Regarding Peacock tarantula (Gooty tarantula), consider the following statements:
- I.It is an omnivorous crustacean.
- II.Its natural habitat in India is only limited to some forest areas.
- III.In its natural habitat, it is an arboreal species.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) II and III
The Gooty (peacock) tarantula, Poecilotheria metallica, is a spider, so it is an arachnid and not a crustacean, and it hunts animal prey rather than being an omnivore. It is a tree-dwelling species restricted to a few forest patches in the Eastern Ghats, so II and III are correct.
- ✗ I Tarantulas belong to the class Arachnida (order Araneae, family Theraphosidae), not to the crustaceans, and Britannica says they feed mainly at night on insects and occasionally on small frogs, toads and mice, so 'omnivorous crustacean' is wrong on both counts.
- ✓ II The species is endemic to India and is Critically Endangered because it is restricted to a small, highly degraded forest area in the Eastern Ghats (between Nandyal and Giddalur, Andhra Pradesh); a later record extended its range to the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, but it remains confined to a few forest areas.
- ✓ III Its genus, Poecilotheria, is the only tarantula genus that is specifically arboreal, living in trees in the forests of peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
Remember · Gooty (peacock) tarantula, Poecilotheria metallica: an arboreal spider (arachnid), endemic to a small Eastern Ghats forest area in India; IUCN Critically Endangered.
Sources
- Journal of Threatened Taxa (2019) 11(10): Range extension of the Gooty Tarantula Poecilotheria metallica in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India ↗ · reference work “This species is endemic to India, and according to the current IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the species is categorized as Critically Endangered, as it is restricted to a 100km² highly degraded forest between Nandyal and Giddalur in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh … The old world genus Poecilotheria Simon, 1885 of the subfamily Poecilotheriinae is the only genus specifically arboreal in habit, occurring largely in the dry deciduous and evergreen forests or wooded areas in peninsular India and Sri Lanka”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Tarantula (taxonomy) ↗ · reference work “Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Infraorder: Mygalomorphae Family: Theraphosidae … many make burrows in soil and feed mainly at night on insects and occasionally small frogs, toads, and mice; some species are arboreal.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·