Poecilotheria regalis (Indian Ornamental Tarantula) 1.5" FREE AFTER $200 SPENT
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Description
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. This size is already a well-started sling rather than fresh off the hatch, offered here as a free item as part of a qualifying purchase promotion, as a spiderling.
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 5 by 5 by 8 inch enclosure with at least one and a half 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, simple spiderling housing that will not need 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: From here it moves up to a 10 by 10 by 14 inch enclosure, then a final 14 by 14 by 24 inch enclosure as an adult, each one lasting roughly twelve to sixteen months before the next move at this species' medium to fast growth rate.
- 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 3/8 inch, roughly the size of the carapace, offering two to three prey items per feeding at this size rather than one, at least once a week.
- 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 spiderling measuring around one and a half inches (1.5 inches) in diagonal leg span, which is the size given in the title, unsexed, with roughly a 50/50 chance of male or female. This size is a free item with a $200 qualifying purchase of invertebrates, and it is already a well-started sling rather than fresh off the hatch.
- Looking for this species in other sizes? Browse our 1-1.5" Spiderling, 2-2.5" Juvenile, 5-6" FEMALE Adult, 6" FEMALE Adult, and 5" MALE Preultimate options.
- Can't find your preferred size? Browse our complete Indian Ornamental Tarantula collection to see everything we have available.
How our rewards and freebies work
How does the Exotics Unlimited rewards program work?
Our rewards program has three parts and they work together instead of cancelling each other out. Subscribe to our email list for free and you get 10% off invertebrate orders as an ONYX member, climbing to GOLD at 13% once your lifetime spend passes $1,000 and PLATINUM at 15% past $3,000. Any single pet invertebrate order over $1,200 takes 20% off on its own, whatever tier you are. The one exception is items already marked down for a weekly deal or an event special. Those say so in the title, and the discount is already built into the price. If your total after that discount reaches $300, shipping to a FedEx facility for pickup is free. And your freebie credit is built from that same total, so you are choosing free animals on top of both. Feeders and supplies get a flat 5% for subscribers, separate from the invertebrate discount.
A $340 invertebrate order is the clearest way to see it. Your 10% brings it to $306, that clears the $300 mark so facility pickup is free, and that same $306 is your freebie credit to spend on animals you pick yourself. One order, all three benefits. Full tier breakdown on our VIP program page.
What is a freebie tarantula and how do I get one?
Exotics Unlimited gives away free tarantulas, true spiders, scorpions, and centipedes with qualifying invertebrate orders. Most shops call this a free gift with purchase. Ours works differently because you choose the animal instead of us picking one for you.
Every freebie says so right in its title, like FREE AFTER $150 SPENT. That line is what makes something a freebie, so if a product does not carry it, it is not one. Older freebie listings stay up around the site after they sell out, so the Freebies page is the one to shop. It is where the current lineup lives.
Your freebie credit equals your pet invertebrate subtotal after discounts and before shipping. Dry goods, feeders, supplies, and enclosures do not count towards your credit.
How much do I have to spend to get a free tarantula?
Freebies start at just $25. Free tarantulas and other invertebrates start at $50. Every freebie shows its cost in the title: FREE AFTER $150 SPENT means you need $150 in credit. Thresholds range from $25 up to $800 for rare species. Not looking for another animal? We also offer freebie merchandise like stickers, so there is always something to claim.
Can I get multiple free tarantulas in one order?
Yes. There is no cap on how many you take, only on what they add up to. Mix and match anything you want, including multiples of the same species, as long as their combined cost fits your freebie credit. With $350 in credit you could take one $350 species, two $150s plus a $50, or seven $50 spiderlings. Freebie programs across the hobby often limit you to one per species or one per spend tier. Ours does not work that way. If your credit covers it, take as many as you would like.
What makes your rewards program different from other tarantula shops?
Most rewards programs make you pick one: take the discount or take free shipping. Ours run together, and freebies sit on top of both. That is the part people notice first.
The rest of it: subscribing is free and gets you 10% off invertebrates for as long as you stay subscribed rather than a one-time welcome code, and it climbs to 13% and 15% as your lifetime spend passes $1,000 and $3,000. You choose your own freebies instead of receiving whatever a shop decides to send. And there is no cap on how many you take, only on what they add up to, where most reward and loyalty programs limit you to one free item per order or one per spend tier.
Freebie thresholds start at $25 and free animals start at $50, so the program is doing something on nearly every order rather than only on big ones.
Do I really get 10% off just for subscribing to the email list?
Yes. Subscribing is free and it takes 10% off every pet invertebrate we sell, tarantulas, true spiders, scorpions and centipedes included. It stays active for as long as you are subscribed. Most shops hand you a one-time welcome code. This one keeps working.
From there it climbs with your lifetime spend, 13% past $1,000 and 15% past $3,000, and any single order over $1,200 takes 20% regardless of tier, with nothing to claim or remember. It applies itself at checkout and you do not need to be logged in for it to work. Subscribers also get 5% off feeders and supplies. That one is a flat 5% for every subscriber and does not climb with your tier, but it applies for as long as you stay subscribed just like the rest. Items already marked down for a weekly deal or an event special are the one exception. The discount is built into the price on those, so a subscriber discount does not come off on top. You will always know which ones they are because it says so right in the title, the same way freebies do.
Does my VIP discount change my freebie credit?
Your discount comes off first, and the total after it is what builds your freebie credit. So a $340 invertebrate order at 10% leaves $306, and that $306 is both your freebie credit and enough to clear the $300 free shipping mark.
That is worth knowing when you are close to a threshold, because the number that counts is the one after your discount. You never have to work it out yourself though. The calculator on the Freebies page always shows your real credit.
Why does it say I don't qualify for my freebies?
You can add any freebies you want to your cart, but you will need enough freebie credit to cover all of them. If you are short, the calculator on the Freebies page shows exactly how much more to add in pet invertebrates.
Freebies will still show as $0.00 in your cart either way. That is just how they are priced. What matters is whether your credit covers their total cost before you check out. If it does not, we will reach out to sort it before your order ships.
What happens if I check out with more freebies than I qualify for?
Do not worry, we will reach out as soon as possible to help you get your freebies sorted before your order ships. We will work with you to either adjust your selection or add to your order to cover them. We never remove or swap your freebies without letting you know first.
To avoid the back-and-forth, check your freebie credit in your cart before checking out. We will always show you exactly where you stand.
What happens if my free tarantula arrives DOA?
Freebies are covered exactly like paid animals. There are two reporting windows and they buy different things.
Report within 2 hours of delivery and we reship. That is the full guarantee. A fast report tells us the problem came from transit, and it gives us the best shot at making it right properly.
Report within 24 hours and we replace it on your next order. You are still covered, the replacement just travels with your next shipment rather than going out on its own.
The 2 hour window is for FedEx facility pickup. Home delivery is 30 minutes, because by then the package has spent longer on a truck that is not temperature controlled. Either way, tell us the moment you see a problem rather than waiting.