''Grammostola'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of South American

tarantulas Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

that was first described in text by Eugène Louis Simon in 1892. These medium- to large-sized spiders are native to tropical

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, and are usually brown in color, with pinkish or orangish-red hairs. The very docile

Chilean rose tarantula The Chilean rose tarantula (''Grammostola rosea''), also known as the rose hair tarantula, the Chilean fire tarantula, or the Chilean red-haired tarantula (depending on the color morph), is probably the most common species of tarantula available i ...

s ('' Grammostola rosea'' and '' Grammostola porteri'') are popular as a beginner's spider among tarantula enthusiasts.Muller-Esnault, Susan, DVM. "Rose Hair Tarantulas or Chilean Rose Hair" (2008). http://www.critterology.com/rose_hair_tarantulas_or_chilean_rose_hair-192.html

''Grammostola'' as a pet

The

(''Grammostola rosea'') is a common pet, as its behavior is generally docile and its venom is very mild. It needs to be kept dry and dislikes being wet (its natural habitat is 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

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

s. Its attributes and care are similar to those of its relative, the Chaco golden-knee tarantula ('' Grammostola pulchripes'').

Species

it contains twenty-one species, found in South America: *'' Grammostola actaeon'' ( Pocock, 1903) –

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

*'' Grammostola alticeps'' (Pocock, 1903) –

*'' Grammostola andreleetzi'' Vol, 2008 –

*'' Grammostola anthracina'' ( C. L. Koch, 1842) –

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

*'' Grammostola borelli'' (Simon, 1897) –

*'' Grammostola burzaquensis'' Ibarra, 1946 –

*'' Grammostola chalcothrix''

Chamberlin The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by the American inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. There are several ...

, 1917 –

*'' Grammostola diminuta'' Ferretti, Pompozzi, González & Pérez-Miles, 2013 –

*'' Grammostola doeringi'' (Holmberg, 1881) –

*'' Grammostola gossei'' (Pocock, 1899) –

*'' Grammostola grossa'' ( Ausserer, 1871) –

*'' Grammostola iheringi'' ( Keyserling, 1891) –

*'' Grammostola inermis'' Mello-Leitão, 1941 –

*'' Grammostola mendozae'' (

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

, 1907) –

*'' Grammostola porteri'' (Mello-Leitão, 1936) –

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

*'' Grammostola pulchra'' Mello-Leitão, 1921 –

*'' Grammostola pulchripes'' (Simon, 1891) ( type) –

*'' Grammostola quirogai'' Montes de Oca, D'Elía & Pérez-Miles, 2016 –

*'' Grammostola rosea'' (

Walckenaer Baron Charles Athanase Walckenaer (25 December 1771 – 28 April 1852) was a French civil servant and scientist. Biography Walckenaer was born in Paris and studied at the universities of Oxford and Glasgow. In 1793 he was appointed head of t ...

, 1837) – Bolivia,

*'' Grammostola subvulpina'' (Strand, 1906) –

*'' Grammostola vachoni'' Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1961 –

In synonymy

Transferred to other genera

''Grammostola familiaris'' (Bertkau, 1880) → '' Homoeomma familiare''

Nomen dubium

''Grammostola monticola'' (Strand, 1907) - Bolivia

Gallery

Image:Grammostola rosea adult weiblich.jpg, ''Grammostola rosea'' Image:Grammostola pulchra (aka).jpg, ''Grammostola pulchra'' Image:Grammostola pulchripes L9 female OnAHand.jpg, ''Grammostola pulchripes (aureostriata)''

References

External links

* – includes ''Grammostola'' species
LiveScience Wild Tarantula Eats a Foot-Long Snake in a First
{{Taxonbar, from=Q139240 Theraphosidae Spiders of South America Theraphosidae genera Taxa named by Eugène Simon