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Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of tarantulas native to Sri Lanka.
| Part of a series on |
| Wildlife of Sri Lanka |
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Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of tarantulas native to Sri Lanka.
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theraphosidae
Tarantulas are easily identified by their hairy nature and large size from other commonly encountered spiders. Throughout the world, they are considered as a popular exotic pets, as most of the tarantulas are non-poisonous to humans. In Sri Lanka, the largest known specimens are size of a dinner plate, [1] or size of the palm. There are over 9000 species of tarantulas are described from all over the world, where they are not found in most of the Europe, North America and other Arctic colder regions. They are well distributed in Africa, south of Asia, South America, and Oceania. Indian subcontinent including India and Sri Lanka is home to 15 tarantula species, where India has 7 endemic species and Sri Lanka has 9 endemic species, where another one species is native to both countries.
The species called Poecilotheria amarasekarai is still in debate, whether it is a distinct species or the morph of Poecilotheria rajaei .
The species Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, thought to be endemic to India, was recently found from Mannar district of Sri Lanka. [2]
The species once classified as Poecilotheria vittata is now identified as the same species of Poecilotheria striata , which is endemic to India.
| Name | Binomial | Distribution in island |
|---|---|---|
| Chilobrachys nitelinus | ||
| Plesiophrictus tenuipes | ||
| Lowland ivory ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria bara | Central |
| Sri Lankan ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria fasciata | Central |
| Rameshwaram ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica | North-Western |
| Fringed ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria ornata | Southern |
| Mankulam Pink-banded ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria rajaei | Northern |
| Yellow-backed ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria smithi | South Central |
| Ivory ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria subfusca | South Central |
| Common ornamental tarantula | Poecilotheria uniformis | Central |
The Goliath birdeater belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae. Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass and body length, and second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span. It is also called the Goliath tarantula or Goliath bird-eating spider; the practice of calling theraphosids "bird-eating" derives from an early 18th-century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird. Despite the spider's name, it rarely preys on birds.
Uperodon taprobanicus, also known as the Sri Lankan bullfrog, Sri Lankan painted frog, Sri Lankan kaloula, Ceylon kaloula, Indian painted frog, or painted globular frog, is a species of narrow-mouthed frog found in Nepal, Bangladesh, southern and eastern India, and Sri Lanka up to an altitude of about 1300 metres. It can grow to an adult length of up to 75 millimetres(7.5 cm) long from snout to vent. It was originally described as a subspecies of Kaloula pulchra, ssp. taprobanica. The IUCN lists it as being of "Least Concern".
Poecilotheria is a genus of tarantulas native to India and Sri Lanka. It was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1885. They are arboreal tarantulas, commonly known as ornamental tarantulas, known for their vivid color patterns, fast movement, and potent venom compared to other tarantulas. As of 2019 all species are protected under CITES.
Poecilotheria metallica, also known as the peacock tarantula, is an Old World species of tarantula. It is the only blue species of the genus Poecilotheria. Like others in its genus it exhibits an intricate fractal-like pattern on the abdomen. The species' natural habitat is deciduous forest in Andhra Pradesh, in central southern India. It has been classified as Critically endangered by the IUCN.
Uperodon nagaoi, also known as the Nagao's pug-snout frog or Nagao's globular frog, is a species of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka and is known from the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Western Provinces. The specific name nagaoi honours Eijiro Nagao, president of Marusan Securities who, through the Nagao Environmental Foundation, has supported research on Sri Lankan amphibians.
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. As of August 2022, 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although many other members of the same infraorder (Mygalomorphae) are commonly referred to as "tarantulas" or "false tarantulas". Some of the more common species have become popular in the exotic pet trade. Many New World species kept as pets have setae known as urticating hairs that can cause irritation to the skin, and in extreme cases, cause damage to the eyes.
Wildlife of Sri Lanka includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of biological endemism in the world.
Mannar District is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The capital of the district is Mannar, which is located on Mannar Island.
Poecilotheria ornata, known as the fringed ornamental or ornate tiger spider, is a large arboreal tarantula, which is endemic to Sri Lanka. Their legspan sometimes reaches 10 inches (25 cm) in females, and is probably the second largest of the genus, behind Poecilotheria rufilata.
Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, also known as the Rameshwaram ornamental, or Rameshwaram parachute spider, is a critically endangered species of tarantula.
Poecilotheria rajaei is a tarantula in the genus Poecilotheria endemic to Sri Lanka.
Poecilotheria miranda, also known as the Bengal ornamental is a species of tarantula. The species is endemic to India.
Poecilotheria striata, or the Mysore ornamental tarantula, is a large arboreal tarantula of the family Theraphosidae. It is endemic to India.
Poecilotheria vittata, sometimes called Pederson's ornamental, the ghost ornamental, or magam tiger spider, is an arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. In IUCN Red List, the species is cited as a synonym of Indian species Poecilotheria striata, but in other local text books and online publications, it is cited as a separate species. As of February 2016, the species was considered to be native to both India and Sri Lanka by the World Spider Catalog.
Poecilotheria subfusca, or the ivory ornamental, is a spider in the tarantula family, Theraphosidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. As of February 2019, the World Spider Catalog regarded Poecilotheria bara as a synonym. Other sources, particularly in the pet trade, have treated highland and lowland forms as distinct species, with the lowland forms being P. bara.
Chilobrachys is a genus of Asian tarantulas that was first described by Ferdinand Anton Franz Karsch in 1892. They are found in India, Myanmar, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka. They are usually medium or large-sized, and they can stridulate by using small spines present on the chelicerae.
The Selenocosmiinae are a subfamily of tarantulas found throughout South-East Asia and Australia. This subfamily is defined by the presence of a lyra on the maxillae and strikers on the chelicerae, allowing these spiders to stridulate and produce a "hissing" sound. However some species within Phlogiellus may have secondary lost their lyra but retain their strikers. The monophyly of the subfamily has been only tested using genetic data with a handful of genera or species in a few studies. However, these studies found genera that had been previously placed in this subfamily were actual their own separate subfamily (Poecilotheria) and that Selenocosmiinae is most closely related to the Indian Thrigmopoeinae. As of 2021, Selenocosmiinae contains 11 genera.
Chilobrachys jonitriantisvansicklei is a species of tarantula of the genus Chilobrachys. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. The species is named for Joni Triantis Van Sickle, a conservationist involved in protecting the area. It is characterized by iridescent blue markings on its legs.
Pakkamalai is a mountain and forest reserve in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, located 45 km southwest of Gingee.