Grammostola rosea
Chilean Rose Tarantula
A calm, undemanding invertebrate for keepers who want an unusual display animal, with the understanding that it is to be watched rather than held.
TheraphosidaeLifespan Females 15–20 years, males 3–5 yearsCare complexity 2/5Suitable for beginners
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Grammostola rosea
- Family
- Theraphosidae
- Origin
- Deserts and scrub of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina
- Lifespan
- Females 15–20 years, males 3–5 years
- Adult size
- 12–14 cm leg span
- Weight
- 30–60 g
- Temperament
- Docile and slow-moving, but not a handling animal
- Activity level
- Very low
- Social needs
- Strictly solitary
- Intelligence
- Simple associative responses only
- Noise
- Silent
Housing and environment
- Housing
- 30 x 30 x 30 cm terrestrial enclosure with 8–10 cm of dry substrate
- Space requirement
- Floor space; height risks fatal falls
- Temperature
- 20–26°C
- Humidity
- 50–60%
- Exercise
- Not required
- Grooming
- Not applicable; provide a shallow water dish and dry substrate
Diet and feeding
Two to four appropriately sized crickets or roaches every one to two weeks
Behaviour and compatibility
Burrowing, web-matting the substrate, long fasts and periodic moulting
- With children
- Observation only
- With other animals
- House alone
- Training difficulty
- Not applicable
Health
- Fatal falls from height
- Dehydration
- Failed moult
- Urticating hair loss
- Parasitic mites
Very few vets treat tarantulas; prevention through correct husbandry is the strategy
Special care requirements
Never disturb a tarantula on its back — it is moulting, not dying