Rose Hair Tarantula
Docile species. Generally safe to handle.
NAME: Rose Hair Tarantula (Grammostola Rosea.)
ORIGIN: New World (Chilie)
TYPE: Ground-dwelling
TEMPERAMENT: Most members of this species are docile and easily handleable. However, some keepers have reported aggressive Rose Hairs, so the temperament depends on the individual as well. Rose Hairs also rarely, if ever, kick their irritating hairs.
HOUSING/FEEDING: Rose Hairs should be housed in containers that are wider than they are tall, with more floor space than height. Kritter Keepers work well. The tarantula should not be able to climb too high, because it can fall and injure itself. Provide a hide such as a half-log or half of a flowerpot, as well as a water dish. Coconut fiber or vermiculite can be used as a substrate. My Rose Hairs seem to be more comfortable on drier substrate. Feeding is also pretty straightforward, although this species has been known to lose interest in eating for months at a time. The reason behind this is unknown, but these spiders do okay despite their annoying fasts. My specimens sometimes refuse food even if they are nowhere near a molt.
AVAILABILITY: Rose Hairs are probably the easiest species to find, and will probably be your first tarantula. Most cost no more than twenty dollars. They are a great beginner species and very easy to care for.
OTHER: I have two of this species, a male and a female. The female, Fuzzy, is the very first tarantula I got. I found her at the local Petco and took her home for less than twenty dollars. Most specimens have grayish-brown hairs on the legs and abdomen, and a beautiful metallic pink sheen on their carapace (head.) However, there is a rarer, red color form of this species, in which the legs and abdomen are coppery in color. Ozzy, the tarantula I bought for my mother one Christmas, belongs to this color phase.
The rarer, red color phase of the Rose Hair. This is Ozzy.
Ozzy crawling up my arm. He stood still for five minutes while I messed with my malfunctioning camera!
The Spider Room 
September 16, 2009 at 3:38 pm
unfortunitly my girl is what i believe is going through her gray phase 😦 she is still docile but can get agitated fast, she has only shown an aggressive posture a few times, but still no flicking 🙂 Great Blog! keep up the good work!!
September 16, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Thanks for checking out the blog.
My female Rose Hair is handleable and docile, but won’t stop moving around when she’s in my hands, so I’m constantly changing hands when I do pick her up. I’ve never seen a Rose Hair kick their bristles, though many of my other tarantulas do. I think Rose Hairs just vary in their personalties and aggressive ones do exist.
Good luck with yours!
December 7, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Hello I just bought my rose hair this weekend, and I’m waiting for it to arrive in a few more days. I did weeks of reading and i’m prepared and excited. Although I must say, The care sheets that I find online are ALL different. and I’m a little confused.
There are a few thigns i’m not clear on.
How often to spiders molt? and if i’m getting a young spider like 8 months to a year old … has it molted yet? that’s what i’m not clear on .
and also…
the hair flicking thing…. Now i’m scared to pick it up unless I have a body bag on!! hahaha
December 8, 2009 at 12:23 am
Unless your Rose Hair has just hatched, it’s probably molted at least a dozen times by now, even if it isn’t fully grown. Baby tarantulas molt a lot as they grow, and the molting slows down the bigger they get. Adult female tarantulas usually molt around once per year, and adult males rarely attempt to molt, as they usually don’t live more than a year after they mature. As far as I know it’s like this with all tarantula species, though some grow faster than others.
My Rose Hair, Fuzzy, molts about once a year for me and she’s due to molt again any time now. It won’t be possible to tell when yours has molted last when it comes in.
Also, I’ve seen my Rose Hair try to kick hair at me only once in the 3 years that I’ve had her. They’re not too fond of doing it. Yours probably will rarely ever kick hair at you, but you may want to make sure of its temperament before you handle it. And tarantula hair usually isn’t serious unless you breathe it in or get it in your eyes. Whenever I get it on me I just wash with soap and water to take care of the itch. Mexican Red Knees, on the other hand, love kicking hair.
Thanks for checking out the blog. And don’t hesitate if you have any more questions. Let me know when your tarantula comes in!
