Pumpkin Patch
Hapalopus sp.
The Pumpkin Patch (Hapalopus sp. Colombia) is one of the hobby's most charming dwarfs — a tiny Colombian terrestrial whose black-and-orange abdomen looks exactly like a little patch of pumpkins. Feisty, fast-growing, and bursting with personality for its size, it's a prolific webber that stays out on display. Hardy and beginner-friendly despite its speed, it comes in 'large' and 'small' forms and is a perennial favourite for anyone wanting a big spider experience in a small package.
Photo Credit: Exotics Unlimited
- Temperature70–78°F (21–26°C) — room temperature is fine; no heat lamp. Comfortable in a normal home.
- HumidityDamp, around 65–75%, with a lightly moist substrate and a water dish. A tropical forest-floor dwarf — keep it from drying out, moisten one corner or the lower layer, and ventilate well. Don't overdo it; a slightly damp base beneath good airflow.
- Adult sizeA small species: adults reach 2.5–4 inches across the legs (diagonal leg span). A relatively fast grower — expect visible progress between molts when well fed.
- LifespanFemales roughly 8–10 years; mature males around 3 years. Long-lived for such a small species.
Enclosure
A small footprint with a few inches of substrate and cork/anchor points — it webs semi-arboreally as well as burrowing. A nano or large acrylic cube. Escape-proof ventilation (it's small and quick); a hide and water dish.
Substrate & water
2–3 inches of lightly damp coco/topsoil with a water dish, moist in one corner or the lower layer, drier on top. It webs prolifically over the surface. Ventilate.
Feeding
A brutal little feeder — it tackles prey with startling gusto for its size. Small prey to abdomen size; juveniles twice weekly, adults weekly. Fast grower. Remove uneaten prey promptly.
Temperament & defenses
Beginner-friendly and rarely defensive, but genuinely fast — it'll bolt when startled, though it seldom kicks hairs or poses. Mild venom. Observe-and-enjoy rather than handle (too small and quick). Watch it at maintenance.
Keeper’s notes
A pint-sized powerhouse and one of our favourite dwarfs to recommend — bright, bold, always out, and endlessly entertaining at feeding time, in a footprint that fits anywhere. Hardy and forgiving apart from the speed. Keep the base slightly damp, ventilate, and enjoy the little pumpkin patch on display.
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