Poecilotheria regalis (Indian Ornamental Tarantula) MALE 5" Preultimate

Poecilotheria regalis (Indian Ornamental Tarantula)

The Indian Ornamental Tarantula, or Poecilotheria regalis, is a large arboreal tarantula from India. Adults have a white base with bold black markings across the carapace (head), abdomen and legs, giving it the iconic pokie look every Poecilotheria is known for, which is where the ornamental in the name comes from. Like other Poecilotheria, the underside of the legs shows a bright yellow and white pattern that is used to ward off predators. Spiderlings start out with interesting patterns of their own, and that pattern grows whiter with every molt, so a sling raised at home ends up more strikingly patterned than it starts. P. regalis 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. This is a fast and defensive species that would far rather bolt into its tube than stand its ground, which suits keepers who want a big arboreal with a bold pattern. Grab one of the most established old world arboreal tarantulas for sale today. One molt out from maturity and already confirmed male, this confident old world pokie is offered here as a preultimate male.

Why do hobbyists keep the Indian Ornamental Tarantula?

• Stunning Coloration: A white base with bold black markings across the carapace, abdomen and legs, plus a bright yellow and white underside on the legs that is used to ward off predators. This is the pattern most people picture when they hear ornamental tarantula, and it reads from across a room.
• Large Arboreal Species: Poecilotheria is known for having some of the largest arboreal tarantulas in the hobby, and regalis does not disappoint. Adults get close to seven inches, impressive for a species that spends its whole life off the ground.
• Confident and Visible: Give a pokie enough space and it will not just hide in its tube. Regalis is an active hunter after dark and confident enough to be out during the day too, stubborn rather than skittish, and noticeably calmer than a lot of other Asian arboreals.
• Easy To Raise: Few Asian arboreals are as forgiving as Poecilotheria is. Pokies come from a climate with an extreme wet season and an extreme dry season, and that harsh swing is a big part of why regalis is more forgiving of a new keeper's mistakes than a lot of other Asian arboreal spiderlings. It also hatches larger than most and feeds with real enthusiasm, even observed taking down small lizards and other vertebrate prey in the wild, and that combination makes it a great species once you are comfortable with Asian arboreals.
• A Hobby Favorite: Regalis is one of the most iconic old world arboreal tarantulas today, and the one most keepers start their Poecilotheria collection with. Decades of keepers have kept it, so its care is better understood than almost any other old world arboreal, and it remains a hobby favorite.

How should this Poecilotheria be kept?

• Adult Size: This species hatches at around 0.75 to 1 inch and grows toward its adult max from there. Adults reach a max diagonal leg span of about 6 to 7 inches.
• Enclosure: A 14 by 14 by 24 inch enclosure with one to two inches of substrate and a piece of cork bark set on an angle or a cork tube for it to climb into, plus a few silk or artificial plant anchors so early webbing has somewhere to start, sized ahead of the animal so it is not due for a move any time soon.
• Setup Tips: Real cork bark or driftwood pieces make a real difference for regalis, giving it natural climbing surfaces and webbing anchor points that help it settle in faster, at every size from spiderling on up.
• Rehousing: This is the final enclosure size for the species, so no further rehousing is needed from here.
• Temperature: Keep this species between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for its optimal range, matching the warm tropical range it comes from. Room temperature works fine too and most animals do just fine there, but it can also lead to slower growth or molting issues, so we want every keeper aware of that and matching the native range when they can, which helps the animal thrive.
• Humidity: Keep humidity high with good, ideally cross, ventilation. That combination matters far more than hitting any single humidity number.
• Water: Provide a shallow water dish placed in an elevated position if possible. This is more natural for arboreal species and helps prevent crickets from falling in and drowning. A weekly misting is suggested as well, so the animal can drink off the side of the enclosure or its own webbing if it prefers that to the dish, as long as you are wetting surfaces rather than soaking the substrate.
• Diet: Feed crickets sized around 1 1/4 inches, roughly the size of the carapace, at least once a week, every stage including this one.
• Temperament: Fast and defensive when it feels truly threatened, bolting into its tube rather than standing its ground. Given real space, though, Indian does not just hide: it is confident enough to be out and visible during the day as well as after dark, stubborn rather than skittish, and noticeably calmer than a lot of other Asian arboreals.

Are there any additional notes or considerations for the Indian Ornamental Tarantula?

• Medically Significant Venom: Indian Ornamental Tarantula carries medically significant venom, but it is not deadly to humans. Just something to consider before you purchase.
• Loves to Stretch Out: Like every Poecilotheria, regalis spends most of its life vertically oriented on bark, and it loves to stretch out flat with its legs in that same iconic vertical position to blend right in, whether that is on bark or any other surface in the enclosure. That is part of why generous space on all sides matters so much, not just for Poecilotheria but for Asian arboreals in general: give it room and you get to see the whole leg span and pattern stretched out at once.
• More Forgiving Than the Reputation: Every Poecilotheria comes from rugged, sometimes unforgiving parts of India and Sri Lanka, and regalis carries that same toughness into captivity. Poecilotheria tolerates real-world humidity and temperature swings better than its reputation suggests, with more margin for error day to day than most keepers expect from an old world arboreal.

Looking for similar species?

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

Listing Notes

• This listing is for a Poecilotheria regalis Indian Ornamental preultimate male measuring around five inches (5 inches) in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, a male confirmed by molt, one molt out from maturity. Please note male size may differ from the max size listed for this species, since in most spiders the females grow larger, and this one is one molt from maturity.
• Looking for other sizes? This species is also available as a 1-1.5" Spiderling, 2-2.5" Juvenile, 5-6" FEMALE Adult, or 6" FEMALE Adult.