A new species of giant venomous spider has been discovered in Sri Lanka.
Called Poecilotheria rajaei, the spider is about the size of a human face and has a leg span of eight inches. It was discovered by scientists from Sri Lanka's Biodiversity Education and Research organization (BER).
"Covered in beautiful, ornate markings, the spiders belong to the genus Poecilotheria, known as 'Pokies' for short," states Wired. "These are the tiger spiders, an arboreal group indigenous to India and Sri Lanka that are known for being colourful, fast, and venomous. As a group, the spiders are related to a class of South American tarantula that includes the Goliath bird-eater, the world's largest."
According to BER co-founder Ranil Nanayakkara, the spider found in Sri Lanka usually dwells in old trees. However, deforestation has prompted many of the spiders to enter buildings. Like the Brown Recluse spider, the new type of spider is also venomous. A tarantula's venom can take out lizards, mice, small birds and snakes. None of the tarantulas found in Sri Lanka pose a fatal threat to humans.
In order to find the spider, researchers perused semi-evergreen, forested areas and trees. The Sri Lanka spider was first examined as a dead specimen that a local villager gave to Nanayakkar in 2009. The spider was named in honor of the local police inspector, Michael Rajakumar Purajah, who guided the scientists in their search.
Some, however, remain skeptical over whether the Sri Lanka spider is in fact a new species.
"The description and figures are excellent and will provide a good basis for establishing whether it is a good species," said archaeologist Robert Raven, curator at the Queensland Museum in Australia. "The genus Poecilotheria has not been taxonomically revised. Popping new species out in that situation is always going to be fraught with doubt and difficulty."
