Coloration of these heavy-bodied spiders varies from rusty brown or rich burgundy-brown to dark brown, with reddish setae on legs and abdomen and white lines on the legs.

[3] These tarantulas hide themselves in long tubes that they dig under the surface or use abandoned rodent burrows.

[2] When threatened this species will stridulate (hiss) to warn predators, it may also rear up and expose its fangs.

Another self-defence mechanism of this spider is to use its back legs to flick urticating hairs from its abdomen.

In captivity it feeds on any suitable sized invertebrates such as large grasshoppers, cockroaches and crickets.