touch the crickets I tried to give him afterwards, but they are generally lazy & fun to be around I've just learned that they do not like being messed with normally, if you have any other questions pleas let me know I've been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years so please feel free to ask away, I don't mind at all.
Simon - 2011-03-30 The best thing to do is just to get a cage that has a lock on it or something that you can easily secure, they are mean if provoked but for the most part they are lazy if you keep them in a quiet dark place with no sunlight because sunlight is harmful to them, I've raised mine since it was the size of a penny & no they are not out to kill anybody they just do not like to be messed with, just make sure that the tank temp. is between 70-80 degrees & the humidity should be between 50%-60%, their prey should be clean & well fed & they need good clean water, if you have any questions please ask I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years, so please ask away I don't mind.
Raven - 2011-03-12 I purchased a Mombasa Baboon last weekend from my local pet store. This is my first aggressive tarantula. When transferring her into her new home, she crawled up onto my hand instead of down. "Samara" seemed to be in a very docile mood and just sat on my hand for quite awhile. I eventually got her into her new home and then totally FREAKED when I did a bit of research and found out what her bite could do to me. I think I was extremely lucky and will probably not tempt fate with her again LOL
She is really beautiful though and very active. Wouldn't trade her for nothin' =) But I will however give her a lot of respect!
rik - 2011-01-17 I bought my golden starburst yesterday afternoon it's an adult but mine isn't aggressive, I have been handling mine without any problems so far. I'm glad I bought it as it's one of the most beautiful tarantulas I have seen.
The Mombasa Golden Starburst Baboon Spider has a tough attitude, and a tough constitution!
Just got a Mombasa Baboon and set up her amazing enviroment in a 55 gal tank. She will be very happy here and sure enough a day or two after i bought her she has gone and started to molt. My other T did the same thing years ago as she grew up in a small cage and the moment she was able to stretch out she molted. Looking forward to this very aggressive T and watching her grow up for years to come.
My friend has one named gloria and it's really surprising to read how aggresive they are. I don't know about you but it's the laziest pet in the house and hasn't displayed any aggresive behavior to the hundreds of people who've handled it in the 2-3 months he's had it. I hope it's not sick or anything.
It's like if you own a tiger. It might not be aggressive if it's been taught to be around humans, and it's well fed, but one day it might have fear or his instincts might get stronger and, pop, it will attack.
So long as the tarantula is eating on a weekly basis & the colors & hair look vibrant & fuzzy it should be ok mine is very lazy unless it involves food or making someone back away because he does not like to be messed with, if you have any questions please let me know I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years so please ask away I do not mind at all.
I just had a night in hospital due to an orange baboon bite, no display, no warning just jumped and bit my index finger. Intense burning pain to finger followed by burning bruiselike feeling that progressed up to shoulder. Was put on oxygen and antibiotics. Pain eased after around 5 hours, finger was numb approx 12 hours during this. Heart rate and blood pressure went high, now approx 26 hrs later no pain to finger but there is to base of digit which showed bruising and am now getting random joint pain and cramps to legs arms and neck. Spider was not provoked in any way and I've kept various spiders for many years, this is my first time bite. Little knowledge around on reactions to bites so I thought I'd post this. I am male 51, 6ft, 18 stone, and never had any reaction to bee or wasp stings... Editor's Note: WOW! Thanks for sharing this important iformation! This knowledge can go a long way in helping other hobbyists be prepared and take preventative measures.
Okay, are you sure you didn't provoke it, but having said that I have been told that old world tarantula spiders, are nasty and aggressive, so they may attack without provocation.
Old world tarantulas don't have urticating hair for defense which is one reason it is thought they are so aggressive. Mine would take the defensive position every time I fed her.
I've learned from raising a mombasa that they are known to do that unfortunately it was my ex that found out the only thing I've done to keep being bitten from mine considering his attitude problem is to either talk gently to him or sing to him when I'm servicing his cage & make sure that I keep a close eye on him as well & it's bad that he did bite but I'm just glad that it was an adult & it only happened once.
Hey everyone, just thought I share this - was bitten by a Starburst Baboon Spider while camping at De Hoop this December. Scary experience and I can confirm the note of Terry above, the pain was severe and I experienced similar symptoms. I did not see the spider at all before the bite and must have frightened it accidently to evoke the attack. Thinking of getting one as a pet as after reading more about these special creatures I found them very interesting......
Hey all, I also have a Mombasa Golden Starburst Baboon and I have seen her eat but she is acting rather strange atm. I have kept various different spiders before but don't know too much bout my "mombasa". She keeps sitting outside of her burrow and tucking her legs up into her belly as if she is scared or not well. Any ideas what I can do? or is this normal? plz contact me if you know thanx, my E-mail is, brain_freeze_band@hotmail.com
thanx
x
If it looks like she's been scratching then she's molting but she may also be not feeling well the only thing I can say is to keep a close eye on her & to make sure that she is eating & has good clean water & that her tank humidity should be between 50%-60% humidity & that her tank temp. should stay between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit, if you have any questions please ask I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years & I don't mind so please ask away.