May 1, 2010 at 3:48 am
ummm is the rose hair suposed to be fast cause myn wont stay still enles i cup him with my hand and myn bittin me 7 times in the past month do u think hes posesed
May 1, 2010 at 4:02 pm
I have heard of aggressive Rose Hairs, though mine isn’t one. But mine won’t stay still either!
February 25, 2010 at 7:27 am
i just got my first rosehair i dont know the sex but im very stoked they aer very beatifule ive read several comments on these spiders an still dont know what to expect i hope all is WELL
November 10, 2010 at 5:31 am
I have a male Rose that is about 8 years old !
I’m Not kidding !
I keep thinking that the next day I go to look at my spiders that I’ll find him Dead ! But on he goes . Rose are what they call nomades the male never stays still ! Well In the wild any way .
The rose’s like to move around when out of their house ! Mine all are that way ! My Male AKA Sticky Seems more happy to be moving all the time than any thing ! The only time one of them flicked hair she had a egg sack ! And Also Mr. sticky the older he gets the more rotton he gets !
And you use to be able to do about any thing with him Now I dont handel him At all ! Also most males Have the Breading hooks on the front leggs ! Its too hard to tell by looking at the bottom, But can be done !
The pet shops some times have good book on Tarantula’s And its a good start for newbies ! And Also look around on the net there is a lot of info out there on them ! And also yes every one has its own temperment !
Have fun Spider people and Enjoy your Tarantula ‘s !
December 17, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I got my rose hair last march and she has been a fantastic girl with me,she has reared up with me a couple times but she still is a great girl.She also moves around alot while i handle her til she finds the “sweet spot” on my forearm then wont move for a long period of time and i find that she likes to leave some of her webbing on me and it is very annoying when she doesnt eat,so far she has gone a couple months without eatting and i got kind of worried but i was told that this is very normal for them but all in all i love my rose hair.
September 21, 2011 at 6:41 pm
[…] How Dangerous Are They Really?Pictures of tarantula bitesPictures of tarantulaRose Hair Tarantula #header h1{font-family:text colour='#ff0000';} #header_img_link{width:960px;height:198px;} […]
July 23, 2012 at 7:53 pm
i just got my rose hair tarantula a little over a month ago she has a 1.5 inch lag span do u think she has molted yet?
July 26, 2012 at 12:05 am
Tarantulas start molting right after they hatch, so yes, she would have molted at least several times already. Rose Hairs are slow growers, so she’s probably had a quite a few. My baby red color phase Rose Hair is only the size of a quarter and has already molted about five or six times.
My grown Rose Hair, Fuzzy, just molted yesterday morning. She’s very pretty and vibrant now!
October 29, 2012 at 12:20 am
A friend just gave me his Mexican Rose Hair he is 10 yrs old Ive been told any hints or care that will make me a better owner I have read your post thank you for your advice
November 8, 2012 at 12:20 am
Glad I could help!
November 7, 2012 at 4:45 am
I bought a rosie recently and i dont know what do expect of it. The man at the petstore held it without trouble and im hoping its a sign of a mellow rose hair.Are there any proper tips i should know about while handling my new pet?
November 8, 2012 at 12:22 am
Just make sure you keep the tarantula very close to the floor in case it falls, as they’re very fragile. You might want to try scooping it up by sliding both your hands under it. That always works for me.
Good luck with your new pet!
November 14, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Hi my rose hair is about a year old is it ok to handle thanks
November 15, 2012 at 4:00 am
Probably. I’d try petting it with a paintbrush to make sure it’s not one of those psycho rose hairs first. Occasionally you’ll get one that’s aggressive.
November 30, 2012 at 8:22 am
Just got a rose hair it was calm at pet store but went into defensive pose when brought home and now im scared of it. Is this one of the few aggresive ones or do they act that way generally
December 4, 2012 at 2:53 am
Do you mean it reared back on its hind legs and bared its fangs? If it did do that, I’d avoid handling it. Most rose hairs are OK to handle but there are a few out there that aren’t. They all seem to have different personalities.
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June 4, 2013 at 3:24 am
I have had my rose hair for about 3 weeks now and the entire time ive had her she has not made any webs, whats wrong with her, what should i do
June 5, 2013 at 3:55 pm
There’s nothing wrong with her at all! The most they’ll do is lay down some silk on their substrate.
