The Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea), also known as the rose hair tarantula, the Chilean fire tarantula, or the Chilean red-haired tarantula (depending on the color morph), is probably the most common species of tarantula available in American and European pet stores today, due to the large number of wild-caught specimens exported cheaply from their native Chile into the pet trade. The species is also known from Bolivia and Argentina.

G. rosea is a common pet of tarantula hobbyists. Females have been known to live as long as 20 years, but due to the limited time they have been available on the market (and hence for extensive study), they may live considerably longer than 20 years. In the past, considerable confusion existed between this species and Grammostola porteri, but in 2022 the World Spider Catalog revised the latter as a junior synonym of Grammostola rosea. Spiders live at lower altitudes, ranging between above sea level. Natural habitats of the Chilean rose tarantula have often been disturbed by human activity, industrialization and urbanization, making exact distribution of the species harder to pinpoint. Though habitat-loss is a threat to the species, they are not endangered and have no wildlife conservation status. The burrows are typically straight-down, with only one or two chambers. Males tend to have burrows underneath more vegetation and plant cover, or under stones; female burrows are less secured but are deeper, reaching 40 cm down. Throughout their molting, males develop a hook on their front set of legs, called tibial hooks, that act as a way to hold-up and restrain their female partner during mating. However, its main defense mechanism against predators are the urticating hairs located on its abdomen.

In February 2009, a British man was treated for tarantula hairs lodged in his cornea. The urticating hairs were thrown from the man's pet G. rosea while he was cleaning its tank. Medical authorities urge owners to wear protective eyewear when handling G. rosea.

In March 5, 2026, G. rosea was added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which "includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival."

References

Further reading

  • Grammostola rosea at care-sheet.com (WikiPets)
  • Grammostola rosea photography Tarantula breeding, site of Czech Ondrej Rehak