Murray's Banded Huntsman

Holconia murrayensis

True spiderintermediateVenom: Mild

About

An Australian banded huntsman from dry scrubland, and the one thing every keeper who has raised it agrees on is: KEEP IT DRY. Unlike most huntsmen in the hobby, it does poorly when wet. Slings get almost all their water from prey; give only a tiny spritz on the far wall every week or two, and about weekly once the spider reaches roughly 2 inches. Never mist the spider itself. Strong ventilation matters more than moisture. Room temperature to warm (70-85°F) suits it. House it taller than wide with cork bark slabs to press behind, and leave enough height for it to hang and molt; a thin layer of dry substrate is plenty. Feed prey no larger than about a third of its size. It is noticeably calmer than Heteropoda huntsmen, but it is still a large, very fast spider with big fangs: the bite is painful but not medically significant. It is a flat-bodied escape artist, so check every gap around the lid. Keep one per enclosure.

Taxonomy

FamilySparassidae

GenusHolconia

Native regionsemi-arid south-eastern Australia (South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales)

TypeArboreal (huntsman)

Temperamentcalmer than most huntsmen but very fast when startled; painful, harmless bite

Size & growth

Adult sizeup to ~6.7 in (170 mm) leg span

Climate

Temperature70–85 °F

Enclosure

Sling sizeventilated vial about 4-5 in tall and 2 in wide

Juvenile sizeventilated container taller than wide, cork bark to grip and hide behind

Adult sizetall, well-ventilated enclosure with cork bark slabs and room to molt

Substratedry coco fiber or soil; vertical cork bark; strong ventilation

Substrate depththin layer (no deep substrate needed)

Water dishOptional

Feeding

Feeding modePredator (live prey)

Prey sizeno larger than about 1/3 of the spider — crickets, roaches, moths, flies

Sling cadencesmall prey, more often

Adult cadenceabout once or twice a week

Times kept: 0