Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens

🔤 Taxonomy

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens is the currently accepted scientific name. In the hobby, the species is usually sold under the same scientific name rather than under a recently changed older combination.

English common names used in the hobby:

• Green bottle blue tarantula
• GBB tarantula

German common names used in the hobby:

• Gruene Blaue Schmuckvogelspinne
• Green-Bottle-Blue-Vogelspinne

📌 Description

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens is a vividly colored New World tarantula known for its metallic blue legs, green carapace, and orange abdomen. It is one of the most visually striking species in the hobby and is also famous for heavy web production.

Adult size is usually about 5-6 cm body length and about 12-15 cm legspan, with females typically heavier than mature males.

It is best described as a dry-climate, heavy-webbing display tarantula with semi-arboreal habits. Juveniles and adults often create dense sheets and tunnels of silk that connect floor space, hides, and elevated anchor points.

This species is usually alert and fast. Although it is often recommended once a keeper understands basic tarantula care, it is not a handling species and should be managed calmly and with respect for its speed.

☠️ Venom and safety

A bite from Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens can cause puncture wounds, pain and swelling. Human bite reports are too uneven to predict an individual reaction or assign a precise venom potency to every species. Do not interpret a quiet animal or a “mild venom” label as permission to handle it.

Urticating hairs are a separate hazard: they can irritate skin and injure eyes. Avoid rubbing exposed skin or eyes; suspected eye exposure needs prompt medical assessment. Keep your face away from the enclosure and wear eye protection and gloves when removing molts or used substrate.

Use long tools and a catch cup, with a second containment tub for transfers in a closed room. Keep hands out of retreats and webbing, do not hand-feed, and do not chase an escaping spider. Keep transfers low to limit fall injuries to the animal.

After a bite, wash the wound with soap and water and contact a poison centre or medical service with the scientific name and time of exposure. Seek urgent care for severe or spreading pain, muscle cramps or persistent symptoms; call emergency services for breathing difficulty, throat swelling or collapse. Do not cut the wound or try to extract venom. Treatment focuses on wound assessment and symptom control under medical supervision.

🌍 Distribution

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens is native to the Paraguana Peninsula of Venezuela. In the wild it is associated with very dry thorn scrub, cactus-rich vegetation, webbed retreats and strong airflow.

For enclosure design, the important takeaways are:

• a low terrestrial enclosure with more floor space than height
• enough substrate for digging or reshaping a retreat
• dry to moderately dry surface conditions with a water dish available
• strong ventilation and stable warm room temperatures
• fall prevention, because heavy terrestrial tarantulas are easily injured

🌡 Climate across the native range

Monthly climate normals from reviewed GBIF occurrence locations:

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com · CC BY 4.0 · Monthly normals calculated by Herpeton Academy from daily archive values.

Location references use GBIF.org occurrence data where available; original occurrence records retain their source dataset licenses.

⚖️ Legal status

No current CITES listing or specific EU wildlife trade annex listing was found for Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens in the official sources checked for this article. The species is not relevant to the Bern Convention because it is not native to Europe.

Local rules on import, sale, transport, breeding, and proof of legal origin may still apply. Captive-bred animals from reputable sources remain the safest choice.

🤌 Husbandry

• Adult enclosure: 45 × 30 × 30 cm (length × width × height).

Height includes substrate. Keep the open drop above it short, with no hard landing surfaces; enlarge the footprint for an unusually large adult.

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens should be housed alone in a secure enclosure.

Young spiders should be raised in secure, simple containers first, with larger housing introduced only when they can use the extra space safely.

Keep the setup simple and dependable:

• Very good ventilation
• Dry substrate
• Cork bark, branches, and web anchors
• A water dish
• Enough structure for both ground use and elevated silk construction

An adult is often kept in an enclosure around 45 × 30 × 30 cm or larger. The setup should not be dangerously tall, but it should provide more structure than many heavy-bodied terrestrial tarantulas need.

💡 Lighting

Keep lighting simple: ordinary room light and a consistent day-night cycle are enough.

Strong lamps are unnecessary and can overheat or dry the enclosure too aggressively.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Practical temperature targets are:

• Daytime air: 20-26 °C
• Night: 18-21 °C

Prolonged cold can reduce feeding and activity. Prolonged overheating can quickly create dangerous dehydration and stress.

If extra heat is required, warming the room is safer than adding intense direct heat to a small enclosure.

💧 Humidity and water

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens usually does best in mostly dry conditions with constant access to fresh water. The substrate should not be kept wet for long periods.

Practical points:

• Keep most of the enclosure dry
• Provide a clean water dish at all times
• Avoid heavy routine spraying
• Maintain strong airflow

For many keepers, moderate ambient humidity is enough if ventilation is good and water is always available.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

This species uses both floor space and elevated structure, especially for webbing. A useful setup often includes dry substrate, a hide, and several anchor points such as cork bark, branches, or artificial plants.

Useful enclosure elements include:

• Cork bark hide
• Branches or twigs for silk attachment
• Dry substrate
• Open front area for feeding observation
• Secure lid and good ventilation

The enclosure often becomes heavily webbed over time. That webbing is normal and should not be removed excessively.

🪳 Feeding

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens is insectivorous. Suitable staple prey includes:

• Crickets
• Roaches
• Locusts where available
• Mealworms or superworms only occasionally

Young spiders can be fed more often, while adults usually need a 7-14 day rhythm adjusted to abdomen size, recent molts, and prey size.

Prey should not be left in the enclosure when the spider is in premolt or actively molting.

🩺 Common problems

The most common problems are linked to excess moisture, poor ventilation, dehydration from neglected water access, bad molts, and injuries during rehousing.

Warning signs include:

• Persistent refusal to eat with visible decline
• Lethargy in a damp stale setup
• Repeated wall climbing in unsuitable conditions
• Wrinkled abdomen
• Failed molt or limbs stuck in old exoskeleton

A tarantula on its back is often molting and should not be disturbed. If there is severe dehydration, visible injury, leaking hemolymph, or a failed molt, seek experienced exotic-veterinary help where available.

📌 Conclusion

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens is one of the classic brightly colored display tarantulas in the hobby. It thrives best with warmth, strong ventilation, mostly dry conditions, fresh water, and a structure-rich enclosure that allows heavy webbing.

📚 Sources and further reading

Taxonomy and legal references identify names and listing frameworks; they do not establish care limits. General husbandry references support the precautions described. Unless tied to a specific study in the text, the numerical enclosure, climate and feeding recommendations are editorial planning guidance, not experimentally established species-specific limits.

• Species+: CITES and EU listing records
• CITES Appendices: listing reference
• European Commission: wildlife-trade framework and annex resources
• GBIF: Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens — taxonomy and recorded distribution; not a husbandry study
• MedlinePlus: tarantula bites and hair exposure
• Kaderka et al. (2019): urticating setae in tarantulas
• Waggoner et al. (1997): eye injury from tarantula hairs
• University of Illinois veterinary guidance: feeding precautions, water and undisturbed molting; general tarantula guidance
• The Tarantula Collective: chromatopelma cyaneopubescens — specialist husbandry observations, not experimentally established limits
• Enclosure planning reference: The Tarantula Collective — Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens — layout guidance; the exact dimensions selected here are an editorial planning example.