Chilean rose tarantulas (Grammostola rosea) are the most common tarantulas available in the pet trade, largely due to the large number of wild-caught specimens exported from Chile. There are two color morphs in this species. Rose (a pink-gray) and red are common designations for these colors. ‘
Found in the desert and scrub regions of Northern Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina, they feed on a wide range of small arthropods.
Females may live 15–20 years. Males die shortly after their final adult molt.
Like the majority of tarantulas in the Americas (New World tarantulas), they may defend themselves with small, spiny utricating hairs that they kick off of their abdomen in the direction of the threatening organism.
Thanks to Jamie Lessee for sending this captive-bred spiderling my way. Now we’ll see how well I can do in rearing this individual to maturity…
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