I have a mombasa baboon I just bought it, it crawled to the top of the cage and won't come down don't know if it is he or she it won't eat and is very lethargic it is not even acting aggressive at all does anyone know what's up? I have a rose haired and it is fine.
Mine did that for awhile & the best thing to do is to put it in a quiet dark area the like that a lot & make sure that the prey you put in there has something to eat because sometimes they prefer to eat alone & in the dark & with no spectators, I know mine does & always has, please feel free to ask me any questions I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years & I do not mind at all so please ask away.
Heya, I just want to ask if the legs grow back? I found my mombasa this morning with one leg missing. I'm so worried.
Yes they do.
Yes the legs do grow back over time as they molt its nothing to be alarmed about, just make sure that the food they eat is easier for them to catch & that they have good clean water & your critter should be just fine, if you have any other questions please let me know, I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years so please feel free to ask away.
I recently acquired my Starburst Mombassa, about 3 months ago, and was placed in a plastic vivarium-box-thing approximately 12"-wide, 18"-long and 7"-deep. For the most of this, she refused to accept any prey offered until recently she began heavily webbing. At first we thought she was preparing for moult, but then I watched how she sat there and got the thought to try some prey in there. Bang, straight away took it and devoured it fairly quickly (only a single hopper). I was speaking with a local exotic creature expert who claimed this species can apparently easily survive without food for up to a year (and has been documented as longer) though I cannot verify this.
Mine is a fiesty and aggressive specimen. Every time I open the little plastic hatch in the lid either to offer prey or top up water or whatever, she will suddenly skitter across the entire tank and display or slap the paintbrush (if I'm prodding around) very aggressively.
If provoked, she readily displays and if the provocation continues, she seems to 'drum' on her webs, which makes a very cute display!
She is certainly one of the more active spiders I have seen (I've spent hours watching her burrowing and excavating (she tends to web an area of soil, then roll the webbed area into a ball, carry it off in her fangs and dump it to one side) and even just wondering), but do be careful. She is very agressive and much faster than you'd imagine a spider to be.
They are very interesting, mine is a male & he insists on building his web up off the ground in a corner & when he is provoked he will display, hiss & sometimes pull jump twist acrobatics in mid air before landing, he is grouchy but he is also lazy & goofy as well.
I recently bought a Rusty orange spider From my local pet shop, one I have not seen before. I was told it was a King Baboon Spider But now that I've been doing research, it is not. It is a Mombasa Golden Starburst Baboon. His/Her Legspan is about 3-4 inches right now, and is one Mean Mutha. He is so fast it's unbelievable. So agile, so quick. From what I hear they are great escape artists. I got him in a exo Terra cage with the glass opening doors 18x18x24H, any Insight? I'm A first time owner of an Arachnid as well.
ooooops I just got one too and yes i'ts my 1st spider too and all I can say is BE CAREFUL IT WILL TRY TO KILL YOU they are fast as hell and 10x meaner I am 6 ft 1 190lb and it had me back off when it stood on 2 legs lean back and show me its fangs ..... beautiful spider but treat it with respect if you go near it you had best be a jedi!
They can be great escape artists but I have personally never had any trouble with mine except that Zoreander bit my ex. It's basically just a matter of getting a cage that has a complicated or locking door, I have had mine since he was about the size of a penny & they can get big though, I had fed mine a mouse because he was finally big enough & he would not touch the crickets I tried to give him afterwards, but they are generally lazy & fun to be around I've just learned that they do not like being messed with normally, if you have any other questions pleas let me know I've been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years so please feel free to ask away, I don't mind at all.
The best thing to do is just to get a cage that has a lock on it or something that you can easily secure, they are mean if provoked but for the most part they are lazy if you keep them in a quiet dark place with no sunlight because sunlight is harmful to them, I've raised mine since it was the size of a penny & no they are not out to kill anybody they just do not like to be messed with, just make sure that the tank temp. is between 70-80 degrees & the humidity should be between 50%-60%, their prey should be clean & well fed & they need good clean water, if you have any questions please ask I have been raising & caring for tarantulas of all kinds for 21 years, so please ask away I don't mind.
I purchased a Mombasa Baboon last weekend from my local pet store. This is my first aggressive tarantula. When transferring her into her new home, she crawled up onto my hand instead of down. "Samara" seemed to be in a very docile mood and just sat on my hand for quite awhile. I eventually got her into her new home and then totally FREAKED when I did a bit of research and found out what her bite could do to me. I think I was extremely lucky and will probably not tempt fate with her again LOL
She is really beautiful though and very active. Wouldn't trade her for nothin' =) But I will however give her a lot of respect!
I bought my golden starburst yesterday afternoon it's an adult but mine isn't aggressive, I have been handling mine without any problems so far. I'm glad I bought it as it's one of the most beautiful tarantulas I have seen.