Poecilotheria metallica
Encyclopedia
P. metallica is a species of tarantula. It reflects brilliant metallic blue color. This whole genus of arboreal tarantulas exhibits an intricate fractal-like pattern on the abdomen. The spider's natural habitat is primarily Southeastern India
and Sri Lanka
. P. metallica was first discovered in a town in central southern India
called Gooty
. Hence, its common name
is Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Tree Spider, or simply Gooty Sapphire.
funnel webs. Their primary prey consists of various flying insects, which they catch manually (not in a web) and paralyze. It is not unknown for the spiders of this genus to live communally when territory, i.e. number of holes per tree, is limited.
This species is desired by many tarantula enthusiasts, with adults sometimes pricing above $500 in the USA. Demand for 2-week old unsexed spiderlings at US$200 is high, and there are examples of them being sold for much more. Prices can vary in other locations, particularly Europe
. Like many spiders, the gender
can influence price; females live for about 12 years, 3-4 times longer than males, making them more expensive. Also females are considered to be more useful for breeding, making demand higher. They are hardy, relatively fast growing spiders that are generally fed crickets
, but can take on anything from a common fruit fly when spider-lings, to a new-born (pinky) mouse or anole
when adults. They measure between 6-8" in legspan when fully grown. In captivity, humid environments with temperatures between 65° to 75°F with a humidity level of 75 to 85% are preferred.
bite, this species is considered to have a medically significant bite, with venom
that may cause intense pain, judging from the experience of keepers bitten by other spiders from this genus
. They can move rapidly and may defend themselves when cornered, although they generally prefer flight to fight.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. P. metallica was first discovered in a town in central southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
called Gooty
Gooty
Gooty is a census town in Anantapur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The history of Gooty dates back to the 7th century when is was previously known as Gowthamapuri. The region of Gooty was first under the rule of king Ashoka and there is a minor rock edict in Yerraguda...
. Hence, its common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
is Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Tree Spider, or simply Gooty Sapphire.
Behavior
P. metallicas behavior parallels that of many arboreal spiders. In the wild the P. metallica live in holes of tall trees where they make asymmetricAsymmetric
Something which is asymmetric displays asymmetry. Specific uses of the term may include:*Asymmetric relation for information on such relations in mathematics and set theory*Asymmetric warfare for information and theories of modern war...
funnel webs. Their primary prey consists of various flying insects, which they catch manually (not in a web) and paralyze. It is not unknown for the spiders of this genus to live communally when territory, i.e. number of holes per tree, is limited.
This species is desired by many tarantula enthusiasts, with adults sometimes pricing above $500 in the USA. Demand for 2-week old unsexed spiderlings at US$200 is high, and there are examples of them being sold for much more. Prices can vary in other locations, particularly Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Like many spiders, the gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
can influence price; females live for about 12 years, 3-4 times longer than males, making them more expensive. Also females are considered to be more useful for breeding, making demand higher. They are hardy, relatively fast growing spiders that are generally fed crickets
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
, but can take on anything from a common fruit fly when spider-lings, to a new-born (pinky) mouse or anole
Polychrotidae
Polychrotidae is a family of lizards commonly known as anoles . NCBI places the anole in subfamily Polychrotinae of the family Iguanidae. Four genera are common: Anolis, Norops, Phenacosaurus, and Polychrus....
when adults. They measure between 6-8" in legspan when fully grown. In captivity, humid environments with temperatures between 65° to 75°F with a humidity level of 75 to 85% are preferred.
Bites
Although there has never been a recorded Human death from any tarantulaTarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of often hairy and often very large arachnids belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Some members of the same Suborder may also be called "tarantulas" in the common parlance. This article will restrict itself to...
bite, this species is considered to have a medically significant bite, with venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
that may cause intense pain, judging from the experience of keepers bitten by other spiders from this genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. They can move rapidly and may defend themselves when cornered, although they generally prefer flight to fight.
Popular Culture
- Markus PerssonMarkus PerssonMarkus Alexej Persson is a Swedish indie game developer and founder of Mojang AB. He is best known for creating the sandbox building game Minecraft.- Biography :...
a.k.a Notch, creator of MinecraftMinecraftMinecraft is a sandbox-building independent video game written in Java originally by Swedish creator Markus "Notch" Persson and now by his company, Mojang, formed from the proceeds of the game. It was released as an alpha on May 17, 2009, with a beta version on December 20, 2010...
, may have based the aggressive mob of Cave Spiders on this tarantula. The spiders in the game have blue skin, poisonous, but non-deadly bite, and a small size, similar to P. metallica.