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Rose-haired TarantulaChilean Rose-haired Tarantula

Family: Theraphosidae

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Grammostola galaPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Paddy Campbell

     The Rose-haired Tarantula or Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula has been an important spider in our hobby for more than thirty years!

     As one of the most docile and hardy spiders being kept, the Rose-haired Tarantula has been a standard in the pet shop and science classroom across the planet.

     These fascinating spiders are quiet, require very little space, and are easy to care for. They are good natured and handleable, though holding them does cause them stress so is best kept to a minimum. These traits along with being commonly available and inexpensive make them an ideal species for a beginner.

For more Information on keeping tarantulas see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Invertebrate

Distribution:      Rose-haired Tarantulas are from Chile, thus often being called the Chilean Rose-haired Tarantulas.

Description:      The Chilean Rose-hair Tarantula is a moderately large tarantula. They reach adult size in about 3 to 4 years with about a 5" (12.5 cm) leg span. This stocky 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 colored than females but they can be quite variable in color.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION: This is one of the most difficult tarantulas to determine its "correct" scientific name. Not only has it gone through many name changes, it is still under discussion whether the different color forms are different varieties of this spider, or just color morphs. Most sources are currently referencing this spider as Grammostola rosea.
            - There are discussions about the Grammostola rosea and Grammostola cala being   anatomically different and therefore two definite, different species, but this has not been confirmed.
            - Naming them by their color morph appears as follows: Grammostola rosea being the standard, Grammostola cala being a reddish phase, and Grammostola spatulata being brownish.
            - The species names cala and gala are both used regularly. This may just be the result of a spelling error that has been duplicated. (Which spelling is correct is also not confirmed.)

Grammostola gala
Photo  © Animal-World: Courtesy Russ Gurley

Feeding:      Rose-haired Tarantulas feed well on a variety of insect prey including crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and others. They should be feed live insects once or twice a week.

Environment:      The Rose-haired Tarantula thrives in a simple enclosure. Though not necessary, this Tarantula will like a scrubland type environment and will live in a shallow burrow if provided. A piece of driftwood, cork bark, or a hollow log will work well for this. Artificial or hardy live plants and other interesting decorations can also be added to the enclosure.

Temperature and Humidity requirements:      This species will do best if you maintain the enclosure at 78 ° to 82 ° F. The humidity is best kept at between 60 to 80%. This can be accomplished by including and occasionally misting some sphagnum moss or orchid bark.

Social Behaviors:      The Rose-haired Tarantula is one of the most docile species available in captive collections. These tarantulas are easily handleable and make wonderful pets.
     They may rear up when agitated and will even occasionally flick urticating hairs. After a short display, they will beat a hasty retreat or more commonly will simply walk away. High-strung specimens will often show a dark bald patch on their abdomens from flicking away urticating hairs.
     Once they settle into captivity, this flicking rarely occurs and with a molt the bald patch is cleaned up and the coating of reds, oranges, browns, and pinks is restored.

Grammostola gala
Photo  © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

Handling:      You can carefully pick up these tarantulas by cupping them gently with the legs folded under their bodies. Another, gentler method is to simply place a hand out flat in front of them and gently prod the tarantula's abdomen, forcing it to walk onto the hand. As they walk, simply place the other hand in front and have the spider walk across your hands.

Breeding/Reproduction:      Rose-haired Tarantulas have been bred in captivity for many years. Mature males have longer legs and are somewhat more fuzzy in appearance. The females seem to benefit from a cooling period of a couple of months prior to mating.
     Once a mature male is produced, and he makes a sperm web, he should be introduced into the female's enclosure. He will approach the female's shelter cautiously, tapping and vibrating his legs. The female will be "lured" out of her burrow or shelter and the male will typically lunge forward to use his hooks to hold the female's chelicerae and to push her into an almost upright position to give himself access to the female's epigyne for mating. The male will insert either the left pedipalp, right pedipalp, or both alternately into the female's epigyne and inject the fertilizing fluid into this area.
     If fertilized, the female will produce an egg sac in the following weeks. This species produces large egg sacs, usually containing in excess of 500 babies. A mature male can be introduced to multiple females or can be reintroduced to a female to enhance the possibilities of a successful pairing. Typically, the male will die in the weeks following a successful mating.

