Rosea or Porteri

[LauraS]

This is my husband's tarantula. He purchased her as a G. rosea but has been recently thinking that it is a G. porteri instead. Which one is it? I vote rosea for the record but I'm no expert.

 

[MassExodus]

That's definitely a porsea. It looks rather like a roteri though.

 

[kormath]

I've never been able to tell the difference

 

[Entity]

its a rosea in my opinion. Pretty distinctive red colored carapace.

 

[MassExodus]

That's a porteri like mine. The world spider catalog lists them as two separate species, but many believe they're just color forms, including me, and are awaiting a revision. Typically, brown, grey or silver are porteri, red are rosea. These are labeled by dealers, not taxonomists. All have pink on their carapace, although I had a mature male that went from very pink on his carapace post ultimate molt to bronze colored as he neared his death. He was a brown porteri. My girl is a grey porteri, with a very pink carapace. It's up in the air, but it's best to keep those color groups separate as far as breeding, just to be safe.

 

[MassExodus]

Understand though, this is just commonly accepted classification, it's by no means science..

 

[LauraS]

Thanks guys. It's so confusing! I was going with rosea because of the pink in the carapace. I guess my husband may be right. Dang it! Lol.

 

[Chubbs]

Thanks guys. It's so confusing! I was going with rosea because of the pink in the carapace. I guess my husband may be right. Dang it! Lol.

If it was reddish/pink all over it'd be a rosea. Both have a pink carapace.

 

[Tomoran]

Porteri. LOVE the way those pinkish-purple carapaces contrast with the more muted gray/browns of the body! I, two, would love a final revision that definitively decides if the porteri/rosea are two different species or not. I've heard that there are physiological differences between the two, but nothing concrete.

 

[MassExodus]

I'll say this: A huge majority of G rosea/porteri in the hobby are wild caught, sold in LPS. When's the last time any of you guys saw the red color form for sale? The rosea. All I ever see is porteri, I've seen a hundred porteri in stores from Corpus Christi up to San Antonio, and have not once seen a rosea/RCF for sale. Have any of you?

 

[Tomoran]

Unfortunately, they can't sell tarantulas in pet stores in my state (thanks Connecticut! ), so I can't comment from personal experience. However, having been on the forums for a while and seen the pics most folks post of their "pet store rosies", the majority seem to be the porteri.

 

[Fuzzball79]

Mine's a pet shop Rosie, albeit UK and small shop that sources from breeders and she's definitely a Rosea (so was the other one they were selling at the time):

 

[MassExodus]

Beautiful spider

 

[kormath]

Mine's a pet shop Rosie, albeit UK and small shop that sources from breeders and she's definitely a Rosea (so was the other one they were selling at the time):

Lovely, i hope my "rosea" actually turns out to be a rosea and not a porteri. It came from KTBG but my fingers are still crossed. I'd love to have it that gorgeous red like yours

 

[MassExodus]

I'd definitely add the red form to my collection but I do really like the grey/brown/silver with the pink carapace on the porteri, as Tom said. The colors contrast well, and adult females get rather stocky and impressive looking.

 

[TabithasMom]

Unfortunately, they can't sell tarantulas in pet stores in my state (thanks Connecticut! ), so I can't comment from personal experience. However, having been on the forums for a while and seen the pics most folks post of their "pet store rosies", the majority seem to be the porteri.

Remind me to never move to Connecticut!

 

[Enn49]

On the subject of rosea v porteri, is there any difference between their slings?

 

[Chubbs]

I'll say this: A huge majority of G rosea/porteri in the hobby are wild caught, sold in LPS. When's the last time any of you guys saw the red color form for sale? The rosea. All I ever see is porteri, I've seen a hundred porteri in stores from Corpus Christi up to San Antonio, and have not once seen a rosea/RCF for sale. Have any of you?

I've seen them for sale at a pet store by me a few times, and on a few forums. They're not exactly super rare, but definitely much less common than the other form.