June 6, 2013 at 5:42 pm
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June 6, 2013 at 5:43 pm
I got my rose on may 5th. She molted on May 17th. I was constantly talking to her bef
June 6, 2013 at 5:50 pm
I got my rose on may 5th. She molted on May 17th. I was constantly talking to her until I was able to hold get again. She was a very fun to hold and never kicked hair or tried to bite. She was the sweetest spider I’ve ever seen but I fed her the fourth of June. Normally I take the whole top off the cage to play with her but today I just opened the top and when I tried to touch her she attempted to bite me. Shes an older spider and normally is very nice, she just sat where ever I put her before the molt but now she’s always moving. My brothers younger spider has also become very aggressive and I wasn’t willing to stick my hand back in her cage so my brother used the end of a tooth brush and barely touched her. She again attempted to bite. I’m worried I won’t be able to touch her again and it’s bumming me out. I’m open to just about anything to ensure I can hold her again. What should I do?
June 8, 2013 at 10:36 pm
Sometimes a tarantula can change personality after a molt, so I would wait until she molts again. Rose hairs are known to have personality swings like that.
December 30, 2013 at 8:37 pm
Hey my rose hair just molted I got photos and a lot of good stuff
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1005836_565019050257699_2001210189_n.jpg the spider
please inbox me back with your thoughts
March 10, 2014 at 4:50 pm
My adult rosea is temremntal. . Some days she’s lovely and I can hold her for ages some days though she’s bitten the paintbrush and given me a minor heart attack how fast she is lol.. never can scoop her up I have to stroke her until she just climbs out onto my hand in free will 🙂 I love her ♡
April 2, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Is it possible for your rose to accidentally shoot hairs? sometimes I find after I’ve held mine, she hasnt shown any signs of being distressed and is webbing and happy, yet once I’ve put her back my arms feel itchy, is that normal?
April 3, 2014 at 12:07 am
Perfectly! You’re still having contact with the hairs when you hold your tarantula, and they get embedded in your skin easily. That’s why I always wash my hands and avoid touching my face after I handle a tarantula.
June 6, 2014 at 5:06 pm
I havent touched my rose hair in years,would she become aggresive now?
June 7, 2014 at 2:23 pm
I can’t be sure. Try touching her with a paintbrush to see if she attacks it. If she does, she’s probably aggressive.
July 25, 2014 at 8:37 am
My female, Shelly, used to have a really dull color on her head when I first got her, but now it is a very shiny pink. I noticed her previous owners had her in a very small enclosure with no hide and her dish was bone-dry, but I keep her water dish full and her enclosure is much bigger now with a half-log. Could her old lackluster color have been caused by stress and dehydration?
August 9, 2014 at 2:46 pm
My Rose (Named Rosey) is aggresive and very quick, I did hold her a few times now she is to aggressive to even trust her… but I will wear a glove to try and let her know I am not going to eat her. or do you think this will be a mistake?
August 12, 2014 at 1:02 am
Might be a good idea to avoid handling her. I don’t even handle Fuzzy (my rose hair) all that much due to how much she likes to move and because my cats have to be there with me in the spider room all the time!
September 10, 2014 at 3:58 pm
I have a rose hair but I’m not sure I should hold it. He is aggressive and can be VERY quick. Should I handle him?
September 17, 2014 at 12:17 am
I got a rose hair tarantula a few days ago and hasn’t eaten since. It’s been aggressive lately and webbed the entrance of her log. She hasn’t moved all day. Is it in pre-molt?
September 19, 2014 at 10:54 pm
How frequently should one change the substrate in a rose hair’s kritter keeper? She lays over her water cap frequently does this mean she need a more moist environment? I have only had her a week and she is my first T.
September 20, 2014 at 2:18 am
I do it maybe once every six months to once a year, or when it’s starting to look dirty.
September 20, 2014 at 4:34 am
Thank you I appreciate your help.
September 27, 2014 at 10:52 pm
Do this tarantulas eat birds
October 8, 2014 at 11:34 am
No. Mine eats bugs. I wouldn’t want to feed her birds. Birds would be way too big, anyway.
