Gooty Sapphire Tarantula

The gooty sapphire tarantula is a critically endangered tree-dwelling spider from India. Poecilotheria metallica was described in 1899 from a single female found in a railway bungalow at Gooty, possibly carried there in timber, and was not seen again for about 102 years, until 2001. The IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered, living in roughly 100 square km of degraded forest in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, and a 2019 record extended its known range about 370 km south into Tamil Nadu. The undersides of its front legs are blackish brown with a strong metallic blue sheen and orange-yellow patches.

All Poecilotheria species have been on CITES Appendix II since 2019, and India bans commercial export of wild-taken CITES species, so legal animals in trade are captive-bred. Ask any seller for breeding records. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act, but five Sri Lankan Poecilotheria are, which makes selling those across state lines illegal without a permit. Keepers describe it as fast and defensive, and Poecilotheria bites often cause severe muscle cramps that start late and last for days, so it suits experienced keepers. Keepers use a tall, well-ventilated enclosure with bark to climb.