Chilean rose tarantula

Grammostola rosea, female

Grammostola rosea (sometimes referred to in English as " Chilean Rose Tarantula ") is a Vogelspinnenart from Chile.

She was formerly known as Grammostola cala and G. spatulata and is partly still today reported under this name in the trade. With G. cala was in the pet store the reddish coloring of this type with G. spatulata the designated brownish.

Appearance and Body

The animals reach 5-7 cm body length. The color can vary from bright red to dark brown. The head - chest - piece, the prosoma, or - less accurate - the cephalothorax is of a chitinous carapace, the carapace, protected, which is colored bright reddish especially in adult males. The entire hair is short. On the legs clearly two lines are visible in darker specimens. For juveniles, the legs are colored pale pink. The abdomen is dark brown. With each molt, the legs are darker. On the opisthosoma (abdomen, abdomen) stinging hairs are present. They are renewed at each molt.

Way of life

Grammostola rosea inhabits -created burrows in the humid regions of Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Current up to one meter deep burrows are primarily invested in wet, loose soil and serve as the spiders retreat. The regions inhabited this kind, sometimes subject to large seasonal fluctuations. The animals compensate by a few months lengthy hibernation.

Grammostola rosea, like all tarantulas, an ambush predator. It feeds mainly on insects such as Cockroaches, rarely also on small mammals.

Species protection

Although it is not known whether Grammostola rosea is threatened locally, are to be viewed critically, especially since this type can be traced easily and in Germany is also certainly the bulk imports for the European pet trade.