Poecilotheria metallica☠

🔤 Taxonomy

Poecilotheria metallica Pocock, 1899 is accepted by the World Spider Catalog, which records India as its native country. “Gooty” is a historical name, not proof of a captive animal’s collection locality. Keep the breeder’s identification and parentage records instead of assigning origin from blue coloration alone.

English common names used in the hobby:

• Gooty sapphire ornamental tarantula

German common names used in the hobby:

• Gooty-Saphir-Schmuckvogelspinne

📌 Description

Poecilotheria metallica is a fast arboreal Old World tarantula from India. Its blue coloration makes it conspicuous in photographs, but a keeper must be able to service a vertical retreat without bringing hands near the spider. Attractive coloration does not make it a suitable first tarantula.

Adult size is usually about 6-7 cm body length and about 16-18 cm legspan, with females typically heavier than mature males.

Like other Poecilotheria, it is fast, defensive when pressured, and not suitable for regular handling.

Its fame sometimes leads beginners to underestimate the care style it needs. This is still an Old World arboreal species that should be managed as a secure display animal rather than as a handling tarantula.

☠️ Venom

Poecilotheria metallica should be treated as a medically significant tarantula. A bite can cause intense local pain, swelling and, in some cases, wider symptoms such as muscle pain, cramping, nausea, dizziness or prolonged discomfort.

Because treatment is supportive rather than species-specific, prevention matters. Do not handle this spider; plan maintenance to avoid defensive contact, and seek medical advice after serious or spreading symptoms.

🌍 Distribution

Poecilotheria metallica is native to a very restricted area of Andhra Pradesh in India. In the wild it is associated with dry deciduous forest fragments with tree holes and bark retreats.

The care setup should reflect those conditions with:

• a secure vertical enclosure with cork bark or tree-bark retreats
• strong cross-ventilation with moderate humidity
• fresh water and occasional moisture without stale air
• minimal disturbance around the main retreat
• careful maintenance, because fast arboreal species can bolt quickly

🌡 Climate across the native range

Monthly climate normals from reviewed GBIF occurrence locations:

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com · CC BY 4.0 · Monthly normals calculated by Herpeton Academy from daily archive values.

Location references use GBIF.org occurrence data where available; original occurrence records retain their source dataset licenses.

⚖️ Legal status

Poecilotheria metallica is covered by the CITES Appendix II listing for Poecilotheria spp. In the EU wildlife trade system, Poecilotheria tarantulas are treated under Annex B rules.

The species is not relevant to the Bern Convention because it is not native to Europe. Local rules on import, sale, breeding, transport, exhibition, and documentary proof of legal origin may still apply, so purchase records should be retained.

🤌 Husbandry

Poecilotheria metallica should be housed alone in a secure vertical enclosure.

Start slings in small, escape-proof containers where prey, molts, and hydration can be checked easily, then move them up in stages as they grow.

Stage management is different from terrestrial species. Slings and small juveniles should be kept in smaller, well-ventilated vertical containers where prey can be found and the retreat stays secure. Adults need taller, escape-proof enclosures with a dependable bark retreat and a clear maintenance plan, because large Poecilotheria are fast, defensive, and difficult to manage safely during rehousing.

A solid setup starts with:

• Tall setup
• Cork bark retreat
• Strong ventilation
• Water dish
• Minimal disturbance

An adult setup should emphasize security and retreat structure more than visual complexity. Frequent rearrangement is usually counterproductive.

Prepare the water-dish position and access route before introducing the animal. A cork tube beside the opening can conceal a spider immediately behind the door, so arrange the retreat away from the service edge while retaining a way to observe its entrance. Check door tracks, cable holes and ventilation gaps against the size of the actual spider, especially after moving a small juvenile into a larger enclosure.

Keep a new arrival separately during its initial observation period, with dedicated maintenance tools. Record origin, arrival date, meals offered and accepted, molts and changes in abdomen condition. Inspect without repeatedly opening the retreat; a hidden spider is not evidence of illness. Share photographs and the record with an experienced exotics veterinarian if weakness, injury or continuing loss of condition develops.

