Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula
Grammostola pulchripes
A large, dark brown South American tarantula with golden bands around its knees.
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About the Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula
Chaco golden knee tarantulas live in grasslands of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. They are dark chocolate brown with golden bands on their leg joints and a legspan of about 7 inches. They live in burrows and eat insects, other spiders and sometimes lizards or rodents.[1]
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Grammostola pulchripes[1]
- Size
- Legspan about 7 inches.[1]
- Lifespan
- Females 20 to 25 years; males 5 to 10 years.[1]
- Diet
- Carnivore. Insects, spiders and sometimes lizards or rodents.[1]
- Habitat
- Grasslands, in burrows.[1]
- Where it lives
- Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.[1]
- Group life
- Solitary and shy.[1]
- Babies
- 100 to 500 eggs in a silk egg sac.[1]
- Conservation status
- Not evaluated by the IUCN.[1]
Fun facts
Vocabulary
- tarantula
- A large, hairy spider.
- urticating hairs
- Itchy hairs a tarantula can flick at predators.
- pedipalps
- A pair of leg-like feelers near a spider's mouth.
- venomous
- Able to inject poison by biting or stinging.
- arachnid
- An animal with eight legs and two body parts, such as a spider or scorpion.
See it in person
- Oakland ZooOakland, California · Animal AmbassadorsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.
Sources
- [1] Oakland Zoo. “Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/chaco-golden-knee-tarantula/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
Facts last checked 2026-10-02.
