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Rose-haired TarantulaChilean Rose-haired TarantulaFamily: Theraphosidae
Latest Reader Comment - See More 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... (more) Penelope 2010-01-30 The Rose-haired Tarantula or Chilean Rose-haired Tarantula has been an important spider in our hobby for more than thirty years!Rose-haired Tarantula Contents 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:
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| Latest Comments |
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| 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. :)
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.
2010-01-09 |
| My rose Haired Tarantula Dwight is very aggressive. He likes to be left alone. He could be my favorite pet ever.
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.
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. :)
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... :-) 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! 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! 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. 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. 2007-07-14 |
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