For rehousing, prepare a closeable destination and a catch container before opening the occupied enclosure. Work inside a larger clear containment area in a closed room. Never lift the spider with forceps or pull it from a cork tube. If its position becomes uncertain, stop rather than searching blindly with fingers; feeding responsiveness and defensive escape can occur faster than the keeper expects.

💡 Lighting

Tarantulas do not need specialist lighting; a regular room day-night rhythm is enough.

Strong display lighting is unnecessary and may keep the spider more withdrawn.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Aim for steady warm room temperatures:

• Daytime air: around 23-27°C, matching the structured care profile
• Night: around 20-23°C

Avoid overheating the enclosure. Stable moderate warmth with ventilation is safer than hot stagnant air.

Measure near the occupied bark retreat, not only against the front glass. The outdoor climate table describes a regional seasonal pattern, not temperatures to impose inside a small container. Do not use a basking lamp to reproduce exposed daytime peaks. If the room needs heating, maintain a cooler retreat and prevent the heating equipment from becoming accessible to the spider.

💧 Humidity and water

Poecilotheria metallica does best with moderate humidity, fresh water, and strong airflow. The enclosure should not be stagnant or constantly wet.

Useful principles include:

• Water always available
• Some moisture retention without swampy substrate
• Good airflow from top to bottom
• No persistently wet stale enclosure

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use a vertical enclosure with secure bark hides and enough room to climb. Retreat quality, ventilation, and enclosure security are more important than complex decoration.

Stable anchor points help the spider move and web normally. Loose heavy decor should be avoided.

The structured adult baseline is 30 x 30 x 45 cm. Use the height for an upright retreat and web attachment, not an exposed shaft above hard ornaments. Firmly anchor the bark so it cannot rotate when the spider moves behind it. Keep some moisture in the lower substrate while allowing the exposed surface and bark to air; do not seal ventilation to hold a humidity reading. A stable, accessible shallow dish is a drinking source, not merely a way to raise humidity.

🪳 Feeding

Poecilotheria metallica is insectivorous. Suitable prey includes:

• Crickets
• Roaches
• Locusts where available
• Mealworms only in moderation

Spiderlings usually eat every few days, juveniles once or twice a week, and adults roughly every 7-14 days depending on prey size and body condition.

As with other Poecilotheria, uneaten prey should be removed if the spider is clearly in premolt or has sealed itself inside a retreat.

Use smaller, more frequent meals for spiderlings and slower feeding for adults. Uneaten prey and prey left during premolt are avoidable risks, and overfeeding can create long-term problems.

Offer prey small enough for the spider to overpower comfortably, one item at a time where practical, and confirm whether it was taken. A buried feeder is not a successful meal. Retrieve accessible uneaten prey without opening the webbed retreat, and do not keep adding insects to provoke a response. After a molt, wait for the new cuticle and fangs to harden before offering prey; a calendar interval alone cannot confirm readiness.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems include dehydration, poor ventilation, falls, stress from excessive disturbance, and failed molts.

Warning signs include lethargy, refusal to eat with visible decline, frantic movement, and difficult molts.

When something seems wrong, check airflow, water access, enclosure security, and recent maintenance changes before making major adjustments.

Separate a normal premolt fast from refusal accompanied by a shrinking abdomen, poor grip or injury. Do not tear open a sealed retreat simply to check whether a molt has finished, and never pull retained old skin from the animal. Visible leakage, inability to stand or continuing deterioration needs an exotics veterinarian familiar with invertebrates. Household insecticides and medicines intended for vertebrate pets are not safe improvised treatments.

📌 Conclusion

Poecilotheria metallica is one of the most spectacular arboreal ornamental tarantulas in the hobby, but it needs secure, thoughtful care rather than frequent interaction. Height, ventilation, retreat security, and stable warm conditions matter most.

📚 Sources and further reading

• CITES Appendices, checked 2026-05-04
• World Spider Catalog — Poecilotheria metallica
• The Tarantula Collective — species husbandry — specialist practice, not experimentally established care limits
• University of Illinois — tarantula feeding, molt and veterinary care — general veterinary context, not a species-specific enclosure prescription
• Ahmed et al. — clinical reports of Old World tarantula bites — comparative evidence including P. regalis, not a P. metallica trial
• Official EU publication — Regulation (EU) 2026/1383
• Bern Convention appendices