From Wildlife Extra:
New tarantula species the size of an ipad discovered in Sri Lanka
New spiders grow up to 8 inches across
April 2013. A large new species of tarantula has been discovered in Sri Lanka. At 8 inches across, the new tarantula isn’t as large as the Goliath bird eating tarantula of South America, which can grow up to 12 inches. Poecilotheria rajaei (as the new spider has been named) would still be as long as an ipad screen. It is also quite fast for a spider, and venomous.
The tarantula was discovered back in 2009 when a villager in Mankulam, up in the northern part of Sri Lanka, provided Ranil Nanayakkara (Co-founder of the Biodiversity Education And Research (BEAR) organisation) with a dead male specimen. Further live specimens were then found in the village’s former doctor’s living quarters. It was quickly established that it was different to any species known from Sri Lanka at that time.
This group of tarantulas are commonly referred to variously as the Indian and Sri Lankan Ornamental Tarantulas, Parachute Spiders, Tiger Spiders, etc. but the scientific name is Poecilotheria rajaei (named after Inspector Michael Rajakumar Purajah – who was instrumental in allowing Ranil and his team access to the areas they needed to get to). It is an arboreal tarantula, so in its natural habitat it prefers to live in holes in trees or similar such crevices.
It belongs to a group of brightly coloured tarantulas from India and Sri Lanka which we can differentiate from one another by the pattern of black bands on the underside of their legs and, in this particular species and one other, a pale, ventral abdominal band.
Adapted to living in houses!
It is the first of what we believe are several new species of tarantula that have been located in this previously inaccessible region of Sri Lanka. Although this species is scarce as a consequence of its natural habitat having been destroyed, it has been able to adapt and has started to encroach on the ‘artificial trees’ that human habitation provides.
Our thanks to The British Tarantula Society & Ranil Nanayakkara.
Related articles
- Massive tarantula discovered… (news.sky.com)
- Giant new kind of tarantula discovered in Sri Lanka (independent.co.uk)
- New Species of Tarantula: Tiger Spider: What a Beauty! (spiritandanimal.wordpress.com)
- Meet the Poecilotheria rajaei: The gigantic, newly discovered tarantula researchers found in Sri Lanka (news.nationalpost.com)
- New Giant Tarantula Discovered in Sri Lanka (wired.com)
- Face-Sized Tarantula Spider Discovered In Sri Lanka, Already Threatened With Extinction From Deforestation (planetsave.com)
Sri Lanka – such a small country with all that biodiversity!
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Yes, indeed. It helps that Sri Lanka is an island. On islands, often new species evolve, different from continental species.
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“Venomous” is the key word here. Would not kill it but would not allow it to set up residence in my artificial tree…
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Spiders’ venom is usually dangerous to insects, but not to humans. Especially in tarantulas (a few smaller unrelated species like the black widow are dangerous to humans).
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I’ve been told the Brown Recluse can be quite lethal to humans?
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Brown Recluse, teeny tiny little spider, correct?
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Wikipedia writes:
Brown recluse spiders are usually between 6–20 mm (1⁄4 in and 3⁄4 in).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_recluse_spider
About its bite:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_recluse_spider#Bite
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Reblogged this on jackiewriting.
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Thank you for your reblogging!
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You’re welcome!
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🙂
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Stunning picture.Thank you my friend for liking my post ( jalal and his Oud) l hope you enjoyed the music.? jalal
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Thanks for your kind words! I did like the music 🙂
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