Is the Chilean Rose Tarantula venomous? A detailed guide to keeping it

The Chilean Rose Tarantula is native to the deserts of Chile. Its body is covered in dark red hairs; it has low environmental demands, is highly adaptable, has a gentle temperament, and is easy to feed, making it especially suitable for beginners. It is also inexpensive and affordable, and even its name is appealing. It is the most popular pet spider on the insect-keeping market. So is the Chilean Rose Tarantula venomous? How do you keep it?

1. Is the Chilean Rose Tarantula venomous?

The tarantulas usually kept as pets are burrowing spiders. In general, all spiders are venomous, but the potency of the venom differs. The pet hairy spiders usually sold on the market have relatively weak venom and will not actively attack people unless deliberately provoked. Even if bitten, there is no danger to life. It is highly adaptable and does not need meticulous care.

The Chilean Rose Tarantula is an affordably priced pet spider. It is highly ornamental and only mildly venomous, and the market price is generally in the range of 30 yuan to 120 yuan.

2. How do you keep a Chilean Rose Tarantula?

The Chilean Rose Tarantula originates in South America, but this species is not interested in the humid tropical rainforest; instead it prefers to live in dry desert areas (there are also a few scattered populations in scrubland). The region of South America with the largest number of Chilean Rose Tarantulas is the Atacama Desert area of Chile, so the Chilean Rose Tarantula is very often simply called the Chilean rose. Wild Chilean Rose Tarantulas generally live in relatively dry climates and feed mainly on insects, crickets, pinky mice and similar food. Its appetite is small, so there is no need to search everywhere for its food. Its ability to endure hunger is famous in the spider world; it can even go half a year without eating. In winter, when insects cannot be found, you can buy live silkworm pupae or mealworms to feed it. When no food can be found, you can soak cotton or sponge with raw egg, which can also keep it alive.

The Chilean rose is a slow-growing, gentle-tempered and robust terrestrial spider. In daily life it likes to hide in dark tree holes (due to individual differences, many captive-bred ones are not like this) or under stones. It does not like to climb to high places. In many cases it will not dig its own burrow, so the keeper needs to provide a hiding hole. During the day it likes to hide in dark tree holes or under stones, and at night it moves around and is somewhat more active.

Each Chilean rose must be kept separately in a covered terrarium (usually 50×30×30cm in size). The substrate can be cactus soil with a fairly high sand content (available at flower and bird markets; if unavailable, other soil can be chosen, or river sand used directly, but river sand should be disinfected before use), or you can mix sand with sterile soil yourself, spread it two to four inches thick and pack it down. A tree hole or small flower pot should be placed in the terrarium as a hiding place, along with a water dish to provide a water source.

The humidity for keeping the Chilean rose should be low, with a suitable humidity of about 70% or below; the suitable temperature is around 25-27 degrees Celsius, and at night the temperature can be lowered by about 3-5 degrees. In winter, an electric blanket can be used for heating (apart from individual differences, since spiders dislike light, heating with a lamp is not recommended), while in summer no insulation equipment is needed at all.