Invertebrates
Greenbottle Blue Tarantula
Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens · also called gbb tarantula
Metallic blue legs, a green carapace, and an orange-haired abdomen combine on a single greenbottle blue tarantula, one of the most vividly multicoloured spiders anywhere, native to a small patch of arid Venezuelan scrubland.
Overview
The greenbottle blue tarantula, Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens, is native to a restricted area of arid scrubland in northern Venezuela. Its striking three-colour combination, dense web-building behaviour, and adaptation to dry habitat rather than rainforest make it one of the most visually distinctive and ecologically unusual tarantulas kept by enthusiasts.
Colour from three different sources
Few tarantulas combine as many colours as the greenbottle blue, pairing a structurally produced metallic blue on the legs with a naturally green carapace and orange-haired abdomen, a combination rarely matched elsewhere in the tarantula world.
Status
Not Evaluated for conservation status, found across a restricted area of arid scrubland in northern Venezuela.
Greenbottle Blue Tarantula: common questions
Why does the greenbottle blue tarantula have so many colours?
It combines metallic blue legs, a green carapace, and an orange-haired abdomen in one of the most vividly multicoloured combinations found in any tarantula species, though the evolutionary purpose of this specific combination is not fully understood.
Does the greenbottle blue tarantula live in a burrow?
Not primarily; it constructs extensive, dense silk webbing around its shelter rather than relying mainly on a dug burrow, a behaviour that sets it apart from many ground-dwelling tarantula species.
Is the greenbottle blue tarantula easy to handle?
No, it has a reputation among keepers for being fast-moving and defensive, more likely to flee or flick irritating hairs than tolerate handling.
Where is the greenbottle blue tarantula found?
It is native to a restricted area of arid scrubland in northern Venezuela.