Red Chilean Rose Tarantula (Grammostola Rosea)

Another colourful spider recommended as a first spider for a beginner, and very popular with the hobbyists, very hardy to keep, after receiving this sub adult spider in the post, the following morning it was eating crickets, settled in very fast. My spider is being kept indoors, they do not like high temperatures the tank has a heat mat on the side and a light, I will not be using either for the summer, anyway it is in a room with a boiler. A lovely spider to own. a great display spider only sometimes sits in its flower pot. Pounces on food very fast as soon as cricket hits the substrate with long tweezers, as if expecting the food. aggressive only when feeding so, safe to handle, although you should keep handling all tarantulas to a minimum. Andy Newman Images© June 2011.

Interesting to note when the weather turned colder, my tarantula spent its time jammed up against the heat pad, which is stuck to the side of the glass, this was about 4 weeks before its next moult. So I added a 25w Moonlight into the hood of the Exo Terra glass terrarium, giving a minimum heat, which has changed its behaviour completely now, much more relaxed spider, I now have the balance right for the winter. Its clay pot is the other side from the heat pad to give a cooler retreat, which it uses sometimes. A lovely attractive display spider, with its pink-red hairs, always cleaning itself or doing something, I have handled it for filming, it put up with a lot from me for my photography, with out any aggression or flicking of hairs. Andy Newman Images©

Longevity: Slow growing and long lived 15-20+ Years.

Origin: Northern Chile.   
Temperature: 20 to 26°C.
Humidity: 60 to 70%
Temperament: Very docile.
Lifestyle: Terrestrial/ Burrower.
          Adult size:  Up to 15cm            

Red Chilean Rose Tarantula Drinking from water dish

Chilean Rose feeding on a locust