Rameshwaram ornamental tarantula (Rameshwaram parachute spider)

• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Habitat: Found in plantations like tamarind, palm, coconut, and casuarina
• Location: Endemic to the Ramanathapuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Recently it has been identified outside India in the Mannar District of Northern Sri Lanka.
• Key Facts:
  • This spider has a light and dark brown stripes across its body and legs, characteristic of all spiders in the genus Poecilotheria, which give it excellent camouflage on trees.
  • Once thought to be extinct. It was discovered in 2004 by Andrew Smith from a sacred grove of the Hanumavilasum Temple in Rameshwaram
• Threats
  • Loss of plantations due to developmental activities
  • Small population size
  • Persecution
• Note: Spiders occur in private plantations only and are not subject to any protection laws.