Chilean Flame Tarantula

1 Overview

As the name suggests, the Chilean Flame Tarantula (Grammostola rosea) originates from Chile. Because it is a color variant of the Chilean red rose tarantula, the two are very similar and hard to tell apart. The Flame is a terrestrial spider that also builds ground webs.

Chinese Name: Chilean Flame Tarantula (智利火玫瑰)

English Name: Chilean Flame Tarantula (Chilean Rose Tarantula, red form)

Binomial: Grammostola rosea

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Arachnida

Order: Araneae

Subfamily: Theraphosinae

Genus: Grammostola

Species: Grammostola rosea

Distribution: Chile. In the wild it inhabits grassland or rainforest regions.

2 Physical Characteristics

As a juvenile the Chilean Flame looks very much like the red rose tarantula and is hard for non-experts to distinguish. A simpler method is to look at the carapace color. The main difference is that the Flame looks redder. Adults reach about 14–15 cm in body length, with a red rather than pink carapace.

3 Habitat and Environment

It is a terrestrial spider that is good at building ground webs. Its attractive appearance draws many buyers. In the wild it likes grassland or rainforest; for captivity, set up the environment by reference to its wild habits.

Substrate can be a mix of coconut brick and peat. A water dish and a hiding spot are essential. For juveniles, omit the water dish or place cotton in it to prevent the tiny spider from falling in and drowning. They do well at 25–27°C with humidity at 60–70%.

4 Husbandry and Feeding

With more people keeping pets of all kinds, this attractive tarantula is a very popular reptile-market animal. What should you know about keeping it?

Daily feed can be mainly crickets, roaches, mealworms, and superworms. When feeding crickets to juveniles, or for the first feed after a molt, remove the cricket’s jaws or crush its head with tweezers to reduce its mobility and keep the spider safe. Very small juveniles can be fed mealworm segments. The Flame grows slowly, so raising one from sling to adult takes about three years — but that brings more sense of achievement and the pleasure of watching it molt and grow.