Care Guide Available: Read the Complete Cobalt Blue Care Guide →
Melopoeus lividus, the Cobalt Blue, is one of the most visually striking Old World fossorials available. Adult females reach 4-5 inches with intense iridescent cobalt blue on the femurs and legs that earns the common name completely. The coloration shifts in intensity with the angle of light. On a freshly molted specimen it looks almost electric. No photo fully captures it.
This is a burrowing species from the tropical rainforests of Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. In the enclosure it spends the vast majority of its time underground in a self-dug, silk-lined burrow. You will see it briefly at the entrance during feeding. The appeal is those moments, and the knowledge of what is living 8 inches below the substrate surface.
Quick Stats:
- Type: Old World Fossorial
- Adult Size: 4-5 inches legspan
- Care Level: Advanced
- Temperament: Highly defensive; bites without warning
- Venom: Old World — medically significant
- Urticating Hairs: No
- Origin: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia
Husbandry Tips: Deep fossorial enclosure with 8"+ of packable coco/topsoil mix substrate. Create a starter burrow against one wall. Temperatures 78-86°F, humidity 75-85% RH. Permanent water dish; overflow weekly to keep substrate moist throughout. Do not handle. Old World venom requires immediate medical attention if a bite occurs.