Fun Indian Ornamental Tarantula Facts For Kids
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The Indian ornamental tarantula, Poecilotheria Regalis as it is scientifically known, is a member of the family Theraphosidae and genus Poecilotheria. There are many common names for it and one of them is the Indian ornamental tree spider.
Its scientific name Poecilotheria Regalis has been derived from Greek Poikilos, meaning spotted, Therion meaning wild beast, and Regalis refers to royal. The natural habitat of these ornamentals is Southeastern India. These can also be found in parts of Western and Eastern Ghats.
The Indian ornamental tarantula, Poecilotheria Regalis, is found in tree holes in forests where it makes asymmetrical funnel webs. They feed on flying insects, and reptiles.
They are gray in color while their underside is slightly lighter. Males have thinner and longer legs than females.
Individuals are highly defensive and thus, aggressive. They use a fight or flight mechanism. It is a common arboreal pet among collectors and the Indian ornamental tarantula enclosure has live plants and trees and is set at an appropriate temperature.
The Indian ornamental tarantula's bite is painful but is not considered to be life-threatening. It is fascinating to know about this species and if you are interested, check out the wolf spider and the huntsman spider too.
Indian Ornamental Tarantula Interesting Facts
What type of animal is an Indian Ornamental Tarantula?
Indian ornamental tarantulas, or Poecilotheria Regalis, are spiders.
What class of animal does an Indian Ornamental Tarantula belong to?
This spider belongs to the class Arachnida.
How many Indian Ornamental Tarantulas are there in the world?
There has been no specific number of these tarantulas recorded.
Where does an Indian Ornamental Tarantula live?
This ornamental tree spider lives in forests in the Western and Eastern Ghats of India.
What is an Indian Ornamental Tarantula's habitat?
These are arboreal species and the Indian ornamental tarantula's habitat includes holes or crevices, in funnel webs in tall trees of dry deciduous, and other, forests.
Who do Indian Ornamental Tarantulas live with?
It is believed that these tarantulas do not live in groups or pairs as they have a tendency to engage in cannibalism when there is a lack of food.
How long does an Indian Ornamental Tarantula live?
The lifespan of this ornamental tree spider is around three or four years but it has been recorded that some females of the species have lived for about 12 years.
How do they reproduce?
Not much information is available about the reproduction methods of this ornamental tree spider but in general, the mating begins when the adult male makes a web and deposits its sperm on the surface. The copulation happens by the use of pedipalps, these are short leg-like structures or appendages and are near their mouth.
The female then seals the eggs and sperm in a cocoon-like structure, commonly known as the egg sac, and then protects them for about six to nine weeks, after which about 500-1000 baby tarantulas hatch.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the Indian ornamental tarantula is of Least Concern.
Indian Ornamental Tarantula Fun Facts
What do Indian Ornamental Tarantulas look like?
This species is considered to be an elongated one. The leg span of males is around 7 in while that of the female is around 9 in.
The body of these Poecilotheria Regalis is gray with a pattern of black and white stripes and chevrons. These species also have a yellow spot under the first set of pair of legs and it gets visible only when it raises its leg during the defense. Males have longer and thinner legs in comparison to females.
How cute are they?
These tarantulas are not considered cute.
How do they communicate?
Not much information is available about the communication of these tarantulas.
How big is an Indian Ornamental Tarantula?
The exact measurements of this spider are not known, but it is believed that these spiders require large tanks when kept as pets as they are large-sized when compared to other similar tarantulas.
How fast can Indian Ornamental Tarantulas move?
The exact speed of this tarantula species is unknown but they are known to be quite quick in their movements.
How much does an Indian Ornamental Tarantula weigh?
The weight of this ornamental tarantula is unknown.
What are their male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names for the males and females of the species.
What would you call a baby Indian Ornamental Tarantula?
There is no particular name for a baby Indian ornamental tree spider.
What do they eat?
The food, or prey, of this tarantula, include various large and flying insects, scorpions, centipedes, small frogs, and reptiles. Their prey also includes other spiders too. This tarantula paralyzes its prey with its venom.
Are they harmful?
The bites of the Indian ornamental tree spider can be highly painful because of the Indian ornamental tarantula venom. This spider tends to attack when it is cornered. Its large tentacles can lead to puncture wounds which can cause other infections if it is not medically treated.
There have been no deaths or cases of anaphylactic shocks reported from the venom of this spider.
Would they make a good pet?
These species are common as pets among tarantula enthusiasts. Indian ornamental tarantula care is manageable. It is easy to house them in large, vertically oriented tanks.
Ventilation and humidity should be ensured by using a deep substrate or a combination of peat moss, sand, and live plants in the tank. There should be a water dish or bowl placed in the enclosure.
The temperature should be around 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity level around 75-85 %. It is best to house the tarantulas individually. They should not be handled in any circumstances as they can be very aggressive.
Did you know...
Some common names of the Poecilotheria Regalis include ornamental tree spider, Indian ornamental, king parachute spider, and regal parachute spider.
This species is quite common in the pet trade world.
Cobalt blue is considered to be the most aggressive tarantula and the fringed-ornamental is considered to be the most dangerous.
What survival mechanisms do Indian Ornamental Tarantulas have?
The Indian ornamental tree spider prefers flight to fight. In general, tarantulas defend themselves by shooting their hair or pokey spines present on the abdomen. They rub these spines or hair with their legs and then shoot. A female paralyzes others by stinging.
What is unique about Indian Ornamental Tarantulas?
With a leg span of around 7-9 in and its ghost-like appearance and gray color with black and white stripes and yellow spots, this is quite common for Tarantula enthusiasts.
Their flight or fight response is also one of their unique features amongst spiders.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including the six-eyed sand spider and the orb-weaver spider.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our indian ornamental tarantula coloring pages.
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Based in Lucknow, India, Aashita is a skilled content creator with experience crafting study guides for high school-aged kids. Her education includes a degree in Business Administration from St. Mary's Convent Inter College, which she leverages to bring a unique perspective to her work. Aashita's passion for writing and education is evident in her ability to craft engaging content.
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