Chilobrachys sp. Aladdin

The name comes with a story. “Aladdin” is not a marketing invention – it was the name of a Thai hotel, in whose garden and surrounding area these spiders were first found. The species still has no formal scientific description and remains a rarity in the hobby.

And it is well worth seeing. Aladdin breaks the rule of the whole Chilobrachys genus: most “earth tigers” hide their colour on the underside of the body, as if keeping it a secret. This one wears it proudly on top – intensely blue legs and a blue-violet abdomen that hold the eye in the right light.

Beneath that beauty beats the heart of a true earth tiger. It is fast, alert and decisive – it dislikes being disturbed and reacts in a flash. It spends most of its life underground, digging deep burrows and lacing the substrate with thick silk into a genuine fortress. It has an excellent appetite and grows at a good pace, so the spiderling soon becomes a striking, colourful adult.

In the terrarium it needs simple but well-planned conditions: at least 10 cm of moist coir-and-soil substrate for burrowing, a few anchor points for its webbing, a hide and constant access to water. Humidity 70–80%, room temperature suits it perfectly – an undemanding species, provided it gets deep substrate.

This is a spider purely for observation in the terrarium – its venom is medically significant and its temperament unpredictable. That is exactly why it suits experienced keepers: those who will appreciate both the rarity of this blue and the character behind it.