Difference Between G Rosea and G Porteri

Now i know theres been lots of threads about this. Im just still confused. Dont bother with any "noob" comments.. I'm sure im not the only one still confused here. Could someone just actually post pictures of each of the different ones? even google images shows every "color form" being the same.. I have a "rose hair" and im going to get another "rose hair" and it looks nothing like the one i have. The one i have already has grey legs and like a pink carapace. The one im getting today is all grey with more distinct white "stripes" on the knees.. I dont know what im getting! HELP!

The Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula (Grammostola porteri) is one of the most commonly available tarantulas in the pet trade today and is quite often the first species kept by most enthusiasts. Rose Hairs are most often a grayish brown with a pinkish hue across the top of their head. These tarantulas grow very slowly until they reach about 5” diagonal leg span, sometimes larger. The rose hair has become so popular because of its long life expectancy and incredible hardiness. As with any tarantulas though, keeping more than one together has proven fatal and the largest will cannibalize the others.
When first brought into the pet trade the Chilean Rose Hair was known scientifically as Grammostola rosea and was available in two color forms, red color form and normal color form. After much studying on the taxonomy of this species they were discovered that the true Chilean Rose Hair with the gray or “normal” color form was Grammostola porteri while the red color form Rose Hair was the actual Grammostola rosea. When keeping this species this piece of information is most important to remember if you are planning on breeding your rose hair. A G. rosea and a G. porteri should never be hybridized.

Hybridization in tarantulas is extremely frowned upon and downright discouraged. Most people think of hybridization as simple as their crossbreed dog. The difference between this is that these dogs are the same species, just different variations and mutations of that species. Tarantulas are all different species and should be kept that way to encourage future studying of these animals to broaden the world’s knowledge of them.

I found this on the interwebs recently. I think through all this confusion there are already hybridized Rosea and G Poteri on the market. I've seen wild spectrums of reds and metallics in the last few years. Bronze carapace even....

https://suite.io/evan-eloe/5w3927f

So you're saying that the "NCF" would not have the pink head and is actually a G Porteri then?

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I have a G. porteri and a G. rosea so I'll post a picture of each. The G. porteri is the first photo. She has a lot of grey color which sometimes looks very dull while my G. rosea has a bright reddish color compared to the other. Both pictured are confirmed females.

In all these years I've rescued G Roseas from Petsmart I've actually been rescuing G. Poteri. wow...

Well then now I'm more confused. I have one just like your top one. But this other one I'm getting that's supposed to be a rose hair, I'm pretty sure if has no pink on it at all.

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---------- Post added 08-30-2014 at 09:58 AM ----------

I'm gonna be getting it at about 2:30 this afternoon so maybe I'll put a picture up so we can figure this out. I know lots of people struggle with trying to tell the difference. And I've heard there is 3 different color forms to the g rosea and people that aren't a part of the hobby just sell them all as rose hairs because they either don't know or don't care even though its actually 2 or 3 different species and it sucks for us.

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alexgeesy said:

Well then now I'm more confused. I have one just like your top one. But this other one I'm getting that's supposed to be a rose hair, I'm pretty sure if has no pink on it at all.

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Now that pics are posted, I don't understand at all how you could be MORE confused.

because I'm getting one that looks like neither of those!

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---------- Post added 08-30-2014 at 10:04 AM ----------

I do understand the difference in those now and know that I have a porteri already.

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alexgeesy said:

Now i know theres been lots of threads about this. Im just still confused. Dont bother with any "noob" comments.. I'm sure im not the only one still confused here. Could someone just actually post pictures of each of the different ones? even google images shows every "color form" being the same.. I have a "rose hair" and im going to get another "rose hair" and it looks nothing like the one i have. The one i have already has grey legs and like a pink carapace. The one im getting today is all grey with more distinct white "stripes" on the knees.. I dont know what im getting! HELP!

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Cold Blood, I think this is what the OP was refering to being more confused since he states here that the "rose hair" he's getting today is all grey with distinct white stripes on its' knees

ratluvr76 said:

Cold Blood, I think this is what the OP was refering to being more confused since he states here that the "rose hair" he's getting today is all grey with distinct white stripes on its' knees

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From his description it seems like he's getting porteri, I'm interested to see the pics of the "rosehair" in question.

I'm colorblind so nothing is really any clearer for me. I have one of them but I have no idea which one and unless I carry someone around with me, it never will be. I'd like to find it a new home but I don't know what it is. Why do colors have to confound me so?!?!?!?

I'm gonna post a pic here as soon as i get it. From what im seeing here id have to guess porteri too but i dont remember seeing any pink on its head. we'll see shortly i guess

So I go to the pet store and find that its been sold. so now I'm not a very happy camper but while I was there I managed to pick up a real g rosea! its amazing!

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---------- Post added 08-30-2014 at 03:38 PM ----------



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Can you post a pic from above the t?

The abdomen on my G Porteri is pretty large compared to yours, Zigana. I wonder if she's overfed (even though I only feed her once a week, occasionally twice).

Akai said:

After much studying on the taxonomy of this species they were discovered that the true Chilean Rose Hair with the gray or “normal” color form was Grammostola porteri while the red color form Rose Hair was the actual Grammostola rosea.

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Who did this studying? Any links or reference to the work ? I keep hearing this rumor, but don't know what its based on.

Later, Tom

scorpion975 said:

The abdomen on my G Porteri is pretty large compared to yours, Zigana. I wonder if she's overfed (even though I only feed her once a week, occasionally twice).

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Mine is still in the process of gaining weight back from molting so she is more slender than usual.

Now I'm no I'm expert but to me even mine looks like its been a little overfed. also I got a pic from above but its not very clear because the lighting isn't so good but maybe it'll give you an idea

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That T isn't overfed, it is in premolt.

Very well could be. It just ate today but even my b smithi ate after it has the black spot on its abdomen

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Philth said:

Who did this studying? Any links or reference to the work ? I keep hearing this rumor, but don't know what its based on.

Later, Tom

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That's the question that comes to mind every time I see posts like this. Until someone comes along and publishes something that defines the characters of both the male and female of Grammostola porteri, I will just sit back and enjoy posts like these for their entertainment value.