Care and Husbandry of Grammostola Rosea

8/13/2019 Care and Husbandry of Grammostola Rosea

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CARE AND HUSBANDRY OF

THE CHILEAN ROSE TARANTULA

A WILD MALE IN ALGARROBO, CHILE


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(Courtesy of Mark Thomas.)

LAST UPDATED ON 2014-February-03.

COLOR FORMS

Gray Color Form


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Pink Color Form


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PCF: Pink Color Form

NCF: Normal or Natural (gray) Color Form

It has been noted by several people that the pink and red color forms of the Chilean rose do notseem to blend in with the background soil, or function as camouflage. (See for instance the photo atthetop of this page.) This is most curious, and this author awaits an explanation. We're not holdingour breath, however.

WILL THE REAL CHILEAN ROSE PLEASE STAND UP?

For a while, enthusiasts thought each color form was a different species, even calling the coppercolored form G. cala, the Chilean flame tarantula. However, on several occasions all of the severalcolor forms were reported to arise from the same eggsac, strong evidence that these are all merelyvariants of the same species.

But, this contention has not been written up in the literature (professional or enthusiast), the threeindividuals that this author was aware of making this assertion were unable to confirm the fact, andwhen this author made a public enquiry no one was able to step forward to confirm it either.

Further, for about a decade there have been repeated rumors, especially from European enthusiasts,that someone had examined specimens in the pet industry and those in museums, and determinedthat what is now considered one species (Grammostola rosea) really was several different species.And, they were in the process of publishing a paper to that effect. But, in almost a decade no such

paper has been forthcoming. Taxonomy doesn't operate on a basis of rumor and innuendo. Itoperates on rational arguments based on reproducible and verifiable facts. At this point, "There ain'tenough meat in that hamburger! I ain't buying it!" And, until we see such a report, and it can beexamined by knowledgeable arachnologists, and it is deemed believable, we're still left with theoriginal contention: "There is only one species of several different color forms: Grammostolarosea."

SIZE

A medium sized tarantula. Mature females will have a body length of up to about 7.5 centimeters(three inches) and a leg span of about fifteen centimeters (six inches). While the male's body issmaller, the leg span remains the same. Because of the numbers being exported from Chile theaverage size of the individuals currently found in the market is usually smaller. It is presumed that,given time and proper care, these will reach respectable sizes.

NATIVE HABITAT

Roses come from the borders of theAtacama Desertin northern Chile to at least as far south as

Santiago. The literature lists them as coming from Bolivia and Argentina, thus Dr. Platnick reportsthe same, but some of us have doubts about those records and would like to see confirmation.
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The Atacama can be one of the harshest environments on the planet, but we're fairly certain that theareas where roses are found aren't quite so severe. They've been reported from semi-desert to scrubforest areas. At thetop of this pageis a photo of an RCF male taken very near Algarrobo, Chile,near the coast at about the longitude of Santiago.

Apparently their principle sources of water over much of their range in nature are from the foodthey eat, and curiously enough, the more or less frequent fogs that drift in from the Pacific Ocean.In 2006, the BBC produced a TV series entitledPlanet Earth,and Wikipedia has anextensivedescriptionof the series. The fifth episode,Deserts,contains a short segment on the Atacama desertand the fogs that moisten a narrow strip along its coast. While this episode does not mentiontarantulas in general or Chilean roses specifically, it does offer an amazing insight into part of theirhabitat, and the photography is superb!

Lastly on this topic, these authors have recently acquired photographs of theburrowsof Chileanroses in the wild, and a short video of a Chilean rose being teasedfrom its burrow. (Use the Back

button on your browser to return here.)

SOME NATIVE HABITAT PHOTOS

Open forest landscape.
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#topdoghttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#topdoghttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#topdoghttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mywyhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mywyhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mywyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_%28TV_series%29http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074shjhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074shjhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074shjhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#burrowhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#burrowhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#burrowhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#videocliphttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#videocliphttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#videocliphttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#videocliphttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#burrowhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074shjhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_%28TV_series%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Earth_%28TV_series%29http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mywyhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#topdog


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(Courtesy of Mark Thomas.)

