Poecilotheria regalis
Encyclopedia
Poecilotheria regalis is one of the most popular arboreal tarantulas. Their legspan sometimes exceeds 7 inches (18 cm).
is derived from Greek
"poikilos" - spotted and "therion" - wild beast. Regalis refers to "royal". This whole genus of arboreal tarantulas exhibits an intricate fractal-like pattern on the abdomen. The spider's natural habitat is primarily Southeastern India
. The common name for this spider is Indian Ornamental Tree Spider, or simply Indian Ornamental.
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.
bite this species is considered to be a relatively dangerous spider, with venom
that may cause intense pain, judging from the experience of keepers bitten by other spiders from this genus
. They move rapidly and, although they generally prefer flight to fight, may attack when cornered.
Name
The name PoecilotheriaPoecilotheria
Poecilotheria is a genus of the family Theraphosidae containing various species of arboreal tarantula. This genus is known for vivid color patterns, fast movement, and potent venom compared to other tarantulas. The genus is native to Sri Lanka and India. The name Poecilotheria is derived from...
is derived from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
"poikilos" - spotted and "therion" - wild beast. Regalis refers to "royal". This whole genus of arboreal tarantulas exhibits an intricate fractal-like pattern on the abdomen. The spider's natural habitat is primarily Southeastern 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...
. The common name for this spider is Indian Ornamental Tree Spider, or simply Indian Ornamental.
Behavior
The P. regalis' behavior parallels that of many arboreal spiders. In the wild the P. regalis 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.
Bites
Although there has never been a recorded 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 be a relatively dangerous spider, 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 move rapidly and, although they generally prefer flight to fight, may attack when cornered.