October 3, 2014 at 1:58 pm
i have rose harrie tarantula
November 26, 2014 at 6:48 am
What’s the best heat source for my rose hair? I bought a 4 watt heat pad and stuck it to the back of my 5.5 gallon tank but it hasn’t risen the temp of the aquarium any which if my heat isn’t on the temp can drop below 70 degrees and I know they need to be up around 80 degrees but they don’t like heat lamps?
July 18, 2015 at 10:56 pm
We’ve had Rosezilla for 2.5 years. We used to handle her frequently when we first got her but it’s been less & less, for no reason other than getting out of the habit. But we’ve seen her get irritated / scared a few times and rear up, which has made family members now nervous to hold her. So, 2 questions: 1) If you don’t continue handling them, do they get to where they don’t like to be handled? 2) Her fangs are huge… if she did decide to bite, how bad would it really hurt (outside of scaring the crap out of us)… Is it comparable to a bee sting or do the fangs go all the way in and now you’re bleeding?
July 19, 2015 at 5:26 pm
I got my rose hair about three months now and I want to hold here but sometimes when I feed here she is coming after the tube I put the crickets in I wanted to know should I try to test to see if I can pick here up (and if so how to do that ) …. I also seen that there attitude changes you said with molt and she is doing here first one now if you could I could use the help……..
October 1, 2015 at 1:32 am
I got my rose hair a cpuple months ago from pet co and I love her. She is my first spider and all was well but I couldnt figure out why she barricaded herself in her cave. Well until today, when my friend seen a baby spider walking around in there. I have had her for well over 3 months and never had her with any other spider. But now I dont know what to do. I read somewhere that they can have well over 500 babies!!! Im lost and have no idea what to do. If u have any info or know of any sites that would help me plz let me know. Thank u. “)
October 19, 2015 at 2:14 am
Are you sure it wasn’t just a spider that got into the enclosure? There would be an egg sac before any baby spiders–and probably a lot of baby spiders! I’ve had two spiders make them, but none of them were fertilized and never hatched.
December 7, 2015 at 4:34 am
Hi, I’m Michael and I am very interested in taranchalas and I was leaning on getting a rose haired. I have a few questions.
1. Is there a sepcific store/website I should get one from?
2. I was thinking on getting one from Petco so I can see if the spider is docile in person. Is this a good idea?
3.how often do roses molt?
This is all I have for now. Thanks so much!!
December 23, 2015 at 5:37 pm
I recently bought a rose hair yesterday and named her Charlotte. I call her Lettie for short and I wanted to try and hold her today. I poked her gently on the rear and she didn’t move at all until I poked her a second time. No threat posture or anything. So should she be okay to handle? I’m quite afraid lol.
December 23, 2015 at 6:04 pm
Her abdominal area is quite small as well but she has water, with that little black sponge thing they sell, and I tried feeding her a cricket but she didn’t want to eat it. Is she going to be okay? Maybe she had a previous molt at the shop or?…
February 1, 2017 at 3:43 am
My tarantula isn’t moving its abdomin is a little sunken in it was on it’s back what’s wrong with it
June 24, 2017 at 5:45 am
Hi. I have had a rose hair tarantula for a bout two months now. A friend of mine got her roughly two years ago and could take her when he moved. She has always been extremely nice as well as nervous, but would try not to move too much anyways, tries to stay in one spot. I am under the impression she was a juvenile when my friend got her, but on the other hand she has not molted in two years, which puzzled all of us. She has suddenly changed in temperament drastically, seeming almost aggressive except for not striking yet, but now if she is disturbed at all she is charging instead of hunkering down or stepping away.
I was thinking she was preparing to molt, but nothing had changed when I checked on her tonight to remove her cricket, and the cricket appears to be gone. I was under the impression she would not eat it if she was molting, but she didn’t eat one of her other crickets recently. Also she recently went two weeks without food before I could get more crickets, and I got significantly smaller ones this time since the last batch pushed her around a bit, so I am wondering if she is hungry, but she has gone without food before and her previous owner says she has never acted aggressive before. What do you think this means? Does she need more crickets, no crickets so she can molt, to be worked with to get the routine down again, to be left alone (for molt again)? This is just very atypical for her.
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