Grammostola

Grammostola
Male Grammostola porteri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Mygalomorphae
Family:	Theraphosidae
Genus:	Grammostola Simon, 1892
Species
See text.
Diversity
20 species

Grammostola is a genus of the tarantula family, Theraphosidae, being native to tropical South America.

These spiders are medium to large in size and usually brown in color, with pinkish or orangish-red hairs. The very docile Chilean rose tarantulas (Grammostola rosea and Grammostola porteri) are popular as a beginner's spider among tarantula enthusiasts.^[1]

Species

As of January 2016, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species:^[2]

• Grammostola actaeon (Pocock, 1903) — Brazil, Uruguay (Brazilian red-rump)
• Grammostola alticeps (Pocock, 1903) — Uruguay (Brazilian greysmoke)
• Grammostola andreleetzi Vol, 2008 — Uruguay
• Grammostola anthracina (C.L. Koch, 1842), syn. G. mollicoma (Ausserer, 1875) ― Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina
• Grammostola borelli (Simon, 1897)
• Grammostola burzaquensis Ibarra, 1946 — Argentina (Argentinian rose)
• Grammostola chalcothrix Chamberlin, 1917 — Argentina (Argentina bronze)
• Grammostola diminuta Ferretti et al., 2013
• Grammostola doeringi (Holmberg, 1881) — Argentina
• Grammostola gossei (Pocock, 1899) — Argentina
• Grammostola grossa (Ausserer, 1871) — Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina (Pampas tawny-red)
• Grammostola iheringi (Keyserling, 1891) — Brazil (Entre Rios)
• Grammostola inermis Mello-Leitão, 1941 — Argentina
• Grammostola mendozae (Strand, 1907) — Argentina
• Grammostola monticola (Strand, 1907) — Bolivia
• Grammostola porteri (Mello-Leitão, 1936) — Chile
• Grammostola pulchra Mello-Leitão, 1921 — Brazil (Brazilian black)
• Grammostola pulchripes (Simon, 1891) — Paraguay, Argentina (Chaco golden knee)
• Grammostola rosea (Walckenaer, 1837) — Bolivia, Chile, Argentina (Chilean rose)
• Grammostola vachoni Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1961 — Argentina

Gallery

• 
  Grammostola rosea
• 
  Grammostola pulchra
• 
  Grammostola pulchripes (aureostriata)

Grammostola as a pet

The Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea) is a common pet, its behavior being generally docile and its venom very mild. It needs to be kept dry and dislikes being wet (its natural habitat being one of the driest deserts on earth). If the substrate is too wet, it will stand "on tiptoes" in discomfort, or climb the sides of its enclosure, risking fall and injury. It feeds on other invertebrates. Its attributes and care are similar to those of its relative the Chaco golden knee tarantula (Grammostola pulchripes).

External links

• Rehak, Ondrej, "Gallery of tarantulas", Tarantula breeding, retrieved 2016-01-24  – includes Grammostola species

References