Poecilotheria metallica (Gooty Sapphire Tarantula)

Poecilotheria metallica (Gooty Sapphire Tarantula)

The Gooty Sapphire Tarantula, or Poecilotheria metallica, is a large arboreal tarantula from India, and one of the most famous species in the genus hobbyists call "pokies," short for Poecilotheria. Adults have a stunning cobalt blue coloration, with white and yellow markings on the legs and interesting white patterns across the carapace (head) and abdomen. Like other Poecilotheria, the underside is also colorful, with a stunning blue coloration and bright yellow stripes underneath the legs, which we suspect are used to flash and scare off predators. The blue starts showing around 2 inches and keeps deepening with every molt after that. P. metallica reaches a max diagonal leg span of about 6 to 7 inches, and females live 12 to 15 years while males live 2 to 3. The Gooty Sapphire is an Asian arboreal that can be fast and defensive, but it is noticeably less defensive and flighty compared to other Asian arboreals. Grab one of the most requested blue old world tarantulas for sale today, offered here in many sizes, from spiderling to adult female.

Why do hobbyists keep the Gooty Sapphire Tarantula?

• Cobalt Blue Coloration: One of the most iconic blues in the hobby, and it only deepens with every molt from spiderling size on up.
• Large Arboreal Species: Poecilotheria is known for having some of the largest arboreal tarantulas in the hobby, and metallica does not disappoint. Adults reach six to seven inches, impressive for a species that spends its whole life off the ground.
• Confident and Visible: These are high canopy animals and genuinely active hunters after dark, but given enough space they will not just hide in their tube during the day either. Metallica can be fast and defensive, but it is noticeably less defensive and flighty than a lot of other Asian arboreals.
• Easy To Raise: Pokies start larger and eat better than a lot of the more timid arboreal species, giving real survivability, and metallica backs that up with a larger hatch size than most and a great feeding response, rarely turning down a meal and often taking larger prey than a lot of other Asian arboreals. Pokies also come from a region with a wet season and a dry season, so they tolerate real-world humidity swings better than their reputation suggests, and that, plus how much less defensive and flighty it runs than other Asian arboreals, makes metallica a great first Asian arboreal to try.
• Iconic in the Hobby: Ask any tarantula keeper to picture a blue tarantula and this is the one they picture. It has been one of the most requested species in the hobby for years, and one of the few we are asked for by name.

Which size should I choose?

• 0.75-1": Spiderling, right around the size the species hatches at. Your cheapest way to collect this species, with the whole color change still ahead of you.
• 1-1.25": A well-started spiderling past the most delicate early stretch and eating consistently, with the blue that starts around two inches still ahead of it.
• 1.25-1.5": A well-started spiderling perfect for a keeper who wants something with a molt or two behind it before it joins their collection, close enough to two inches that the blue is the next thing to happen.
• 2-2.5": Juvenile, unsexed, and the size where the blue actually starts coming in.
• 2.5" FEMALE: A molt-confirmed female with the blue already arriving. Among keepers looking for a long-term display animal, females are more sought after than males due to their longer lifespan, and on this species that means 12 to 15 years against 2 to 3 for a male.
• 5" MALE: A confirmed male at full adult size with the blue well in, a great fit for keepers who want the full grown pokie experience without a decade-plus commitment, and for breeders who want males on hand for pairing.
• 5-5.5" FEMALE: A full grown, molt-confirmed female, the complete metallic blue and white striping at its strongest, and 12 to 15 years ahead of her.

Looking for similar species?

• Browse our Old World Tarantulas and Arboreal Tarantulas collections to explore related care profiles and species groupings.

Pick the size you want above. Each size still has its own care guidance and its own price behind it, so what you see for that size is exactly what ships.