The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, along with the non-profit Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, has launched a conservation survey of the critically endangered peacock tarantula in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.
First recorded in Gooty, Andhra Pradesh, in 1899, the peacock tarantula or Gooty ornamental sapphire tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica) is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, which means it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. Known for its striking metallic blue colour with yellow and white markings on its abdomen and legs, it is the only blue species in the genus Poecilotheria. The species is found mainly in the Nandyal and Giddalur forest divisions, as well as parts of the Seshachalam hills in southern Andhra Pradesh.
One of the most trafficked arachnids in the world, the peacock tarantula faces threats from illegal pet trade as well as habitat loss caused by logging.
Murthy Kantimahanti, CEO of the Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, informs Mongabay-India that the species prefers dry deciduous forests with large, mature trees that provide specialised microhabitats. “These tarantulas are purely arboreal, living in tree holes and crevices. They are found across hill slopes, valleys and plains along this landscape, suggesting that these forest patches together create the ecological conditions that have made the species endemic to the region,” he says.
Kantimahanti says baseline surveys began last month after the required permits were obtained. The work includes interviews with local communities and forest department officials to document historical records of the species. The proposed one-year study aims to estimate population size, assess habitat suitability and identify threats.
The initiative is being led by the Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society, a non-profit formed in 2014 to focus on conserving lesser-known and neglected species in the region. The group approached the Andhra Pradesh Chief Wildlife Warden for permission to conduct the study. Technical and scientific support is being provided by Wingham Wildlife Park, a UK-based zoo that also maintains captive European populations of the species and is serving as a scientific and advisory partner for the project.
The findings are expected to inform long-term conservation strategies and habitat management plans for the species in the Eastern Ghats.
Banner image: A peacock tarantula. Image courtesy of Wingham Wildlife Park.
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