Rameshwaram ornamental spider
Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica
The Rameshwaram ornamental spider is a tree-dwelling species of tarantula native to Asia. Thanks to its light and dark brown stripes, it is exceptionally well camouflaged on tree bark. The species was discovered in 2004 on the island of Rameshwaram near the Hanumavilasum Temple in southern India, which also explains its name. In addition to its original range in southern India, the species was also recorded in northern Sri Lanka in 2015 and further west in the Western Ghats in the Indian state of Kerala in 2017.
The natural habitat on Rameshwaram Island—thorny, dry scrub and woodland—has declined significantly today, as the island is increasingly dominated by economically cultivated plants. The species therefore now lives primarily in human-influenced habitats such as tamarind, palm, coconut, and casuarina plantations. There, it uses tree hollows, cracks in the bark, or areas under loose bark as hiding places. It becomes active at dusk and usually hunts near the entrance to its burrow. Its prey consists mainly of insects and other arthropods, which it paralyzes using its neurotoxic venom. It then injects digestive enzymes into the prey to absorb the nutrients “in dissolved form.” Although tarantulas of the genus Poecilotheria are among the most venomous in the world, they pose no serious danger to humans. They are not particularly aggressive and usually retreat back to their shelter when threatened.
Females are highly site-faithful and inhabit the same shelter for several years, provided they are not disturbed. This shelter is usually used by a single individual. Once a year, the female lays her eggs in a cocoon—a protective silk casing—which she guards. Additionally, the entrance to its burrow is sealed with a thick layer of silk. A female can produce several dozen offspring, many of which, however, do not survive due to cannibalism or natural predators.
Due to its very small, fragmented populations and ongoing habitat loss, the Rameshwaram ornamental spider is now considered critically endangered.
| Classification | order of web-spinning spiders (Araneae), family of tarantulas (Theraphosidae), genus Poecilotheria (about 15 species) | |
| Habitat | tropical dry scrub, but also tamarind, casuarina, palm, and coconut plantations | |
| Mode of life | nocturnal, solitary, arboreal (during the day, primarily uses tree hollows or bark crevices as a refuge) | |
| Diet | insects or other arthropods | |
| Food acquisition | ambush hunter (attacks from hiding, injects prey with paralyzing venom) | |
| Body length | females: up to approx. 6–7 cm; ,males: up to approx. 4–5 cm | |
| Reproduction | 1 clutch per year (eggs are laid in a silk cocoon), about 50 young per female (high juvenile mortality due to cannibalism and predation) | |
| Sexual maturity | females: 5–7 years; males: 12–18 months (these are genus-level figures) | |
| Life expectancy | females: several years (based on genus-level data, up to more than 10 years); males usually only 1–2 reproductive cycles | |
| Use | terrarium/pet trade | |
| Current population | unknown, declining | |
| At Zoo Zurich since | 2026 |
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