A rocky clearing in the forest.(Courtesy of Mark Thomas.)


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A rose in a crack in the soil.(Courtesy of Mark Thomas.)

LIFE SPAN

It is very difficult for us to make anything more than a wild guess at maximum life spans. Chileanroses have only been imported in any numbers since the early 1990s following the fall of theChilean dictatorAugusto Pinochet Ugartein March 1990. Since then they have been bred from timeto time in captivity (but seeCaptive Breeding), but only very recently enough to warrant the term"commonly," and only a few of the resulting offspring have now had enough time to mature and dieof old age. There is a severe lack of believable data.

As an educated guess we can bracket the probable limits of their life spans at five to ten years formales, and twenty to twenty-five years for females. But their life spans probably vary as markedlyas human life spans. Beyond that, all bets are off. Don't bet the grocery money!

TEMPERATURE AND LIGHT

Being desert animals, one might assume that these tarantulas require excessively high temperatures.

Not so. They're extremely sturdy and resilient creatures and temperature is pretty much a non-issuewith them.

THE TARANTULA'S RULES OF
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TEMPERATURE (EXPANDED)

RULE #1

Any temperature YOU'RE comfortable at

will suit your Chilean rose just fine.

RULE #2If YOU don't have to wear a wool sweater or

a parka to stay warm,

your Chilean rose isn't too cool.

RULE #3

If YOU don't have to run naked because it's

so hot,

your Chilean rose isn't too warm.

COROLLARYWe'rethe fragile species,

NOTthe Chilean rose!

DO NOTartificially raise the cage's temperature in the belief that Chilean roses need highertemperatures. There are two problems with supplying extra heat to a tarantula's cage.

Without a major engineering effort the heat is largely uncontrollable. If you happen toexperience a particularly hot day and accidentally leave the cage heater on, you could easilycome home to a strong smell of well cooked tarantula.

Artificial heat sources are strong desiccators. They dry the cage out extremely rapidly and toa very harsh degree. Roses are accustomed to living in a desert, but even they have limits towhat they can tolerate.

THE TARANTULA'S FOURTH RULE OF

TEMPERATURE (EXPANDED)

A lower temperature is almost always

preferable to an artificial heat source.

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

For additional information regarding tarantulas and temperature seeTemperature.

NO SUNL IGHT!In fact, avoid all bright lights, but make sure that the tarantula can easily tell thedifference between day and night. (See below.)

CAPTIVE BREEDING

While one sees many baby Chilean roses

listed on the dealer's price list as "captivebred," the truth is that most such babies
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Temperature.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Temperature.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Temperature.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Temperature.html


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HUMIDITY

Chilean rose tarantulas are desert creatures. Theyneither require nor appreciate an excessively highhumidity. Do not keep them on damp substrate. Do

not mist or spray them or any part of their cage. Donot intentionally maintain a damp spot of substrateunder their water dish. DOalways supply them with awater dish with clean water and the obligatory rock orslate chip.

If your Chilean rose seems to spend an inordinateamount of time around or standing on its water dish,it's trying to tell you that the ambient humidity inyour home is too dry even for it.

This is particularly possible during winter in thetemperate zones. In nature the Chilean rose wouldmerely retreat to the bottom of its burrow, possiblyeven plugging the entrance to contain and protectwhat humidity is available. In a cage, most seldomhave this option because enthusiasts most commonlydo not allow for a burrow. (See the discussion of

burrowingbelow. Use your browser's Backbutton toreturn here.)

The solution is simple. Merely cover all the open parts of its cage to restrict or prevent ventilation,effectively precisely what the tarantula would do in Chile! For most cages, plastic food wrap issufficient. Again, do not mist. Do not dampen the substrate. Be sure to supply an adequate waterdish.

However, if your Chilean rose seems agitated or anxious by moving around a lot, seeminglyseeking something, one question to ask is, "Is the humidity too high in it's cage?" If so, find out whyand fix the problem.

Humidity, or more properly relative humidity, is vastly misunderstood by almost everybody duelargely to the fact that it's taught completely incorrectly from grade school classes through all but

the best college science courses. Even your favorite weather person on television gets it wrong! Tolearn the truth behind this topic and to find out a little about what relative humidity is really allabout, readRelative Humidity.

