Chilean tarantula

"The venom of tarantulas is not dangerous to humans A bite is painful but not deadly."

Discover in real life
Chilean tarantulaGrammastola rosea

  • Habitat

    arid areas in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina

  • Food

    insects, small reptiles and small mammals

  • Lifetime

    5 to 20 years

  • Weight

    50 to 85 grams

  • Number of eggs

    300 eggs

  • Breeding time

    30 - 37 days

  • IUCN Status

    unexamined

  • EEP?

    no

15

centimeters, that's about how big a Chilean tarantula gets.

5

millimeters of rain fall on average in this spider's habitat.

6

weeks it takes for the female to lay her eggs after mating.

Dangerous hair

Bird spiders use their hair to defend themselves. When there is danger, they turn around. They then sweep the hairs off their abdomen with their hind legs and kick them toward the enemy. The hairs cause itching and burning, especially if they get into the eyes. This often allows tarantulas to escape.

Dry

Chilean tarantulas live in southern South America. There they live in one of the driest areas in the world: the Atacama Desert. Because it is very hot there during the day, these spiders hunt at night. During the day, they hide in a cooler spot in the shade.

Want to know more about IUCN status or the EEP? Click here.