Grammostola rosea
| Chilean rose tarantula | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Mygalomorphae |
| Family: | Theraphosidae |
| Genus: | Grammostola |
| Species: | G. rosea |
| Binomial name | |
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Grammostola rosea (Walckenaer, 1837) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Citharoscelus kochii |
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Citharoscelus kochii
Phrixotrichus spatulata
Citharoscelus spatulatus
Grammostola argentinense
Grammostola argentinensis
Grammostola cala
Grammostola spathulata
Grammostola spatulata
Eurypelma rosea
Eurypelma spatulatum
Lasiodora rosea
Mygale rosea
Mygale rubiginosa
The Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea), also known as the rose hair tarantula, the Chilean fire tarantula or the Chilean red-haired tarantula (depending on the color morph), is probably the most common species of tarantula available in American and European pet stores today, due to the large number of wild-caught specimens exported cheaply from their native Chile into the pet trade. The species is also known from Bolivia and Argentina.
G. rosea is a common pet of tarantula hobbyists. Females have been known to live as long as 15–20 years, but due to the limited time they have been available on the market (and hence for extensive study) it is possible that they may live considerably longer than 20 years. There is considerable confusion between this species and Grammostola porteri, with some arguing that many of the "G. rosea" in the pet trade actually are G. porteri.
The natural habitat of Grammostola rosea is the desert and scrub regions of Northern Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. While previously thought to be wanderers in nature, large numbers have been observed living in burrows in their natural habitat. They generally do not burrow in captivity. They are usually active in the evening or night.
This tarantula has a diverse menu including grasshoppers, crickets, moths, beetles, cockroaches, mealworms, small lizards, and mammals. When tarantulas are kept as pets, the best food that can be provided for them are crickets that have been gut loaded on vegetables, as this is the best source of hydrated nutrition for the tarantula.
Grammostola rosea has been bred in captivity for years either for research purposes or for trade and Gurley, R (n.d) states that the females profit from a 'cooling period' of a couple of months preceding the introduction of a male for mating. Once a male has reached sexual maturity he will create a sperm web before he is introduced to the female's terrarium. He will eventually approach the female's burrow with caution, tapping and vibrating his legs to attract her out of her shelter. At the opportune moment the male will lunge himself forward and using his hooks he will hold the female's chelicerae, pushing his mate into a vertical position giving him access to the female's epigyne (external genitalia). The male will insert one (or even both left and right) pedipalp into the female's epigyne and inject the fertilizing fluid. Gurley, R (n.d) continues that in the weeks following fertilization, the female produces a large egg sac (usually containing around 500 spiderlings).
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