SUBSTRATE

Substrate is the "bedding" used on the bottom of a tarantula's cage to ease the harshness of asmooth, hard cage floor. The topic of Substrate is discussed in detail atSubstrate.

When setting up a new cage for your Chilean rose, try to use the least damp substrate possible thatwill allow it to be properly tamped, and allow for ample ventilation so it dries out completely as

soon as possible. The moisture should evaporate within a very few days. Roses are desert creatures,almost any moisture outside of the water dish isn't appreciated, and forcing your Chilean rose to live

are the result of wild caught femalesproducing eggsacs once they are imported.

Beginning in August or September, many

dealers preferentially set aside the largestor prettiest freshly imported females in thehopes that they will produce such aneggsac, then manually or artificiallyincubate the eggsacs or eggs for future salein the industry. Other dealers merely waitfor announcements from enthusiasts whohave recently purchased a female, and arenow blessed with an eggsac.

Even then, the babies produced from such

eggsacs have never known the wild, andbecome quite accustomed to the hand ofman very early in their development. And,they come from the factory automatically

preprogrammed for the NorthernHemisphere calendar, avoiding theHemisphere Shiftentirely.
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#burrowinghttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#burrowinghttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Humidity.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Humidity.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Humidity.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/substrate-010.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/substrate-010.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/substrate-010.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#shifthttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#shifthttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#shifthttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/substrate-010.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/Humidity.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html#burrowing


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on damp substrate is a lot like making you sleep in a wet bed. (See the discussion ofhanging fromthe cage wallsfor more information.)

Install a water dish with the obligatory rock or slate chip and add one Chilean rose tarantula. Don'ttry to feed it for several days or a week to give it a chance to get used to its new home before it's

stampeded by a herd of wild crickets.

"WHY DOES MY ROSE HANG FROM THE SIDE OF THE CAGE INSTEAD OF

STANDING ON THE SUBSTRATE?"

This a common query with terrestrial tarantulas, especially arid and desert varieties. See thediscussion ofhanging from the cage wallsfor moreinformation.

THE MUCH DREADED "HEMISPHERE

SHIFT"

Chilean roses pose a special problem. If they weren'tso hardy they'd make lousy pets. The problem is this:They evolved in the southern hemisphere and theirseasons are reversed to ours. (Here I'm assuming thatyou live in the northern hemisphere as the majority oftarantula keepers do.) And, they seem to have a

particularly hard time adjusting to northernhemisphere timetables. This adjustment we call the"Hemisphere Shift."

Think of it this way. In Chile they experienceseasonal fluctuations in temperature, water/humidityavailability, day length, and food availability. Theyuse one, some or all of these to entrain their annualcycles, to synchronize their lives with the rest ofMother Nature. Their species evolved in thisabsolutely predictable waltz of variations. Eachindividual tarantula has grown up in these conditions.

Then some scoundrel unceremoniously abducts them

out their lair and ships them to the other side of theplanet where all the seasons are "out of wack."

And we keep the tarantulas in a completely alien,cavernous place called a "house" with weird lights,strange sounds or vibrations, and bizarre smells of allsorts. And, they're even touched and handled by thesehuge, clumsy, hot-to-the-touch, alien type, god thingswith bad breath and body odor. And, jumping and

jittering all over the place. These god-things never seem to sit still! And the cages! Don't get yourtarantulas started about the cages!

What's next? Anal probes?

PAY ATTENTION HERE!

As captive bred and raised Chilean rosesbecome more common we are discoveringthat they DO NOTundergo a HemisphereShift. They apparently automagicallysynchronize their annual cycle with thelocal seasons as they grow and develop.

When you acquire a Chilean rose tarantulaone of your first questions should be, "Is itcaptive bred and raised, or wild caught?"Generally, the larger, presumably mature

individuals are wild caught, while thosehalf grown or smaller are cage raised.

If your Chilean rose is captive bred andraised the sectionThe Much DreadedHemisphere Shiftmay be of interest toyou, but you should not follow therecommendations. Instead, treat thetarantula as any other arid or desert specieswhether baby, spiderling, or adult. (SeeGrowing Your Own.)

