Rameshwaram ornamental facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rameshwaram ornamental |
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Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, also known as the Rameshwaram ornamental or Rameshwaram parachute spider, is a type of tarantula. This spider is considered critically endangered, meaning it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
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About the Rameshwaram Parachute Spider
What Does It Look Like?
This tarantula has some cool colors! Its first pair of legs is a bright daffodil yellow. These legs have a wide black band on the upper part (femur). The knee-like joint (patella) is yellow with a thin black band. The lower leg (tibia) is also yellow with a thick black band.
The fourth pair of legs is a bluish-grey color. It has a black spot near the body. The upper part of these legs has a bluish-grey band. The knee-like joint is bluish-grey with a faint black mark. The lower leg is also bluish-grey.
How Long Do They Live?
Female Rameshwaram parachute spiders live much longer than the males. A female spider can live for up to 10 years! Male spiders, however, usually only live for one or two breeding seasons. This means they have a much shorter life.
How Is It Different from Other Spiders?
The Rameshwaram parachute spider looks a lot like its close relative, P. fasciata. But there are a few ways to tell them apart:
- The black band on the first leg's upper part is wider on the Rameshwaram spider.
- The black band on the fourth leg's upper part is a continuous line on the Rameshwaram spider. On P. fasciata, this band is broken up.
You can also tell the Rameshwaram spider apart from other related spiders like P. regalis and P. rajaei. It has a special black band on its belly (abdomen). If you look at P. striata, all four of its legs have thicker bands.
Where Does This Spider Live?
This tarantula was first found in 2004 by a scientist named Andrew Smith. He discovered it in a special, protected forest area near the Hanumavilasum Temple in Rameshwaram.
At first, people thought this spider only lived in the Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu, India. But later, it was also found outside India, in the Mannar District of Northern Sri Lanka. Scientists think the spiders might have crossed a land bridge that connected India and Sri Lanka a very long time ago, during the Pleistocene ice age.
