Description
Scientific Name: Homeomma chilensis
Common Names: Chilean Flame
Previously known as Euathlus sp. red, flame and other red monikers, the Chilean Flame is now described as Homeomma chilensis or Homeomma sp. chilensis. An adorable dwarf species of tarantula with a temperament to match. This is a great beginners tarantula, a very docile species that grows around the 8 or 9cm mark, so not only a dwarf, but something even beginners will feel comfortable with. They are quite curious and will often wander up and out of their enclosures during maintenance, or might even choose to climb on to you while you work. They rarely show any skittish or defensive behaviour at all, but as always, get to know your own specimen.
They are mostly black, except for the adorable little orange/red tuft of hair/setae where the abdomen meets the carapace. The slings of this species are quite cute looking too, with a light brown carapace, transparent legs and little white abdomens. They grow pretty slowly and gain little size between molts. These are fossorial tarantulas in nature, building shallow webbed burrows beneath rocks or broken logs. in captivity they seem to feel comfortable enough staying out in the open, so design your enclosures based on your specific specimen.
It’s said that burrows are found quite close to each other, even under the same rock. Perhaps some experiments with communal setups should be tested? Hmmm, interesting. This is currently quite an expensive tarantula due to it’s rarity, but breeding efforts are slowly bringing their numbers up and values down, meaning we should see more of them in the hobby soon. These are super cute tarantulas with a gentle disposition. We have read reports where breeders offer injured feeder prey so that the Chilean flame will not be frightened off.
