The pelages of many tarantulas sparkle iridescent blue when viewed in the right light, but none come close to this beauty.
The Gooty tarantula Poecilotheria metallica, also known as the metallic blue tarantula, is a strikingly beautiful species of arboreal tarantula. It is well known for its vibrant metallic blue coloration, which makes it one of the most visually striking tarantulas in the world.
It is named after the town in Andhra Pradesh, India, from where the first specimen was described in 1899. It has not been seen there since, though, and may have been transported to the area by train. In fact it was not seen again anywhere until 2001.
The species is known only from patches of old-growth forest in a single reserve, which the IUCN describes as “completely degraded”. No wonder it is Critically Endangered.
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