Grammostola rosea Care sheet

Grammostola rosea Care sheet

General Care

Feeding

A live invertebrate prey item of approximately half of the spiders body length is required. You can choose to feed crickets, locusts, mealworms, or even cockroaches. Wingless fruit flies are also a good option for feeding spiderlings. Approximately 4 or 5 appropriately sized food items should be offered per week, they can be offered all in one go but if they have not been consumed within 24 hours they should be removed and you should try feeding again in a weeks time.

Handling

Handling of any tarantula is not without risks, they all have the potential to bite and are all venomous. The strength of the venom is not enough to kill you but is certainly not pleasant. Your Chilean Rose does not need or want to interact with you and will gladly spend all of its time just going about its business undisturbed. That being said, you can, if you wish, handle your spider. Chilean Rose Tarantulas are usually very tolerant of handling but you ignore the warning signs at your own peril.

For starters, if you handle your Chilean Rose and are scared or nervous it is very likely to end up with injury to either you or your spider... or both of you!

To handle your spider and to minimise the risks the best way is to have a paint brush or another soft item available to gently push your Chilean Rose. Now, place your hand palm up so that your spider’s head is facing you, if it shows any threatening signs, such as rearing up with its front legs... STOP, the spider clearly does not want to to be handled. Next, using the paint brush you need to gently prod the abdomen or rear feet of your spider, you will either see the spider walk forwards, rear up or spray urticating hairs. If your Chilean Rose has now walked onto your hand you should lift your hand slowly out of the enclosure and allow the spider to walk from hand to hand. Keep your movements slow and try not to breathe on the spider, this should help to keep your Chilean Rose calm and not spook it. Until you grow in confidence it would be advisable to keep your hands close to a table or bed so that if you drop it you will lessen any possible damage caused.

This website will not take any responsibility for injury caused to either you or your Chilean Rose, you handle it at your own risk.

Molting

To grow, your spider grows a new skin below its current exoskeleton, when the spider has grown sufficiently it will need to break out of its old exoskeleton. This is called molting. At this time your spider will show less interest in its food and will appear to be being very lazy. You will also probably see your spider laying on its back, it is VERY important that you do not touch your Chilean Rose when it is laying like this, you also need to remove all uneaten prey items from the enclosure as gently and quietly as you possibly can. The spider will eventually split open its old exoskeleton and wriggle its way out, the spider’s nice new exoskeleton will still be very soft and you will more than likely see it just sitting still as it hardens. Only remove the shed exoskeleton when your Chilean Rose is again actively walking around its enclosure or has returned to its hide. You should also not offer any food items to your Chilean Rose for a week as your spider’s skin and fangs will still be rather soft so it will not be able to eat.