Grammostola rosea

🔤 Taxonomy

Grammostola rosea is the currently accepted scientific name. In hobby use, the species has long been mixed up with Grammostola porteri, and older listings often do not clearly separate the two.

Older names and combinations associated with the species include:

• Eurypelma rosea

English common names used in the hobby:

• Chilean rose tarantula
• Chile rose tarantula
• Chilean rose hair tarantula

German common names used in the hobby:

• Chile-Rosenvogelspinne
• Chilenische Rosenhaarvogelspinne

📌 Description

Grammostola rosea is one of the classic New World beginner tarantulas. It is a terrestrial species known for its generally calm disposition, sturdy build, and tolerance for simple, dry husbandry.

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

Color can vary from grayish brown to more pinkish or rose-toned forms, especially depending on light, molt condition, and locality. Like many Grammostola species, it is often more interesting for steady display and long lifespan than for fast growth or constant activity.

This species can be very food-driven at times and then suddenly refuse food for long periods without necessarily being ill. That pattern is one of the things that often worries new keepers unnecessarily.

☠️ Venom and safety

A bite from Grammostola rosea 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

Grammostola rosea is native to Chile and nearby parts of western South America. In the wild it is associated with dry scrub, semi-arid slopes and burrowed ground retreats with strong seasonal variation.

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

Checked 2026-09-25: Grammostola rosea — CITES: Appendix II; EU wildlife trade: Annex B.

The CITES Appendix II listing took effect on 2026-03-05; EU Annex B applies under Regulation (EU) 2026/1383. International trade requires the applicable export or re-export documents, and imports into the EU normally require an import permit as well. Keep evidence of lawful acquisition, including for animals acquired before listing.

The Bern Convention is not relevant to this species’ native range.

Trade status does not establish permission to keep an animal. Check national and local rules on possession, import, transport, sale and breeding. Keep breeder details, invoices and lawful-origin documents.

🤌 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.

Grammostola rosea should be kept alone in a secure terrestrial enclosure.

Start slings in small, escape-proof containers where prey, molts, and hydration can be checked easily, then move them up in stages as they grow.

Keep the setup simple and dependable:

• More floor space than height
• Dry substrate
• A hide
• A shallow water dish
• Good ventilation

An adult is often kept in an enclosure around 45 × 30 × 30 cm or larger. Excessive enclosure height should be avoided because a fall can injure a heavy-bodied terrestrial spider.

💡 Lighting

Tarantulas do not need specialist lighting; a regular room day-night rhythm is enough.

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

🌡 Heating and temperature

This species usually does well at moderate room temperatures:

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

It is generally more tolerant of mild cool conditions than of overheating. Prolonged temperatures around or above 30°C increase stress and dehydration risk.

💧 Humidity and water

Grammostola rosea is best kept mostly dry with constant access to fresh water. The substrate should not be kept wet.

Practical points:

• Keep the substrate dry to lightly dry
• Provide a clean water dish at all times
• Avoid frequent heavy spraying
• Maintain ventilation

Moderate ambient room humidity is usually enough if fresh water is always available.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Suitable substrate can include coco fiber, unfertilized topsoil, or tarantula-safe dry soil mixes. The enclosure should allow for a shallow scrape or retreat but does not need deep damp substrate.

Useful enclosure elements include:

• Cork bark or another stable hide
• Dry substrate
• Open floor space
• A shallow water bowl
• Minimal, secure decor

Mesh lids should be avoided where possible because claws can catch.

🪳 Feeding

Grammostola rosea is insectivorous. Suitable staple prey includes:

• Crickets
• Roaches
• Locusts where available
• Mealworms only in moderation

Spiderlings usually eat every few days, juveniles once or twice a week, and adults roughly every 7-14 days depending on prey size and body condition.

Long fasting periods can occur, especially in adults. A healthy-looking spider that refuses food for a time is not automatically a medical emergency.

🩺 Common problems

The most common problems are linked to excess moisture, overheating, dehydration through neglected water access, falls, and keeper panic during normal fasting periods.

Warning signs include:

• Wrinkled abdomen
• Weak posture or poor movement
• Persistent climbing in poor conditions
• Visible decline during a prolonged fast
• Failed molt

If there is severe dehydration, injury, leaking hemolymph, or a bad molt, seek experienced exotic-veterinary help where possible.

📌 Conclusion

Grammostola rosea is a classic hardy display tarantula that usually does best with simple dry care rather than elaborate equipment. A low enclosure, moderate temperatures, fresh water, and patience around feeding rhythms are the keys to long-term success.

📚 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: Grammostola rosea — 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
• CITES Checklist
• EU 2026/1383 — A–D
• EU 338/97 — Art. 4, 8
• Enclosure planning reference: The Tarantula Collective — Grammostola rosea — layout guidance; the exact dimensions selected here are an editorial planning example.