Introducing Goldie!

I know I’m late to the party on this, but I just heard that The Butterfly Pavilion brought on a new ambassador tarantula in July: Goldie the Chaco Tarantula!

Image Credit: The Butterfly Pavilion

While Rosie, the Chilean Rosehair Tarantula, will continue to greet visitors to The Butterfly Pavilion, Goldie the Chaco Tarantula is now an ambassador too! The Butterfly Pavilion said:

“At Butterfly Pavilion, we foster an appreciation for invertebrates within the community through education and research so that they can participate in invertebrate conservation. One of the ways we connect guests with our mission is through hands-on learning experiences, like holding Rosie, and now Goldie. But Rosie can’t do all the work, so our new tarantula is ready to be held by guests and help educate about the wonders of the invertebrate world. Tarantulas are often vilified and judged by their appearance. When guests hold our tarantulas, they realize they aren’t scary and are an essential captivating animal worthy of our appreciation.”

Chaco Golden Knee Tarantulas are found in Argentina and Paraguay, in the grasslands of the Gran Chaco, which is “east of the Andes mountains and south of the tropical rainforests” (The Tarantula Collective)

Chaco Tarantulas are dark-colored with “vibrant gold bands” on their legs, which is likely where they get their species name: “pulchripes,” meaning “beautiful foot.”

Photo Credit: The Butterfly Pavilion, KDVR

Love The Butterfly Pavilion’s spider friends? Read about my meet-and-greet with Rosie!

If anyone is good at drawing, I would love to see a pic of Rosie and Goldie high-fiving, wearing little ambassador vests or something. And maybe Goldie could be wearing Chacos (the shoe). Actually, I’m going to learn to draw just so I can make this happen.