Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (Green Bottle Blue / GBB) Care Sheet
When someone asks me for a recommendation on what to get…it’s this spider.
I mean... what's not to love?
GBB can thrive in a wide range of conditions.
They are hardy and forgiving.
The species has one of the best feeding responses of any tarantula and are known to take down prey large for their size.
They grow rather quickly for a tarantula.
They have beautiful coloring and striking patterns that change as they molt and grow.
The little spiderlings have black and tan stripes on their legs and are topped with metallic gold. Their abdomen is adorned with what looks like a black and red tribal tattoo.
Many juvenile specimens will go though a short phase where their gold carapace turns flower-pedal pink.
The carapace, once gold and then pink will later become aquamarine. The Black and Tan legs will turn blue and the abdomen will become orange.
Smaller slings like to burrow while juvenile and larger specimens are some of the most talented (and excessive) webbers of my collection. They will put webbing everywhere they can reach it's awesome!
Origin: New World. Native to the unique and isolated Paraguaná Peninsula in Northern Venezuela.
Difficulty: Beginner
Type: Terrestrial
Adult Size: 4.75-6.25"
Growth speed: Fast
Longevity: Males 3-6 years, females 8-14 years
Temperament: Often considered a docile species, I find they can be skittish and may flee and will sometimes flick hairs if disturbed. Bites are rare and not considered medically significant.
Bite potency: Mild
Urticating hairs: Yes
Ideal Temperature: 71 to 76°
Humidity: Low to Medium
Fun Fact: GBB is undoubtedly "our customers favorite tarantula"
Smaller slings like to burrow while larger specimens are often content to adopt a hide, and are more likely to be out in the open for viewing.
Enclosure: GBB are unusual in their webbing behavior. Instead of burrowing they prefer to make a tubeweb attached to foliage rather than burrow.
Good ventilation is a must and safety should be a top priority when choosing and designing your tarantulas enclosure. The enclosure should not be too tall as to give such a heavy species an opportunity to fall and injure itself. For spiderlings under about 1-1 1/4″ we recommend the 2.25 x 2.25 x 4.5” - Terrestrial Kit. For specimens over 1″ to about 2″ we recommend the 4x4x6” - Terrestrial Kit - Magnetic Lock or the 4x4x5 Classic Porthole.
Specimens over 2″ and to about 5” can go into an 8x8x14” Terrestrial Enclosure.Click HERE to find out how to you measure a tarantula.
Substrate: Cocofiber, vermiculite, peat moss and/or potting soil (or a mix) are all excellent substrate choices. Please make sure the substrate you choose is organic and chemical/fertilizer free. Do not use sand, pebbles, rocks or wood chips or anything else that could potentially cut or injure the tarantula.
Water: Larger spiders 2” and over should be provided with a shallow water dish in order to drink. The water bowl should be rinsed our every time it is refilled. Being a scrubland species they will not require as frequent misting as an arboreal species however, I recommend keeping one corner of the enclosure lightly misted, especially if there is no water bowl.
Feeding: Adults will eat every 5-10 days depending on the size of the spider and it’s prey. Spiderlings should eat more often, every 3-6 days. Adults may be fed crickets, mealworms or roaches. Spiderlings under .75” can only eat food small enough for it to overpower. This includes pinhead crickets, flightless fruit flies & freshly hatched “pinhead” rusty red roaches. It is not advised to feed your tarantula wild-caught food. It could contain parasites or pesticides that could be fatal to your pet. Keep your tarantulas enclosure clean. food waste left in the enclosure will invite mold, mildew, mites, flies and other pests. It is advised to remove uneaten prey items after 3-12 hours. If using a feeder who will not “bother” a tarantula such as dubia roaches it is alright to leave them in the enclosure as long as they are not causing stress to the specimen. A more detailed feeding, misting & troubleshooting guide can be found HERE.