Heteroscodra maculata
✓ VerifiedTogo Starburst Baboon, Ornamental Baboon
Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick Facts
Adult Size
5-6 inches
Growth Rate
fast
Temperament
extremely defensive, fast
Taxonomy
Community
Experience Required
Advanced
Experienced keepers only
🌡️ Climate Requirements
Temperature Range
75°F - 84°F
(24°C - 29°C)
Humidity Range
65% - 75%
🏠 Enclosure Sizes
Sling
Small arboreal vial, cross-ventilated
Juvenile
6x6x10" vertical
Adult
12x12x18" tall vertical enclosure
🪨 Substrate
Type
dry to slightly moist coco fiber
Depth
2-3 inches
🍽️ Feeding Schedule
Sling
Every 3-4 days
Juvenile
Twice per week
Adult
Once per week
Prey Size
Appropriately sized prey (up to 2/3 body length)
💧 Additional Care Notes
Water Dish
Required
Webbing
heavy
Burrowing
No
🕷️ Behavior & Temperament
General Temperament
extremely defensive, fast
Care Guide
**Togo Starburst Baboon** — A beautiful but extremely defensive West African arboreal species with a distinctive starburst pattern on the carapace. Old World arboreal with no urticating hairs and no medically significant venom recorded, but will bite readily and is extremely fast. Not a beginner or even intermediate species — the combination of speed, defensiveness, and arboreal habit makes husbandry operations (rehousing, cleaning) genuinely risky. Requires a tall, cross-ventilated enclosure with cork bark for anchoring webbing. Keepers should have a solid containment protocol before acquiring this species.
⚠️ Safety Information
Urticating Hairs
This species does not have urticating hairs (Old World species).
Venom Potency
⚠️ WARNING: This species has medically significant venom. Bites can cause severe pain and systemic effects. Only for experienced keepers. Seek immediate medical attention if bitten.
Species Statistics
4
Total Keepers
N/A
Community Rating
Advanced
Care Level
🕷️
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