Wildlife

Environment and Ecology

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Peacock Parachute Spider

It belongs to the genus Poecilotheria. It is commonly known as Peacock Parachute Spider or Gooty Tarantula. It is endemic to India.

It was sighted for first time way back in 1899 by Reginald Innes Pocock on the basis of a single female specimen in Gooty. It is considered as biological pest controller.
There is huge demand for tarantulas by collectors in the pet trade. There is an urgent need to protect them.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorised it as Critically Endangered.

Recently, it was spotted in a cave in Pakkamalai Reserve Forests (in Eastern Ghats) near Gingee in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu.