Has the G. rosea finally fallen out of favor in the hobby?

Colorado Ts

Arachnoangel
Joined
Oct 16, 2019
Messages
831
I have never owned a G. rosea. They've always struck me as...immobile. I see them offered as the perfect beginners spider, but if it sits there and does NOTHING for months on end. That could be a detriment to the hobby. People new to the hobby want a pet spider that is viewable and is reasonably active.

So pet rocks and pet holes...not so good.

If you get a PSYCHO ROSY, then yeah...that might not be so bad. Could be a stepping stone to say an OBT. :bookworm:

I finally got a G. rosea recently - as a freebie sling (my choice). I mostly picked it because it almost seemed weird to say I never owned one. But truth be told I held off getting one because their look never really appealed to me, I mean every other Grammostola I own - iheringi, pulchra, and pulchripes - is better looking.
I get this...
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Vanisher

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
2,533
I agree in that sense that they are kinda boring, but i lobe tje way they look and how hardy they are. They may be the toughest tarantula out there. If kept bone dry with a waterdish and some food now and then it is way easier to win 10 million on the lottery than kill one of these!
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
Wasn't there a keeper here somewhere on here who accidentally forgot to unpack their AF G. rosea for two years after moving and discovered her still alive in a box? Or did I imagine that?
 

dangerforceidle

Arachnoangel
Joined
Aug 4, 2017
Messages
780
Wasn't there a keeper here somewhere on here who accidentally forgot to unpack their AF G. rosea for two years after moving and discovered her still alive in a box? Or did I imagine that?
I believe I read @cold blood provide the anecdote, but it was a different user who had the experience. I don't think they post here any more.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Wasn't there a keeper here somewhere on here who accidentally forgot to unpack their AF G. rosea for two years after moving and discovered her still alive in a box? Or did I imagine that?
i do recall that...i still feel bad for that t.:(
 

AphonopelmaTX

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
1,816
I have never owned a G. rosea. They've always struck me as...immobile. I see them offered as the perfect beginners spider, but if it sits there and does NOTHING for months on end. That could be a detriment to the hobby. People new to the hobby want a pet spider that is viewable and is reasonably active.

So pet rocks and pet holes...not so good.

If you get a PSYCHO ROSY, then yeah...that might not be so bad. Could be a stepping stone to say an OBT. :bookworm:
The idea of an active tarantula always kind of bothered me. There really shouldn't be any tarantula that is active by nature, except for matured males, so I am under the impression the tarantula keeping community as a whole has accepted behavior as a result of bad husbandry as normal.
 

Vanisher

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
2,533
The idea of an active tarantula always kind of bothered me. There really shouldn't be any tarantula that is active by nature, except for matured males, so I am under the impression the tarantula keeping community as a whole has accepted behavior as a result of bad husbandry as normal.
I agree! Tarantulas (females) are pretty un-active. A happy tarantula often sits still. If a tarantula is very active this can mean that something is wrong. Often with the caging. Too moist, too little substrate or what not. Or it could be stress related. There are exeptions and some are more active than others. I have had P murinus that was often out and about, spinning silk, but they behaved otherwise normal, eating, grooming and quick to retreat if desturbed. I have also witnessed periods of more activety from my G rosea female over the years. I have had her for 19 years and some times a year she is walking around more than usally! But 95% of the year she is sitting compleatly still in one spot
 

lazarus

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
Messages
156
I still love them, currently own 4 (porteri and red form combined). Mine are decent eaters, outside of their fasting periods, but of course since they have a slower metabolism I feed them less frequently than species like Nhandu, Phormictopus or Pamphobeteus. "Boring" can be used for any tarantula, at least rosies are visible, they rarely burrow and don't even use their hides that much.
They aren't as easily available like they were 5-10 years ago, back then there were tons of WC imports from Chile and the slings were actually from sacks laid by WC females mated in the wild. Now exports have stopped and they aren't the easiest species to breed. Low availability means higher price but ocasionally you can still find cheap ones from individual keepers.
 

Arachnophoric

Arachnoangel
Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
947
They're not the most flashy or interesting of Ts, no. But they're far from what I'd consider "garbage". Before she passed away, my rosie was essentially a pet potato and would fast for months at a time, but she was still one of my favorite Ts in my collection. She was placid as long as you didn't prod at her, and always out in the open. When she wasn't fasting, her appetite was fantastic. A lovely fluffy pink T that was as undemanding as any animal could possibly be. Simpler care than a house plant, for Pete's sake.

I find it sad that people don't seem to appreciate their looks more, from the subtle purples on the carapace of a porteri to the vibrant pinks and reds on a freshly molted rosea. Each to their own on aesthetics, but I personally find them far prettier than some other species the hobby as a whole seems really fond of.
 

Colorado Ts

Arachnoangel
Joined
Oct 16, 2019
Messages
831
The idea of an active tarantula always kind of bothered me. There really shouldn't be any tarantula that is active by nature, except for matured males, so I am under the impression the tarantula keeping community as a whole has accepted behavior as a result of bad husbandry as normal.
You're miss interpreting my use of the word "Active". An Active tarantula would calmly move around enclosure, periodically changing its position within the enclosure. Maybe I should have used the word "Mobile"?

I would say that breeding males are Hyper-Active...by tarantula standards.
 

NorseDad

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 4, 2019
Messages
16
I'm a new keeper so I'm not sure how much my opinion matters. I will say as a new keeper that there were several factors that steered me away from a G. rosea.
  • The vast array of beautiful/docile "beginner" species that are readily available today. Choosing a striking black/orange/red brachypelma or a blue/orange chromatapelma vs a brown with slight pink G. rosea wasn't a hard choice for me.
  • Having so many vendor contacts and overnight shipping options today make buying any species easy. You get more selection this way than in the past where you basically were limited to what your local pet store had.
  • Online communities like forums and YouTube build a huge wealth of knowledge and introduce a variety of accessible species. Pictures and stories from other keepers have inspired the list I keep. (C. Versicolor, you're next!)
  • Advice from other keepers. I have Tom Moran, for example, a click away. I can read about other keeper's experiences. I've read/watched information about some of the pros and cons of G. rosea. Because of this, I can make a more (hopefully) informed decision about which spiders fit me. I know each individual is different, but reports of unpredictable behavior in G. rosea are one reason I steered away for my first. (I decided against B. Vagans and A. Geniculata initially for similar reasons.)
There's just so much out there now that G. rosea just doesn't get the same percentage of the limelight anymore.
 

thaddeus300

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 5, 2014
Messages
6
I'm not a fan of the Rosie bashing at all. In my opinion, they're gorgeous. The pinks especially after a molt are amazing. And as far as boring come on? You have a large fluffy spider that is always visable. How is that any more boring than a fossorial species you never see. Or my P. Regalis that maybe shows me a leg or two every few months? If you're that easily bored by them maybe you should find a more exciting hoby. My B. hamori moves around just as much as my Rosie but no one's bashing hamoris. Are they perfect begennier spiders? Not really, but when I first got in to the hobby that was all that was really available and started my love for these amazing animals. I really hope people continue to breed them and keep them in the hobby. They really don't deserve all the hate they get. But like I said that's my opinion.
 

SonsofArachne

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
961
How is that any more boring than a fossorial species you never see
If you end getting a larger number of T's, pet holes actually become a lot less boring. Every time I go through my collection and one or more of them happens to be out it makes my day. The ones that sit out constantly, while not boring, are rarely surprising either.
 

thaddeus300

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 5, 2014
Messages
6
If you end getting a larger number of T's, pet holes actually become a lot less boring. Every time I go through my collection and one or more of them happens to be out it makes my day. The ones that sit out constantly, while not boring, are rarely surprising either.

