Poecilotheria striata (Mysore Ornamental Tarantula)

Poecilotheria striata (Mysore Ornamental Tarantula)

The Mysore Ornamental Tarantula, or Poecilotheria striata, is a large arboreal tarantula from India, and noticeably more yellow than P. regalis on both the top and underside of the animal. Adults have a muted yellow base accented by black bands and markings across the carapace (head), legs and body, with purple undertones showing through the dark patches. The underside runs brighter, with bold yellow and black banding that creates striking contrast against the more muted yellow on top. The abdomen is darker, with rim coloring in that same iconic pattern seen across Poecilotheria. It grows at a medium to fast pace and the yellow only brightens with every molt. P. striata reaches a max diagonal leg span of about 7 to 8 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, and it comes from rugged country that has made it one of the most forgiving in Poecilotheria. Grab one of the toughest old world arboreal tarantulas for sale today, offered here in many sizes.

Why do hobbyists keep the Mysore Ornamental Tarantula?

• Stunning Coloration: A muted yellow base with black banding across the carapace, legs and body, purple undertones in the dark patches, and a brighter yellow and black underside that creates striking contrast with the top. Distinctly more yellow than P. regalis, and it only gets brighter with every molt. That striped pattern is the same iconic pokie coloration Poecilotheria is known for, and there is nothing else like it.
• Large Arboreal Species: Poecilotheria is known for having some of the largest arboreal tarantulas in the hobby, and striata does not disappoint. Adults reach seven to eight inches, impressive for a species that spends its whole life off the ground.
• Confident and Visible: Striata hunts actively at night, but given enough room it is confident enough to be out and visible during the day too. It runs stubborn rather than skittish, and calmer than a lot of the 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 striata backs that up, hatching larger than most and feeding with real enthusiasm, even observed taking down small lizards and other vertebrate prey in the wild. 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 paired with how much less defensive and flighty Poecilotheria tends to be than other Asian arboreals, that makes striata a good first Asian arboreal, not just one to work up to.
• Uncommon in the Hobby: This is an uncommon species in the hobby, and it stays highly sought after because of it. Poecilotheria overall runs smaller egg sacs and longer gestation periods than a lot of other tarantulas, so captive-bred striata stays limited too, even against the rest of Poecilotheria.

Which size should I choose?

• .75-1" Spiderling: about the size the species hatches at, your cheapest way to collect this species and watch it grow up from the very start.
• 1-1.5" Spiderling: a young spiderling tarantula, still early in its growth with plenty of size and color development still ahead.
• 1.5-2" Juvenile: past the delicate early stage with color already coming in, and still years of growth ahead.

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.