However, be advised that even captivebred and raised Chilean roses sometimesgo on extended, unexplained fasts, andmay miss expected molts for severalseasons. This unpredictability is one oftheir more fascinating features.
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The heat is thermostatically controlled. There no longer is a hot season and a cold season. Theregoes any temperature clues to let them readjust to the new time table.

And, when we get up we turn the lights on every morning at 6:30 or 7:00 AM and the house is welllit until we turn the lights off at 10:30 or 11:00 PM. And this never changes regardless of what

season of the year it is. We've just removed day length as a clue.

Worse yet, in nature they're preprogrammed to eat as much food as available in preparation for thecoming sparse season. (And, there's ALWAYSa coming sparse season. Or worse!) During thesparse season they may go hungry for several months before food becomes plentiful again, anotherseasonal clue. Further, from time to time there may be a year of drought. In these years the "fat"season never arrives. Any creatures that are to survive must be able to endure a very long season ofoutright famine, a year or more in length.

In captivity we give them all the food they'll eat and, out of instinct, they eat everything that wethrow at them. We overfeed them thinking that they're starved and they don't stop eating until

they're obese. Even then the food STILLkeeps coming. There is no string of light meals followedby a few months of fasting. This destroys any food availability clues completely.

Lastly, in Chile, even in the desert portions, there are dry seasons and damp seasons. It may not rainoften, but from time to time fog banks roll in from the Pacific Ocean and generally moisteneverything for a few hours to several days. And, this tends to happen seasonally. The rose's cage inyour home is always kept bone dry as a means of vermin control, but you always keep a dish ofwater in the cage. Oops! There goes just about the last clue.

The result is that this species more than almost any other becomes quite confused about what seasonof the year it is. Because we've removed all their clues they don't know when to start eating againonce they get too fat and stop. Neither do they know when it should be time to molt. They may gotwo years or more without eating or molting, before they finally pick up the few very subtle cluesavailable to synchronize with the local seasons. The record currently stands at something like 3years!

If this happens to your rose you should try to supply the missing clues. Keep it in a warm place insummer and a cool place in winter. In their native Chile summer temperatures commonly go above100 F (38 C), and winter temperatures often drop below freezing towards early morning. (Theseextremes are greatly tempered, however, by the tarantula's burrow.) While it might not be a goodidea to allow them too high a summer temperature (keep it below 95 F or 35 C), consistentwinter

temperatures can drop into the 60s F (mid to high teens C) with little worry.

Try to keep it in a room where artificial lighting isn't used very much so it can see a normal changein day length. Keep your Chilean rose in a seldom used guest room with the drapes or curtains

pulled back, for instance. Just be absolutely certain that it will never be exposed to direct sunlight.

But, being kept in a sunlight lit room is okay as long as the temperature doesn't get too extreme.

THE FIERCE ROSE


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Everybody overfeeds their Chilean rose.BAD IDEA!As you first bring it home, do not feed it at

all for at least a week, maybe two weeks. It makes no sense whatsoever to stampede it with a bunchof rowdy crickets while it's still quasi-hysterical from the shipping and handling it endured to getinto your care. When you do begin to feed it, only give it one (1) large cricket or the equivalent aweek. Or, if more convenient, give it only four or five (4 or 5) crickets a month.

NO. THAT IS NOT A MISPRINT!

Maintain this feeding schedule for the rest of its life UNLESSit goes on afast.

If it stops eating for an extended period of time, don't worry. As a test to tell when it wants to starteating again, offer it only one (1) cricket every month in the evening. If it doesn't eat it by the next

morning, remove the cricket and try again next month. You can give the cricket to one of your othertarantulas. (You don't have any other tarantulas? WELL!We're going to have to see what we cando about THAT!) Don't panic. Well fed Chilean roses can go easily for up to two years without

Back off, Bucko!
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starving to death once they go on one of these little fasts. And, they often go on a fast, particularlyin winter. Be patient and understanding. Consider it a life lesson.

When it does begin to eat again, it's business as usual. Only give it one (1) large cricket or theequivalent a week. Or, if more convenient, give it only four or five (4 or 5) crickets a month.

DON'T CHEAT!

