Keeper guide

Bengal Ornamental Temperature Guide — Poecilotheria miranda

A practical temperature range for Poecilotheria miranda, commonly known as the Bengal Ornamental, is 21–26°C. Stable room conditions matter more than chasing tiny changes on the thermometer.

At a glance

Quick facts

World
Old World
Origin
India
Lifestyle
Arboreal
UK hobby rarity
Rare
Maximum size
About 14–17 cm (5.5–6.75 in)
Growth rate
Fast
Male lifespan
Roughly 3–5 years
Female lifespan
Often 10–12 years
Temperament
Fast, secretive and potentially defensive
Venom
Medically significant; bites can cause severe pain and systemic symptoms
Temperature
21–26°C
Moisture / humidity
Moderate moisture with strong ventilation and clean water
CITES
CITES Appendix II; UK Annex B

Working temperature range

Keep Poecilotheria miranda around 21–26°C. Use that as a practical captive range and avoid prolonged exposure to temperatures well outside it.

Bengal Ornamentals do not need the enclosure to hit one exact number all day. Normal small room fluctuations are easier to manage than repeated heating and cooling adjustments.

Measure the shelf, not just the room

Check the temperature where the Poecilotheria miranda enclosure actually sits. Shelves near windows, radiators, computers or external walls can differ from the centre of the room.

A thermometer placed near the enclosure gives more useful information for a Bengal Ornamental than a reading taken across the room.

Avoid direct heat on the enclosure

Do not attach a heat mat directly to a Poecilotheria miranda enclosure. Small containers can develop concentrated hot areas that are much warmer than the surrounding room.

If the room is genuinely too cold for Bengal Ornamentals, warm the room instead and check the temperature at enclosure level. That gives a more even and controllable result.

Summer heat

During hot weather, keep Poecilotheria miranda out of direct sunlight and watch rooms that heat up during the afternoon. A closed window area can become much warmer than expected.

Do not respond to a warm day by soaking the Bengal Ornamental enclosure. Temperature and substrate moisture are separate husbandry issues.

Winter conditions

In winter, check the coldest part of the day where Poecilotheria miranda is kept. Rooms can cool overnight even when daytime readings look comfortable.

If room heating is used, remember that it may also dry Bengal Ornamentals enclosures faster. Adjust watering to the actual drying rate rather than assuming winter always means wetter substrate.

Use behaviour as context

Temperature readings for Poecilotheria miranda should be considered alongside normal feeding, retreat use and moulting. One slightly different reading is less useful than a consistent pattern over time.

If a Bengal Ornamental suddenly changes behaviour, check temperature along with water, moisture and recent disturbance instead of assuming temperature is the only cause.