Ailments:      Tarantulas are generally quite hardy and adaptable if they are provided with the right environment. A few signs that may indicate that your pet is not acting or feeling normal are a loss of appetite, lethargy, looking overly skinny, or pacing the enclosure.
     (A tarantula on its back is probably NOT sick.   Most tarantula species flip onto their backs during molting.   Though this is a very stressful and delicate time for tarantulas, if the humidity and warmth levels are correct, they will molt their exoskeleton, roll over, harden up, and within a week or two be ready for their next meals.)

• Molting: One of the most common reasons for your pet to demonstrate unusual behavior is due to a molting period. As they outgrow their existing skin all tarantulas regularly go through an extensive molt, shedding their entire skin as well as the linings of their mouth, respiratory organs, stomach and sexual organs.
       The process starts well before the actual molt. For several weeks prior to shedding they will be growing a new skin under their old one. During this time it is not unusual for a tarantula to get quite lethargic and even stop eating. There may also be lots of web spinning activity as they prepare to molt.
       When they begin to molt, they lay on their backs with their legs up in the air looking as if they are dead. Be sure not to disturb your tarantula when you see this. The shedding process goes quickly and smoothly as long the environment has adequate humidity.
       Once they have shed, their new skin is pale and very soft. The amount of time it takes for your pet to fully recover and be back to eating well will vary from a day or so up to several weeks depending on its size. Smaller spiders recover much quicker than larger ones.
• Other Problems: Other problems are usually the result of some type of environmental stress. There may be a drop in the temperature of the enclosure, there may be parasites, or the tarantula may just not be comfortable with the depth of its hiding place. These things can be easily adjusted or changed, or you can try moving your pet to a new enclosure.

Availability:      Rose-haired Tarantulas are becoming more and more common as captive-hatched specimens.
     For years the only specimens available were imported (and imported by the thousands). Now that Chile no longer exports animals, most Rose-hairs are captive-produced animals. Fortunately, females can produce 300 to 500 spiderlings per egg sac so only a few captive breedings can supply dozens of hobbyists with this wonderful pet spider.

