Grammostola pulchra 'Brazilian Black'
Jet black, impossibly calm, and built like a tank — the tarantula people fall in love with.
About Grammostola pulchra
Grammostola pulchra is a New World terrestrial tarantula from southern Brazil and Uruguay. Adults are a uniform, deep velvet black across the entire body — no patterns, no markings, just solid black. This simplicity is exactly what makes them so striking.
G. pulchra is one of the calmest tarantulas in the hobby. They rarely flick urticating hairs, almost never adopt a threat posture, and generally move at a glacial pace. The trade-off is growth rate — this species is famously slow-growing. A sling can take 5–7 years to reach full adult size, so patience is essential.
Females are long-lived, regularly exceeding 20 years in captivity. Males mature faster but live only 4–6 years.
Enclosure
This is a terrestrial, semi-fossorial species. Provide a low, wide enclosure with plenty of floor space — 35×25×20 cm minimum for an adult. Height should be limited to prevent dangerous falls.
- Substrate: coconut fibre or coir/topsoil mix, 10–15 cm deep to allow burrowing
- A cork bark hide or half-log for a retreat — they will often modify the burrow entrance themselves
- A shallow water dish, always kept clean and full
- Minimal decoration needed — this species is not a climber
Temperature, humidity & water
Maintain 22–26°C. Room temperature in most homes works well. If supplemental heat is needed, use a heat mat on the side of the enclosure — never underneath, as burrowing species dig down to escape heat.
Keep humidity around 60–70% by lightly dampening one half of the substrate and allowing the other to remain dry. A water dish will also contribute to ambient humidity. Overflow it occasionally to moisten the surrounding substrate.
Feeding & moulting
Feed every 7–10 days with appropriately sized prey. Adults take large crickets, dubia roaches, locusts, and mealworms. Slings and juveniles should get prey scaled to their body size — no larger than the abdomen.
G. pulchra is not a heavy feeder and may refuse food for extended periods, especially in cooler months. This is normal for Grammostola species. Do not force the issue — just try again the following week.
After a moult, wait at least 1–2 weeks before offering food. The fangs need time to harden, and premature feeding attempts can injure the spider. Remove the moult from the enclosure once the spider has moved away from it.
Tarantulas moult by flipping onto their backs. If you find your tarantula lying upside-down, it is almost certainly moulting — not dead. Do not touch it, do not spray it, and do not attempt to help. The process can take several hours. Leave it completely undisturbed.
Temperament & handling
G. pulchra is among the most docile tarantulas available. Defensive behaviour is extremely rare. As a New World species it does possess urticating hairs, but it very seldom uses them.
Despite this calm nature, handling is still a risk for the spider. At 15–18 cm legspan, this is a substantial animal — a fall from hand height onto a hard surface will very likely rupture the abdomen. If you choose to handle, stay seated and keep the spider over a cushioned surface at all times.
If urticating hairs contact you
- If hairs contact your skin, use tape to remove them and wash the area
- If hairs get in your eyes, flush immediately with clean water and see a doctor — do not rub
- Wash hands after handling or cleaning the enclosure