HANDLING

Handling is one of those subjects that incites riots among tarantula keepers. Should you or shouldn'tyou? When should you? When shouldn't you? Which ones can be handled? Which can't? What's the

best way to handle them? What methods should be avoided? And it goes on and on and on...

The subject is far too complex to cover here. Read the entries on this subject inThe TarantulaKeeper's Guide,now in itsthird edition,for an in-depth discussion of handling and the "dos" and

the "don'ts."

About 1 out of every 1,000 roses bites and the bite causes swelling and intense pain for severalhours to a day. Nobody has yet lost life or limb over such a bite, however. If your rose begins torear back and raises its front legs in athreatening postureas you try to pick her up, maybe youshould label it a look-but-don't-touch pet or take it back to the pet shop for another one. The other

999 out of 1,000 will make perfect hand pets if you follow the basic rules.

BURROWS
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If the mother's cage is still quite clean, merely SLIGHTLYdampen between one-fourth and one-third of the substrate farthest away from the mother and her eggsac. Clean and refill the water dishwith clean water. Cover all openings on the cage to prevent any significant ventilation. (Plastic foodwrap usually works well on most cages.) Carefully move the cage to the warmest part of yourhome. This would often be on top of the refrigerator. DO NOTspill the water in the water dish.

If the cage is not very clean, if you think the eggs have been damaged, or if the eggsac has beenwet, a better idea would be to use the next method for caring for the eggs, the Nefcy Incubator.(Ryan first described his incubator on an Internet forum, and it was subsequently written up inTheTarantula Keeper's Guide, Third Edition.Ryan is responsible for a number of photographs in the

book as well. Our sincere thanks and a tip of the proverbial hat for the service that Ryan has donefor the hobby.

Quietly check on Momma and her eggsac every three or four days. Redampen the substrate when itbegins to get dry. Refill the water dish as the water evaporates. DO NOTmist or spray in the cage.DO NOTunder any circumstances allow the eggsac to get wet. You may feed Momma the

recommended one (1) cricket a week while she is brooding the eggsac. If she doesn't eat the cricketovernight, remove it the following day if you can do so with a minimum of disturbance to the

brooding female. Otherwise, leave the cricket there. It can do little harm anyway, and Momma mayeat it later.

Leave the eggsac with Momma full term. If the eggs don't die, she'll take care of them just fine.

The Nefcy Incubator

Preferably beforehand, acquire the following:

Two plastic shoe boxes. Chose those that are approximately 7" wide X 14" long X 3.5" high(18 X 36 X 9 cm). (Note: You may only need one, but they're quite inexpensive and it's

better to be safe.)

One pkg of standard paper coffeemaker filters.

Six one pint (500 ml), clear, plastic, deli cups. (Note: You may only need three, but they'requite inexpensive and it's better to be safe.)

One roll of heavy weight, paper toweling.

At least one (two are better) pairs of forceps.
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Use a nail to melt ventilation holes in the sides of theplastic shoe boxes as high up the walls as possible,but low enough that the covers don't block them. Usepliers, the kitchen range, and a small nail to meltsmall holes, but make a dozen holes in each box. If

you make too many you can cover the extras withtape. If you make too few you'll have a small problemmelting more while the eggs are incubating. Try veryhard to not inhale the vapors from the melting plastic.Open a window for ventilation nearby if you can.

Install a double layer of paper toweling on the floorof the plastic shoe boxes. Insert the deli cups, andinsert one coffee filter in each cup as shown in the

photo. Replace the shoe boxes' covers and store theincubators away dry, until you need them.

As soon as you notice that Momma has an eggsacmark the date on your calendar. Then dampen thesubstrate as above. After a week or more (Someenthusiasts wait as long as a month.) you need todampen ONLY THE PAPER TOWELSin yourincubators. There should be ample water, but not enough to actually puddle on the box' floor. Thecoffee filters stay bone dry.

Then take the eggsac away from Momma. You will need a pair of forceps or tweezers to grasp theeggsac, and a large serving spoon to gently fend her off while doing so.

