Grammostola
Grammostola is a genus of twenty tarantulas species, all of which are native to the South American continent.
Features
This genus has medium-sized to very large species. For example, Grammostola mollicoma reaches eight centimeters, Grammostola pulchripes nine inches and Grammostola actaeon even ten centimeters body length.
Have Grammostola species on the top surface of the abdomen ( opisthosoma ), from about the middle to the spinnerets a characteristic shiny metallic surface with very fine hair stimulus.
Behavior
Grammostola species are ground-dwelling spiders that burrow short holes and burrows into the ground. They paper the burrows with silk spinning and live there during the molting stages of the breeding season and the winter months. This time may be up to five months in a year. The rest of the time they hide under rocks, roots, pieces of bark or leaf litter. Adult females of many species no longer leave the burrow and often feed on the prey that pass near their burrow.
Habitat
The genus has a large distribution area from Chile to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to Brazil. The occurrence of Grammostola monticola and Grammostola rosea in Bolivia are doubtful. The individual species have some very limited distribution areas. So Grammostola iheringi comes in Uruguay before in a single valley.
Some species live in areas with cold winters with temperatures below freezing (for example in habitat Grammostola pulchra from ). Many species live in areas with enormous variations in temperature. This means very high temperatures and dry air during the daytime followed by freezing nights. Grammostola rosea is not exposed to high temperatures in the dry austral summer. In Paraguay, the home of Grammostola aureostriata, it is in the austral summer, however, significantly wetter and hotter.
Due to the changes in habitat by humans for livestock, agriculture and timber industry, many Grammostola species could spread. Many spiders are found on the pastures and forest edges, such as Grammostola actaeon, Grammostola iheringi, Grammostola pulchra Grammostola Grossa and.
Attitude in the terrarium
Grammostola are frequently encountered in the terrarium, especially popular with beginners Grammostola rosea, Grammostola pulchra but also, Grammostola Grossa and Grammostola pulchripes.
The Grammostola species are climatically demanding than other tarantulas in attitude. Many require cooler temperatures in the winter to below 10 ° C, otherwise the stud fails. The housing conditions of the species of this genus are not uniform.
Species
The Grammostola species are distributed only in southern South America. Most species occur in Argentina. The state in 2009, include the following types:
- Grammostola actaeon ( Pocock, 1903); Brazil, Uruguay
- Grammostola alticeps ( Pocock, 1903); Uruguay
- Grammostola andreleetzi Vol, 2008; Uruguay
- Grammostola aureostriata Schmidt & Bullmer, 2001; Paraguay, Argentina
- Grammostola burzaquensis Ibarra, 1946; Argentina
- Grammostola chalcothrix Chamberlin, 1917; Argentina
- Grammostola doeringi ( Holmberg, 1881); Argentina
- Grammostola fossor Schmidt, 2001; Argentina
- Grammostola gossei ( Pocock, 1899); Argentina
- Grammostola iheringi ( Keyserling, 1891 ); Brazil
- Grammostola inermis Mello - Leitão, 1941; Argentina
- Grammostola mendozae ( beach, 1907); Argentina
- Grammostola monticola ( beach, 1907); Bolivia
- Grammostola porteri ( Mello - Leitão, 1936); Chile
- Grammostola pulchra Mello - Leitão, 1921; Brazil
- Grammostola rosea ( Walckenaer, 1837); Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, (English common name: Chilean Rose Tarantula )
- Grammostola schulzei ( Schmidt, 1994); Argentina
- Grammostola vachoni Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1961; Argentina