|
||||||||
| Key Facts (for a more detailed review of Tarantula care navigate to the Tarantula Care Sheet | |
| Regions Found: | Northern Chile, Bolivia and Argentina |
| Class: | Terrestrial |
| Longevity: | Will mature in 3-10 years |
| Adult Size: | 11-13cm |
| Temperament: | Very docile and skittish |
| Urticating Hairs: | Yes |
| Venom Potency: | Weak |
| Housing Requirements | |
| Housing: | Floor space is more important than height, a deep substrate should be provided for burrowing. A good retreat is required. |
| Temperature: | 22-30°C (71.6-86°F) |
| Humidity: | About 50-65% |
| Special Requirements: | This species require a drier habitat than other species |
| Breeding | |
| Breeding Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Eggsack Size: | Up to 350 |
| Danger to Male: | Sexual cannibalism is particularly notable with this species |
Introduction
The Chilean Rose Tarantula (Grammostola rosea) is the most commonly kept, bred and imported species in the hobby today. The Chilean Rose is typically docile, require little maintenance, and are inexpensive, all contributing to making them popular pets. They are found throughout the desert and scrubland regions of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina.
Description
The Chilean Rose Tarantula is a medium sized species. They reach adult size in about 3 to 4 years with about a 12.5 cm (5 inch) leg span. This heavily-built beauty is dark brown to black but is covered with a coat of reddish-orange to pink hairs over its entire body. This subtle rose casting on the hair is where the name comes from.
Mature males have longer legs and are somewhat more fuzzy in appearance. The female remains stocky and bulky throughout its life. There are reports that mature males are more brightly coloured than females but they can be quite variable in colour.
Habitat
Enclosure
Chilean Roses would rather adopt a rock as a home than burrow for themselves as they live in dry conditions and burrowing can be difficult. It is recommended that you provide a vivarium of atleast 5 gallons in volume and a carefully prepared collection of rocks that the tarantula can adopt as a home. Ensure that the arrangement is secure to prevent them collpasing on top of your pet.
Substrate
You should cover the bottom of the enclosure with 2-3 inches of peat moss, potting soil or vermiculite.
Temperature
This species is ideal as it is very comfortable living within normal room temperature ranges of between 22-30°C (71.5-86°F). However, to ensure the temperatures are being provided you should monitor them by using accurate thermometers in a few locations within the enclosure.
Humidity
They can be kept in a low-humidity terrarium (60-75%), and this can be achieved by providing a shallow water dish and misting ocassionally as necessary. To successfully maintain the desired humidity conditions for your tarantula you are going to need a hygrometer. A hygrometer is a device used to measure relative humidity within the enclosure.
Feeding
Chilean Rose eating a cricket
The diet of this tarantula is typically insects such as crickets, grass-hoppers, beetles, moths, mealworms, cockroaches and pinky mice. A staple diet of crickets is fine however it is best to mix things up a little. Typically these pets should be fed two weekly feedings with one to three food items. Uneaten prey should be removed after one day to prevent problems. Food must usually be fed live, as dead prey may be rejected or go unnoticed.
Handling
Be gentle, allow the tarantula to walk onto your hand with a push on its abdomen. Grammostola rosea rarely bites, but when it does the bite causes swelling and intense pain for several hours, even up to a day. If your rose begins to rear back and raises its front legs in a threatening posture it may feel threatened by you or just be in an irritable mood. Leave it be and try another day, sometimes this is just a particularly moody tarantula.
Breeding
The male rosea hooks the females fangs with his mating hooks
328 Chilean Rose Spiderlings
This species is fairly easy to breed and produces up to 350 offspring, but most pet stores carry wild caught specimens. G. rosea spiderlings may take quite a while to mature.