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Latest Comments
Penelope is the most effective pet Ive ever had. I have cured SO many people of arachnophobia with her because she is so nice and chill. She is cute and cuddly and loves people. She is very social, she even has her own Myspace! look her up and add her to learn more. Penelope Eatsflies is her name. :) Penelope 2010-01-30
I just bought my rose haired about a week ago and I love it. I'm still trying to learn everything I can about them. Everytime I go to the pet store I just wanna buy anything I can to try and make it happier, it's like a child to me. I never thought a pet could have this kind of effect on me but it did. Andrew 2010-01-09
My rose Haired Tarantula Dwight is very aggressive. He likes to be left alone. He could be my favorite pet ever. dillon 2010-01-05
I bought my rosy at 6 weeks old for a few dollars, very affordable. She is now a little under 6 months old has molted for the first time, her fangs and designs are coming in. She loves to be handled but she does not like to burrow. She likes the feel of the plastic and will stay at the top of the cage until feeding. Best first tarantula. dillon 2009-12-30
I've had my Chilean Rose Hair for a year and a half, and he's the best! Definitely a great first tarantula. I've seen a lot of these comments say otherwise, but in my experience I have handled him a LOT (he loves crawling on people's heads ^^) and no mood swings. If you're not convinced about the docility and easy handling, however, some good things to know before handling your tarantula are the body signals. Whenever anyone wants to take out my lovely, I make sure to 1) completely remove the lid - you have a better opening to pull away if you're jumpy. 2) be gentle and not immediately intrusive - if you only intrude a little in his space, you can still see his reactions: rearing up means go away, jumpy means you should leave him be for a while, and a calm stand-still means go ahead. 3) keep an eye on him while he's out - you can tell if he's getting anxious or irritated or wanting to be left alone. As far as feeding goes, it depends on age. The younger they are, the more often they need food. But keep to a regular schedule. For mine, I usually feed him a gut-loaded cricket once a day or every other day, unless there's been a break from lack of availability. (I catch a lot of his food rather than buy) REMEMBER: if you put ANY food in there, and it's not gone within 24 hours, take it out. ESPECIALLY if your spider is moulting. Even crickets can do serious damage during this time, due to the fragility of the cuticles, both new and old. Mine's at it's second molt since I've had him and both times he stops eating for 2-6 weeks before hand and approximately 2-3 weeks after. If yours is nearing a moult, you'll know by how he looks (you will see more cracks along the old cuticle the closer he gets), how he acts (slowly moving, not responding to extensive outer stimuli, refusing to eat anything even if it crawls under/over him), and what the habitat starts to look like (mine has a half-log that he'll burrow in, blocking the entrance with a TON of the moss and webbing - he basically creates a wall, held together tightly - and webbing will be not only over the moss in his burrow but over all of the moss in his entire home - he makes a sturdy, sticky floor). Don't freak out when he's on his back, legs up! If he's like that, do NOT touch him or give any food - he is in a fragile state and even the crickets' mandibles can kill him. If you moisten the habitat, be careful that you don't overdo it. Too much moisture can cause mold and bacteria to grow and will kill him if it grows extensively. Hope these tips help somebody out, and I know that if you take the time to get to know one of these amazing creatures, you will learn to love them. :) Angel912 2009-12-20
Some of the coolest comments:
I have had my baby (ok so she's 5) for quite a while. Yes when I first got her she was bratty but can you blame her? Now 5 years later she is a cuddler! Loves to be held. I disagree with those who say it would be a bad first pet tarantula. If you read up on the breed you will know how to handle them and when to give them their space. Just like all pets sometimes they don't want to be bothered. But if treated properly the rose hair is a wonderful tarantula to have. It takes patience to get the spider acclimated to you handling it. You can't expect to get it home and immediately start handling it. It took Kiwi a good year to fully be ok with being outside her home and being handled. I do however do not recommend any tarantula for children. Most lack the patience it takes to get the spider comfortable being held. Also .... I have NEVER been bitten... :-) Genny Floyed 2009-08-14
Wow. I have had my tarantula for almost eight years, and I love it. My Chilean Rose Hair was given to me by a friend when she couldn't keep her because of a moving situation, and I have come to love my eight legged pet. This particular breed of tarantula is quite docile, and a very friendly breed. I guess I am pretty fortunate in the fact that mine does not have mood swings, and loves to be taken out. I now have friends who come over and beg me to take her out, and they abosolutely love her. I was definitely fortunate in getting this arachnid, and will be getting another hopefully within the next week. Definitely worth it, and I would recommend this breed to anyone. They're amazing! Lexie 2009-03-06
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
I purchased a sub-adult male rosie from my local pet shop quite recently and he is absolutely fascinating! His name is Tom by the way. He is my first tarantula and is certainly not a handling pet (then again, I don't think TARANTULAS are even a pet that is meant to be handled)! I would not recommend this species as a particlularly good beginner tarantula because of their massive mood swings. Great site by the way! Kurt van Wyk 2009-02-24
I think my rose hair spider is amazing. When I went to the pet shop, I wasn't expecting to get a spider like I did. Now I think all people should have a rose hair. If you should come to this web-site, then you should get a rose hair tarantula. Anonymous 2007-12-16
All the comments about the Rose Hair is CORRECT. I have a 5 inch "Pushover" female. When I handled her she gets in the defensive posture but then draw her legs inward to signal "Please don't hurt me". I have seen one that looked like a brown version of the Colbalt Blue. It actually charged at me ready to bite. With any and all pets you must learn their behavior. Mine almost bit me because she was in the premolt stage and I did not realize that until a week later when she was on her back pulling herself out of her old skin. Lennie W. Collins 2007-07-14

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