Enclosure shape and space
Rear Horned Baboons are fossorial, so depth matters more than a large open floor. Give Ceratogyrus darlingi enough compactable substrate to build a proper burrow, while leaving enough surface room for a water dish and routine feeding.
Do not put a small Rear Horned Baboon straight into an adult-sized enclosure simply because the species eventually reaches about 12–14 cm (4.75–5.5 in). Match the setup to the spider's current size so it can find prey, reach water and settle into a retreat without disappearing into a large amount of unused space.
Substrate and retreat
Use deep substrate that holds its shape when Ceratogyrus darlingi digs. A piece of cork partly buried at an angle can give the spider a starting point, but let it decide how the finished burrow should look.
Rear Horned Baboons may spend long periods out of sight once a burrow is established. Moved soil, webbing around the entrance and a sealed retreat are all normal at times. If the spider closes itself in, do not dig it out simply to check on it.
Moisture and ventilation
For Rear Horned Baboons, keep the enclosure mostly dry, with surface with a modest moisture gradient below. Provide water and ventilation. You do not need every part of the substrate to be equally wet. Adjust the amount of water to how quickly the enclosure actually dries.
Ventilation is just as important for Ceratogyrus darlingi as moisture. Persistent condensation, a stale smell or substrate that stays wet for days usually means the enclosure needs less water, more airflow, or both.
Water dish and access
Every Rear Horned Baboon should have access to fresh water. For Ceratogyrus darlingi, use a shallow, stable dish and place it somewhere you can reach without dismantling the spider's retreat.
For Ceratogyrus darlingi, leave enough clear space near the opening to add prey, remove food remains and refill the water safely. If every basic job means pulling apart webbing, moving cork or disturbing a burrow, change the layout.
Temperature and placement
A practical temperature range for Ceratogyrus darlingi is 21–27°C. Put the enclosure somewhere the room temperature changes gradually, away from direct sunlight, radiators and electronics that create local hot spots.
Do not attach a heat mat directly to the Ceratogyrus darlingi enclosure. If the room is genuinely too cold, warm the room instead of creating one concentrated hot surface against the container.
Security and maintenance
An individual Rear Horned Baboon can react differently from another of the same species, so check where the spider is before opening the enclosure. Make sure doors and lids close securely and that ventilation holes are too small for Ceratogyrus darlingi to escape through.
When maintaining Ceratogyrus darlingi, use long tools when they make the job safer and keep a catch cup ready for rehousing. Handling is not necessary for routine care, and a well-planned enclosure should let you do most jobs without putting your hands near the spider.
When to rehouse
Rehouse a Rear Horned Baboon when the enclosure has genuinely become cramped or difficult to maintain. For Ceratogyrus darlingi, a retreat that no longer fits the spider, too little substrate for normal behaviour or awkward access to water are better reasons to move than the spider simply touching a wall.
Prepare the new enclosure completely before moving Ceratogyrus darlingi. Add the substrate, retreat and water dish first, check the lid and ventilation, and make sure any cork or decoration is stable before the transfer begins.
What a good setup should achieve
A good enclosure for Ceratogyrus darlingi lets the spider behave normally and lets the keeper carry out basic care without repeatedly disturbing it. The enclosure shape, substrate and retreat should all suit the same fossorial lifestyle.
Once a Rear Horned Baboon has settled in, resist the urge to keep rearranging the enclosure for appearance. With Ceratogyrus darlingi, if the spider is secure, fresh water is easy to provide and the moisture and ventilation are working well, the setup is doing its job.