Green Bottle Blue Tarantula

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens

In the tarantula hobby, the green bottle blue tarantula is usually shortened to GBB and refers to Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens from dry scrub and thorny coastal habitats of the Paraguana Peninsula of Venezuela. Its color pattern makes it easy to identify: metallic blue legs, a greenish carapace, and an orange abdomen with pale striping. It is a terrestrial, heavy-webbing tarantula that turns a simple enclosure into a sheeted retreat, using silk to anchor hides, plants, cork bark, and burrow entrances.

Captive care reflects its arid origin more than the damp conditions many people associate with tarantulas. Keepers usually provide a well-ventilated enclosure with dry substrate, a water dish, and many web anchor points, avoiding constantly wet substrate that can stress the spider. It feeds on appropriately sized roaches, crickets, or other invertebrate prey and should be left undisturbed during molts. Green bottle blues are fast and can kick urticating hairs, so observation is safer than handling. Captive-bred spiderlings are widely available and are preferable to wild-collected adults.