Order: Araneae
Family: Theraphosidae
Subfamily: Theraphosinae
                Grammostola gala

Rose-Haired Tarantula By Stephen Boyd Gunnells

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Range:             Northern Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina
Average Size:  4.5- 5.5 inches
Life Span:       Females 15+ years, males 5-7 years
Diet:               Crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and other insects.  Only eat twice a week.

 

 

 

Description:  They have 8 jointed legs, if they lose one it will regenerate a new one.  They have 8 eyes, 2 fangs, and are venomous.  They have Cephalothorax, this is where they the eyes are located on and the legs join.

Handling:      They are docile but the males can be a little more aggressive and bite.  Their hair may irritate the skin. So handling directly is optional.

Housing:        The tank should be a 5-10 gallon enclosure and about three times wider than the leg span.

 

 

Photographing The Tarantula

Equipment

Camera     Canon Rebel XT Lens   Sigma 28-80mm Macro 1:2
Macro 38mm
Lighting  Small desk lights                    
Bellows              
Tripod

 

Handling:     The Tarantula is rather easy to handle while taking pictures, it rarely moves unless it is having air blown on it or being touched. 

Setup:           The Tarantula is sitting on a black cloth like
material.  Two small desk lights are facing the subject at 45 degrees in the front.  This allows the Tarantula to be evenly lit without the lights being in the way.  The camera is facing the Tarantula on a tripod. 

 

 

email me: StephenBoydPhoto@gmail.com

email my Professor: mrppph@rit.edu

Return to index of articles by students on the 'Principles and techniques of photomacrography' course, November 2007,
Biomedical Photographic Communications (BPC) program at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Article hosted on Micscape Magazine (Microscopy-UK).