Poecilotheria rufilata

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Red slate ornamental tarantula
Poecilotheria rufilata 8LA2.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
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 [2]

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. [1] [3]

Contents

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]

Poecilotheria rufilata.jpg

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. [1]

As a pet

Compared to other tiger spiders, this species is Very skittish and flighty. This species will not hesitate to bite. Spiderlings are extremely fast as they grow they get quite strong. Adults are also extremely fast. This is not a beginner species. [7] [8]

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<i>Poecilotheria regalis</i> Species of arachnid

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<i>Poecilotheria ornata</i> Species of spider

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.

<i>Poecilotheria rajaei</i> Species of spider

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Poecilotheria miranda, also known as the Bengal ornamental is a species of tarantula. The species is endemic to India.

<i>Poecilotheria fasciata</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria fasciata, or the Sri Lanka ornamental, is a large arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to central Sri Lanka.

<i>Poecilotheria smithi</i> Species of spider

Poecilotheria smithi, or the yellow-backed ornamental, is a species of large arboreal tarantulas. It is endemic to Sri Lanka and considered to be critically endangered.

<i>Poecilotheria striata</i> Species of spider

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<i>Poecilotheria formosa</i> Tarantula spider species

Poecilotheria formosa is a species of tarantula, commonly known as the salem ornamental, beautiful parachute spider, or finely formed parachute spider.

<i>Poecilotheria vittata</i> Species of spider

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.

<i>Poecilotheria subfusca</i> Species of spider

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.

Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli, also known as Wessel's tiger ornamental or Anantagiri's parachute spider, is an arboreal tarantula. It is endemic to Eastern Ghats of India and known from six locations around Andhra Pradesh.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Siliwal, M.; Molur, S.; Daniel, B.A. (2008). "Poecilotheria rufilata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T63567A12683035. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T63567A12683035.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Taxon details Poecilotheria rufilata Pocock, 1899". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 29 February 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. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2016.