The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula is an Old-World arboreal tarantula that is native to India. It has a number of other common names including the Metallic Blue Tarantula and the Peacock Parachute Spider.
This species is critically endangered so it is illegal to remove from the wild. If you are purchasing one of these tarantulas, it will be a captive bred specimen. There are many people in the US and Europe who have successfully bred these tarantulas.
Gooty Sapphire Tarantula Taxonomy
The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula belongs to the Family Theraphosidae. This essentially means that the spider is a tarantula and over 1,000 different spiders have been identified as part of the family Theraphosidae.
Theraphosidae belongs to the infraorder Mygalomorphae. While many of the other species in this infraorder are often referred to as tarantulas or ‘false tarantulas’, the species in the family Theraphosidae are considered the ‘true’ tarantulas.
Tarantulas can be found throughout the American Continent (excluding Canada), Africa, parts of Mediterranean Europe, South-East Asia and Australia.
This species was first described in 1899 in the town of Gooty in India. However, it was then lost to science and wasn’t rediscovered until 2001.
The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula belongs to the genus Poecilotheria. This genus contains 15 species of Old-World tarantula including the Sri Sankan Ornamental Tarantula and the Indian Ornamental Tarantula.
The scientific name for the Gooty Sapphire Tarantula is Poecilotheria metallica.
Gooty Sapphire Tarantula Description
Like many of the tarantulas in the Poecilotheria genus, the Gooty Sapphire Tarantula has a bright coloration and beautiful patterning. However, they are the only species in the genus with a bright blue coloration.
They generally obtain a leg span of around 6 inches with males typically being slightly smaller than females. They are also a fast-growing species of tarantula.
The vibrant blue coloration is more prominent in males but this isn’t an accurate way to sex this species as the coloration can vary. Typically, they are duller before a molt and more vibrant right after molting.
Besides the vibrant blues, Poecilotheria metallica typically have white patterning on their carapace and abdomen while their legs usually display white and yellow markings.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula is native to a single forest reserve with a total area of less than 100 square kilometres. The species is regarded as critically endangered due to the deforestation of its habitat.
Their forested home is located in the Andhra Pradesh region of South-East India. There have been efforts undertaking to try and find this tarantula in nearby forests but none have been found.
An interesting fact about the Gooty Sapphire Tarantula is that it has only been rediscovered in its natural habitat in 2001 after it was first described way back in 1899.
The original specimen was found around 100km outside its natural range in the town of Gooty, hence the name. It is believed that the tarantula was transported to Gooty on a train.
Gooty Sapphire Tarantula as Pets
The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula makes a great display animal but is best kept as a display tarantula as they generally don’t like to be handled and get spooked easily. They will often run around their cage like crazy if you startle them.
Due to their skittish nature, fast speed, venom, humidity and ventilation requirements as well as other factors, Poecilotheria metallica is best suited for people who already have experience with keeping tarantulas.
The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula is an Old-World species so they do not have uricating hairs but a bite can be very painful, cause swelling, muscle cramps, nausea and headaches.
Gooty Sapphire Tarantula Feeding
A spiderling Gooty Sapphire Tarantula can be fed one or two prey items twice a week depending on the size of the meal. Any uneaten food should be removed withing 24 hours if not eaten.
Spiderlings can be fed very small crickets or flightless fruit flies. If you are feeding prey items that are too large, they should be pre-killed before placing them in the spiders enclosure.
A juvenile Poecilotheria metallica can be fed a number of crickets once a week. This will depend on the size of the tarantula and the meal size. A smaller juvenile might eat 2 medium crickets while a larger one might eat 4-5 crickets.
Again, it is important to remove uneaten food withing 24 hours. An adult Gooty Sapphire Tarantula can be fed a couple of large crickets every 7-10 days. They will often accept 3-5 Crickets when fully grown.
You can supplement your tarantulas’ diet with other prey items including locusts dubia roaches, mealworms, super worms and even the occasional pinkie mouse.
Poecilotheria metallica Enclosure
Housing requirements for a Gooty Sapphire Tarantula is relatively straight forward. You do not need anything special to keep these spiders and they will thrive as long as you get your basics right.
These spiders are an arboreal species so height is important in their enclosure. You should aim for an enclosure that is 3 times the height of the spider’s leg span.
One or two pieces of Cork Bark can be rested against the walls of the enclosure. These will double up as a hide and a place for your spider to anchor a web off. You can also add a fake plant or vine if you wish.
A large shallow water bowl can be placed on the floor of the enclosure. This will help keep humidity levels up. A substrate that holds humidity well should also be used while a layer of sphagnum moss will also help.
One very important factor in their setup is ventilation. A Gooty Sapphire Tarantula needs good ventilation as stagnant air is not good for them. Ventilation holes in the sides of the enclosure will help with this.
Juveniles can be kept in small temporary enclosures with tiny ventilation holes. As the spider grows, you will need to move it into a larger enclosure. An adult Gooty Sapphire Tarantula can be housed in a 12″ x 12″ x 18″ tall enclosure.
Poecilotheria metallica Temperature
You can keep your Gooty Sapphire Tarantula at room temperature. If the temperature is comfortable for you, it will be comfortable for them. This adds to their ease of care as you don’t need any special heating equipment.
However, if you live in a cold climate, you may want to add some supplemental heat during the winter months. You typically want to keep them between a temperature range of 70F-75F.
If you need to add heat to your enclosure, an under-tank heat mat is your best option. This should be connected to a good quality thermostat to ensure the cage doesn’t get too hot.
You don’t need to provide your tarantula with any special kind of lighting such as UVB. An adequate day/night cycle is all they need.
Poecilotheria metallica Substrate
You want to keep the humidity levels high in your Gooty Sapphire Tarantula enclosure so a substrate that can hold humidity well without moulding is important.
Most keepers use a substrate such as coco fibre or peat soil as they have these properties but a number of other substrates will also work well. A layer of sphagnum moss will also help increase humidity.
Juvenile Poecilotheria metallica tend to burrow more than adults so try provide them enough substrate to accommodate this. While they are an arboreal species, the do sometimes burrow so it is important to accommodate this.
Gooty Sapphire Tarantula Handling
The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula is a beautiful looking tarantula that is best kept as a display animal as opposed to a species you can take out and handle regularly.
These tarantulas can spook very easily and while they prefer to run and hide when threatened, they will bite if they are left with no other option. Handling sessions can be very stressful for this spider.
These spiders are an Old-World species and don’t have uricating hairs but they do have a painful venomous bite. There is conflicting information around whether a bite can be medically significant.
There are no reported deaths from a Gooty Sapphire Tarantula bite but their bite is extremely painful and can cause swelling, muscle cramps, nausea and headaches.
