
| Rosehair
Grammostola rosea These are some of the most common tarantulas sold in US petstores. They've recently undergone a host of name changes (from Phrixotrichus auratus to P.roseus and P.spatulata) since there are many color variations and people thought they were different species. Most are brownish overall (their rumps look like little kiwis) with a coppery carapace that shines like a new penny. Others have a more brownish carapace and some are quite pinkish/red all over. |
Range: Northern Chile
(Atacama region), Argentina, and nearby areas
Habitat: Dry
scrubland
Size: Medium tarantula.
Fully grown, they're about 5" in legspan.
Attitude: Usually
very docile and slow-moving, but some rare individuals can be snippity.
The ones I have are the nicest tarantulas I've ever seen- none have even
so much as flicked hairs at me. Their main defense seems to be slowly
shrinking away. Just mind their moods and become familiar with an
individual before trying to get it to walk onto your hand.
They mate quite easily,
though the female is often aggressive toward the male after the act.
Getting a mated female to
produce an eggsac, however, can be difficult.
Dwelling: Opportunistic
spiders that may use a provided shelter. Often times, captive rosehairs
will desire to sit atop a shelter rather than go in one.
The great variation in
colors that led to many different species names. . . .
A leggy male rosehair |
Due to people's ignorance, here's the disgusting environment many rosehairs live in for months in some petstores |
Here's the ragged, starving female that came out of the cup to the left. She has since recovered. It's amazing how an animal that needs such a minimal amount of attention could be in such a state. . . . |
Ideal Setup: Most
adult rosehairs will get along swimmingly with very little. A 5 gallon
container with a thin layer of substrate, a shelter, and a water dish works
well. They like it dry, so don't bother moistening the substrate
except upon its initial application.
Food: Any bugs that
haven't been exposed to pesticides (2-5 crickets a week for adults).
Many rosehairs are notorious for going on great fasts for no apparent reason.
Some suspect they fast during the chilly winters in Chile (that pun had
to be done, sorry), which is June through August, and may carry this trait
with them to the northern hemisphere. I have one (in the top left
picture on this page) that eats one or two crickets a month, and that after
not eating anything for many months. If its rear stays plump, don't
worry- it knows what it's doing.
As a side note, I have observed
two Rosehairs secrete clear fluid from their mouth area, as if they were
drooling. One was a male red phase and the other was a brown female
with a coppery carapace. They appeared healthy and continued to get
along fine afterward. They did not molt in the months following,
consume more or less food or water, or do anything at all out of the ordinary.
In both instances, crickets were placed in the tarantulas' containers just
prior to the drooling.
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