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Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula
Photo: PavelSI, public domain
Spider
Beginner
Grammostola pulchripes
Lifespan
F 15-25 years, M 5-7 years
Adult size
DLS 18-20 cm
Temperament
Very calm and docile
Temperature
18–28°C
Humidity
45–70%
Vivarium
45 x 30 x 30 cm (terrestrial adult)
Wikipedia →
A large, heavy-bodied terrestrial tarantula from the grasslands of Paraguay and Argentina in the Gran Chaco region, which has a warm climate with alternating dry and rainy seasons. It is dark brown to black with bright golden stripes on the knees and legs and pinkish hairs over the body. Its calm temperament, hardiness and habit of sitting in plain view make it one of the best beginner species, though it is slow to mature and can still kick hairs if stressed.
Care information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
🔥 Heating
Room temperature of about 20-25°C is fine in most UK homes, and short night-time dips to around 18°C are tolerated. If extra heat is needed, use a heat mat on one side of the enclosure (never underneath) controlled by a thermostat. No basking surface is needed.
💡 Lighting
No UVB or special lighting is needed. Keep the enclosure in a room with a normal day and night light cycle and out of direct sunlight.
🪨 Substrate
10-15 cm of coco fibre, topsoil or a mix, mostly dry for adults with the lower layers slightly damp for slings and juveniles. Slings and juveniles dig, and a good depth keeps the climbing height, and so the fall risk, low.
🍽 Feeding
Feed slings twice a week, juveniles every 7-10 days and adults a few large crickets, roaches or locusts every 2-3 weeks. Adults may refuse food for long spells before a moult, so remove uneaten prey within 24 hours and wait about a week after a moult before feeding.
💧 Water
Keep a shallow water dish full at all times, overflowing it occasionally to dampen the surrounding substrate. It often kicks substrate into the dish, so check and refill it regularly.
🏠 Enrichment
Provide a cork bark hide or half-log with a starter burrow beneath it, although adults often sit in the open. It likes to move substrate around and rearrange its enclosure, so keep decor stable.
🩺 Health Considerations
Generally hardy. Watch for dehydration if the water dish gets buried, stuck moults, falls in tall enclosures, mould or mites in overly damp substrate, nematodes (white discharge around the mouthparts) and DKS (jerky, uncoordinated movement), for which no reliable treatment is known.
🤲 Handling
Usually very calm, but hands-off is still safest for spider and keeper, and if it must be handled, keep it low over a soft surface. It has urticating hairs that it rarely kicks but which can cause itching and eye irritation, so wash your hands afterwards and never rub your eyes. A bite from its large fangs is painful but medically insignificant.
⚖️ Legal Restrictions
No licence needed in the UK. It is not listed under CITES or the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations, is not on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act schedule and is not an invasive species.
📋 Additional Notes
Long sold as Grammostola aureostriata, now a synonym of G. pulchripes, and the old name is still common in the trade. Growth is medium, and slings are much plainer, taking years to show the full golden striping. Mature males have longer legs and smaller bodies, with palpal bulbs and tibial hooks, so sex juveniles from a moult.