Poecilotheria rufilata

Red slate ornamental tarantula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Poecilotheria
Species: P. rufilata
Binomial name
Poecilotheria rufilata
Pocock, 1899[1]

Poecilotheria rufilata, also known as the red slate ornamental, reddish parachute spider, Travancore slate-red or rufus parachute spider, is an arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to South Western Ghats of India. It is classed as "endangered", threatened by habitat loss and smuggling for the pet trade.[2][3]

Description

The female is larger than the male, with a body length of about 8 cm, the male being at most 3.5 cm in body length.[4] In measured wild-caught specimens, the longest leg of the female was up to 8 cm in total length, that of the male up to 7 cm.[5]

In the first and fourth pairs of legs, the ground color is yellow. The femur is also yellow proximally, ending with a black part and a thin yellow band. The tibia is yellow.[6]

Ecology

The species is confined to the south Western Ghats of India, where it lives in tree hollows, under tree bark, and in rock crevices. It sometimes enters human settlements. It is classed as "endangered", with the major threats being habitat degradation and collection for the pet trade. It is smuggled out of India for sale in Europe and America.[2]

As a pet

Compared to other tiger spiders, this species is much more docile, but in extreme disturbances, will bite. However, spiderlings are known to be much stronger jumpers and strike faster than adults.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ "Taxon details Poecilotheria rufilata Pocock, 1899". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Poecilotheria rufilata". IUCN Red List 3.1. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  3. ↑ "P. rufilata". My Basic Tarantula. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  4. ↑ Schmidt, G. (2003). Die Vogelspinnen: Eine weltweite Übersicht. Neue Brehm-Bücherei. Hohenwarsleben: Westarp Wissenschaften. p. 246. ISBN 978-3-89432-899-3.
  5. ↑ Charpentier, P. (1996). "The illustrated redescription of: Poecilotheria rufilata Pocock 1899". Exothermae Magazine: 14–24.
  6. ↑ Nanayakkara, Ranil P. (2014). Tiger Spiders Poecilotheria of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environmental & Renewable Energy. p. 167. ISBN 978-955-0033-58-4.
  7. ↑ "Poecilotheria rufilata (Red Slate Ornamental)". Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "General information of P. rufilata". Tarantula. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
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