Momma is not going to let you steal her eggsac if she can help it, and you need to be patient, gentle,but forceful. Be careful not to hurt Momma or the eggsac. Grab the eggsac by an edge or corner, notaround the middle. If you crush even one of the eggs you may precipitate a rampant bacterialinfection that can eventually kill most or all of the eggs. Use the spoon upside down as a shield overthe eggsac and ever so carefully tug on the eggsac to get it away from her. Try to get the bowl of thespoon between Momma's fangs and the eggsac. Once you get it way from her you can offer her a

cotton ball as a proxy eggsac. Some females will accept it, others are too smart!

SELECTED LINKS CONCERNING

INCUBATORS

Visit the following links for some

additional information about incubators.

Incubator Tutorial

How Do You Open a Sac?

Artificial Incubator

Also, perform searches on virtually alltarantula forums on the Internet forincubator.

NEFCY INCUBATOR
http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20865http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20865http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20270http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20270http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17225http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17225http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17225http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20270http://atshq.org/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20865


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Two of Ryan Nefcy's Incubators.


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Very carefully open it over a wide baking dish or other pan by carefully snipping it with a pair ofsmall scissors. Make a small incision to get the opening started, then carefully open it with forceps

using the same motion as opening a bag of potato chips. This works a lot better if you have twopairs of forceps.

If the eggs are loose, distribute them in approximately equal numbers between the DRYcoffeefilters in the deli cups. The floors of the deli cups should be less than about half covered with eggs.(Note: In a different world, if you were incubating eggs from several eggsacs or species you mightwrite identifying information (e.g., species or Momma's name) on the floor of each coffee filter/delicup set up in order to identify the mother and/or species, and avoid confusion later.)

If the eggs are gobbed together in a lump, there is little hope for them. You can try to hatch them,but this condition is almost always terminal. You may try to free a few still viable eggs from the

mass, but they're so fragile that it will be nearly impossible.

Replace the lids on the shoe box incubators (Note: No lids go on the deli cups.) and place theincubators in a warm part of the house (e.g., on top of a refrigerator). If possible keep them at 80 For slightly higher. At least once every day you need to very gently shift the shoe boxes around so asto roll the eggs into a new position. Once in a while you will have to replenish the water on the

paper towel. Use room temperature tap water. BE CAREFUL THAT ABSOLUTELY NOWATER TOUCHES EITHER THE COFFEE FILTERS OR THE EGGS!

Remember that you dampened the substrate in Momma's cage. Under any other circumstances thiswould have been forbidden. But, at that point we were much more interested in not allowing theeggs to dry out and die than about a rampant mite infestation. But, now with the eggsac in anincubator, you need to clean Momma's cage and set it up all squeaky-clean again. And, dry!Momma will also be molting in about 80 to 100 days from the production of the eggsac, so this is a

Heating a nail for melting holes in plastic.


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good time to clean house. Feed her as long as she eats, but expect her to go "off her feed" soon, too.Remember! Only one (1) large cricket a week. Or, four or five (4 or 5) a month!

DON'T CHEAT!

Patience, my child. Patience!

The eggs will probably hatch between 70 and 90 days from the day the eggsac was produced. Markyour calendar. You have plenty of time to make preparations for the babies.

While you're waiting, if you don't already have one, acquire a copy ofThe Tarantula Keeper'sGuide, Third Editionand read the sections beginning on page 253 ("The Babies"), and beginning on

page 272 ("The Blessed Event") through about page 295. (And, it isn't going to hurt you one bit toread the rest of the book too!)

There are several other things that can make the babies' care much easier:

1. Assembly-line all operations. For instance, keep them individually in little bottles or vials,but keep these collected in trays or shoe boxes. Feed and water them in batches, or one boxor tray at a time.

2. Set aside one evening (or other time) a week for their care. This is sacred time. Keep yourweekly date.

3. Read the various tarantula books mentioned inStan's Rantfor more specific instructions andother ideas.

What Do You Do With All Those Babies?

There may be as many as 250 babies in an eggsac, and that's clearly too many to keep regardless ofhow much you may love the little darlings! So, how do you get rid of the excess? Taking a cue from

Nature (where 99+% of them die), some enthusiasts merely place all the babies at once in a veryfew one-gallon (four liter) jugs, and only feed them minimally. As they grow, they begin to eat eachother, and the smaller, weaker, slower, or defective ones are almost always the first to go. Merelywait until you have them down to manageable numbers before you separate them into individualcontainers. Many enthusiasts object strenuously to this tactic on emotional grounds, but it hasseveral advantages.

