Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poecilotheria_hanumavilasumica
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica faces severe threats from rapid deforestation and habitat fragmentation in the Western Ghats of India. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions from forest clearing for agriculture and urban development. Collection pressure for the international pet trade has further reduced wild populations, while the species' slow reproductive rate hampers recovery efforts.
Habitat
This critically endangered tarantula inhabits the tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats in southern India, specifically in tree holes and bark crevices of large forest trees. The species requires intact forest canopy and is highly dependent on old-growth forest structures for shelter and prey availability.