Oh don't get me wrong I love pet holes. Like I said I see my regalis once in a blue moon and it's like Christmas Everytime. I just think people jump on the bashing Rosie bandwagon and it's sad
 

SonsofArachne

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
961
Oh don't get me wrong I love pet holes. Like I said I see my regalis once in a blue moon and it's like Christmas Everytime. I just think people jump on the bashing Rosie bandwagon and it's sad
While I agree some like to bash them, I'm more in the "they really don't appeal to me camp". As I said before, the other Grammostola species are way more interesting - IMO.
 

Vanessa

Grammostola Groupie
Joined
Mar 12, 2016
Messages
2,423
If you're that easily bored by them maybe you should find a more exciting hoby.
This every single day of the week. I marvel at every single spider in my home every single day. None of them have lost my admiration, or my interest. I will just never understand it, unless it is just a novelty that wears off for some people.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
If you get a PSYCHO ROSY, then yeah...that might not be so bad. Could be a stepping stone to say an OBT. :bookworm:
No. Completely wrong :bored:

'OBTs' 'Orange Bobs' P.murinus are nowhere near defensive (if housed properly) like the so called (exceptions) 'psycho rosie'.

Still today, in the year of our Lord (almost) 2020, 'OBTs' are paying for a reputation they doesn't deserve (again, if properly housed).

Thing is, their breeding easyness - and therefore cheap prices/availability - lead during years hundreds of not prepared, rush in keepers, stunt loving folks into said species.

There's dozens and dozens of OW's species (and for that matter NW's as well) equally/more defensive than the 'OBT' yet none of those gained (again, for the opposite reasons why 'OBTs' are so purchased) such a bad reputation.

I'm not saying 'OBTs' are good for beginners or something, just debunking their defensiveness myth.

P.murinus are an incredibly shy species in reality: they just reacts to fear in the only nervous way they know, but if the set up is correct they are, by a long shot, among the most easy T's to work with - except in general MM's for packing, but that's another story :pompous:
 

thaddeus300

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 5, 2014
Messages
6
While I agree some like to bash them, I'm more in the "they really don't appeal to me camp". As I said before, the other Grammostola species are way more interesting - IMO.
That's totally fine everyone has their own preferences. But some one called them useless or something earlier and I just don't think that's fair. All spiders matter
 

Colorado Ts

Arachnoangel
Joined
Oct 16, 2019
Messages
831
No. Completely wrong :bored:

'OBTs' 'Orange Bobs' P.murinus are nowhere near defensive (if housed properly) like the so called (exceptions) 'psycho rosie'.

Still today, in the year of our Lord (almost) 2020, 'OBTs' are paying for a reputation they doesn't deserve (again, if properly housed).

Thing is, their breeding easyness - and therefore cheap prices/availability - lead during years hundreds of not prepared, rush in keepers, stunt loving folks into said species.

There's dozens and dozens of OW's species (and for that matter NW's as well) equally/more defensive than the 'OBT' yet none of those gained (again, for the opposite reasons why 'OBTs' are so purchased) such a bad reputation.

I'm not saying 'OBTs' are good for beginners or something, just debunking their defensiveness myth.

P.murinus are an incredibly shy species in reality: they just reacts to fear in the only nervous way they know, but if the set up is correct they are, by a long shot, among the most easy T's to work with - except in general MM's for packing, but that's another story :pompous:
Wow...dude. That was like a joke. :banghead:
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 21, 2018
Messages
498
My first T was a G porteri, sold to me by an older vendor as a G rosea, at 2". I love her. She's great - active and weird and always doing something goofy with her water bowl. I am deeply and personally offended on her behalf! XD

Got a tiny G rosea RCF sling recently and I am enjoying how active and weird it is, too.

I think they're lovely Ts for beginners, and perfect for casual keepers. If that beginner turns into a full-fledged hobbyist and goes on to collect more tarantulas, they typically always appreciate their first tarantula. Look at how much Tom Moran loves his Queen!
 
Top