Beauty On Eight Legs

reptileforums.co.uk

Behold, Poecilotheria metallica, the spider that causes arachnophobes to fall to their knees and marvel.

Well, maybe not, but it is certainly the most beautiful spider I have ever seen.

Like all memebers of the genus Poecilotheria, this tarantula displays a stunning fractal pattern and wonderful combination of colors. Unlike it's sister species, however, P. metallica also shines a rich metallic blue that puts all the rest to shame.

petcenter.info

Dwelling in crevices high in the trees of southeastern India and Sri Lanka, this arboreal tarantula hunts it's prey from the shelter of an assymetric funnel web.

It was first discovered in the Indian town of Gooty, thus earning it the name Gooty Sapphire Ornamental Tree Spider. That's quite a mouthful, but this is one creature that deserves such a majestic title.

Perhaps the most wonderful thing about this spider, in my opinion, is the fact that if you're willing to shell out a few hundred dollars you can actually bring a captive bred  P. metallica into your home.

Sounds scary, I know, but I can assure you it is a wonderful thing to share your home with a poecilotheria. Sure, they have a nasty bite, but the Poecilotheria pederseni I share my home with is by far the coolest and most stunning animal companion I have ever had.

I usually don't bring my personal life into this blog, valuing raw information over amusing anecdotes, but in this case I will make an exception and end with a picture of a Poecilotheria pederseni. I will also say that if you want an animal companion that is both visually appealing and behaviorally complex, you could do no better than a poecilotheria.

giantspiders.com