The M.balfouri PROJECT

[Ian Hall]

I'm starting this thread as a local project that everyone is free to follow, enjoy and possibly learn or share their own experiences and information on my favourite species, Monocentropus balfouri.

Over time I'll be sharing:

- My transferring methods.
- My feeding and maintenance routines.
- Growth and molt information/photos.
- Breeding projects.
- Housing choices.
- General questions and answers.

I also have another thread already on my own experiences raising a M.balfouri community, link below..

http://thebts.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?8489-Monocentropus-balfouri-communal-setup

Hopefully members will find some of what I post interesting and helpful.

[Ian Hall]

Monocentropus Balfouri

Monocentropus balfouri is a medium sized tarantula with females reaching up to 5 inches in leg span.

These beautiful tarantulas start of life with brownish colours eventually turning a grey/silver coloration and start getting their adult colours at about 2.5 – 3 inches. They support a beige abdomen, metallic blue/silver carapaces, with beige legs to the femur while the rest of the leg is blue and blue spinnerets.

In this species after maturity the male can be distinguished from the female in body type i.e. much darker blues especially noticeable on the carapace. As well as having a much more “leggy” appearance and smaller in body size with the female been weightier as seen in many tarantula species.

• Family - Theraphosidae
• Sub Family - Eumenophorinae
• Genera - Monocentropus
• Species - Balfouri
• Common Name - Socotra Island Blue Baboon
• Location - Socotra, a small group of four islands east of the Horn of Africa in the Indian Ocean.
• Temperature: 23°C - 28 °C higher or lower temperatures will affect activity levels and growth rates as with any tarantula.
• Humidity: 40 - 50%
• Substrate: Bone dry substrate with depth determined by size of tarantula. At least 6 inch for adults as they are burrowers.
• Type: Old world, sub-terrestrial, burrowing, fossorial, heavy webber.
• Temperament: Shy, skittish, defensive and fast but would rather retreat than attack, great feeders able to take down large prey items and communities witnessed sharing meals.
• Maturity: Females can be sexually mature at 4 inches and males as early as 1 year old.

Overall this species is a must have in anyone’s collection. It is a stunning tarantula, great features and excellent display animal with its eye catching elaborate webbing. The females are known to be great mothers. It is a hardy species making it very low maintenance and very easy to keep alone or as a community. Because of this they are considered easy to breed.

[Ian Hall]

One of my FEMALE M.balfouri "Yeti"




monocentropus balfouri spermatheca

[Ian Hall]

Mature MALE Monocentropus balfouri

[Ian Hall]

17th July 2015 M.balfouri first pairing.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmiY01jS3-M Little video of the pairing.