Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula

Grammostola rosea (gala)

Scientific Name

Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula:  
Grammostola rosea (gala)

Distribution and Habitat

Geographic Range

The Chilean rose hair tarantula is found exclusively in Chile, South America.

Natural Habitat

Chilean Rose-Haired Tarantulas live in dry, grassland regions at the edge
of the desert. Generally, tarantulas live in burrows or in trees.

Physical Characteristics

  • The Chilean rose hair tarantula is about 1.5 inches in length with a leg span up to 5.75 inches. The female of the species is the larger of the two sexes. It is estimated that the male can live up to 6 years and the female of the species can live up to 20 years. Hair covers the entire body and is their most important source of sensory perception. Some hairs contain temperature or smell receptors, others can detect airborne vibrations.

Quick Facts

  1. Contrary to popular belief, females rarely kill the male after mating.

  2. No human is ever known to have died from a tarantula bite! A tarantula bite is no worse than a bee sting in terms of toxicity.

  3. If a tarantula does feel threatened, it uses its hind legs to scrape barbed hairs from its abdomen and flings them in the direction of the threat.

Exhibit

Gorilla House

Conservation Status

Least Concern: The Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula is common or abundant and is likely to survive in the wild.

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Diet

Carnivore

The diet of a tarantula is typically crickets, grass-hoppers, locusts, moths, mealworms, and cockroaches with the occasional small animal. In a Zoo environment, they are fed one cricket per week.