It reduces your work load.

It reduces the expense of buying enough food for all the babies by not wasting the rejects.
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/g3.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/g3.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/g3.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/g3.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/g3.htmlhttp://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/g3.html


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It weeds out individuals with less than desirable traits.

But, there are other strategies.

Give them away for Christmas, birthday, house warming, Bar Mitzvah, etc., presents! (Justkidding! Just kidding!)

On the Internet, search each arachnid forum you know about, or can find, for "For Sale, Buyor Trade" pages and advertise there. Contact each of the dealers advertising on those pages,asking if they can use them and how much they'll pay.

Post messages on the arachnid forums advertising them for "$1.00 each - you pay postage,"or "Baby Chilean roses, $10 each, 3 for $25, postage paid." Stand back and brace yourselffor the stampede!

Advertise in the "Pets for Sale" section of your local newspaper, or "bargain finder" typeflyers.

Look up the name and contact info for the nearestherptileor tarantula club. Find out whenthey're going to hold their next show. Reserve a booth or contact another booth holder tonegotiate sharing a booth.

YOU'VE GOTTA READ THIS BOOK!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herptilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herptilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herptilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herptile


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Carolyn Swagerle, a confirmed, card carrying, hysterical arachnophobe,decided one day to meet her most fundamental fear head on, and this is thestory of how one remarkable spider helped one remarkable lady. Annie Rosegoes down in history as one of the world's better ambassadors for all eightlegged creatures!

But it doesn't stop there. Annie Rose had a surprise in store for Carolyn.Suddenly, Carolyn became the stepmother of 250 baby roses. What a way tocure your arachnophobia!

In her book, Carolyn not only describes her conquest over a truly debilitatingphobia, but she also details how she managed to hatch, care for, and eventuallydistribute the resulting babies. So, in reality when you read this book you're


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Shipping yourlittle darlings is

problematic atbest, and tooinvolved to

cover here. Do asearch on the various Internet forums for information instead. But, in all cases (unless you've

bundled shipping costs into the final price), the person you're sending the babies to, the recipientwhether private enthusiast or commercial dealer, MUSTpay the postage/freight. If you don't dothis, you're going to lose your shirt! If you end up sending them to a dealer, ask for specificinstructions on packing and shipping, insurance, and most especially, method of payment. Do not

be shy! If you send them to other enthusiasts, try to do so only during warm weather.

SALES PITCH

We strongly recommend that you read a good book on tarantulas. You can get copies of theThe

Tarantula Keeper's Guide, Third Edition,mentioned above, Sam Marshall'sTarantulas and OtherArachnids(both rated quite highly by theAmerican Tarantula Society ), Dr. R. G. Breene'sQuickand Easy Tarantula Care(remarkably good in spite of its small size and modest price) and severalothers AT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR FREE.

If you like them you can get your own copies "off the shelf" from perhaps one-third or more of thepet shops in your area. Most can get them for you by special order if they're out of stock. Inaddition, these books are available by special order from every bookstore (the larger stores mayeven have copies in stock), directly from the publisher (Barron's Educational Series), and from anyof the Internet based bookstores like (listed in alphabetical order)Abe Books,Alibris,Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com,BooksPrice.com,and many more.

Bar Mitzvah presents! That's sweet. I like that, and I'm not even Jewish!

NAVIGATION

Jump to thetopof this page.

Jump to themotorhomewebpage.Jump to theSpiders, Calgarywebpage.Jump to theIndex and Table of Contentsfor this website.

COMMUNICATIONS

Communicating with the authors is easy. Just selecthere.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

actually getting two stories for the price of one.

This book is available directly from the publisher,Authorhouse publishing,aswell as all the booksellers listed elsewhere in this webpage and many more.
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Copyright 2003, Stanley A. Schultz and Marguerite J. Schultz.Selectherefor additional copyright information.

This page was initially created on 2003-February-15.The last revision occurred on 2014-February-03.
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Care and Husbandry of Grammostola Rosea

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