{"product_id":"poecilotheria-fasciata","title":"Poecilotheria fasciata - Sri Lankan Ornamental - EXTREMELY RARE!","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoecilotheria fasciata – Sri Lankan Ornamental\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of the Rarest Poecilotheria in the Hobby\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf you’re trying to build a serious \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoecilotheria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e collection, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. fasciata is one of those species you simply don’t see offered anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Native exclusively to Sri Lanka, this species has become exceptionally difficult to find in the U.S. hobby, making established captive-bred specimens a real collector piece. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. fasciata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is also federally protected as an endangered species in the United States, reflecting the pressure its wild populations face from habitat loss and its restricted, fragmented native range.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Red-Bellied Poecilotheria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt first glance, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. fasciata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e has that classic ornamental look—silver, black and cream camouflage with flashes of purple across the legs and carapace. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlip the perspective and this spider completely changes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e The underside carries rich reddish-burgundy hairs contrasted against bright yellow leg markings and a jet-black underside. It is easily one of the coolest ventral displays in the genus and gives \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003efasciata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e a look that immediately separates it from the more commonly encountered ornamentals.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThose underside markings aren’t just for looks, either. Ventral leg patterns are actually important diagnostic characters used to distinguish \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoecilotheria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e species. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. fasciata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e has distinctive yellow-and-black markings underneath the first two pairs of legs.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Piece of Poecilotheria History\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere’s another reason this species belongs in a serious collection: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethis is the type species of the entire genus Poecilotheria.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. fasciata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was originally described all the way back in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1804\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, decades before the genus \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoecilotheria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e itself was established. In other words, you’re looking at one of the species at the very foundation of the genus collectors obsess over today.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBig, Fast \u0026amp; Built for Display\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese aren’t tiny collector spiders. Adult \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. fasciata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e can develop into large, impressive ornamentals with long legs and the flattened arboreal build \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoecilotheria\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e are famous for. In nature they’re associated with tree hollows and bark in Sri Lanka’s dry and intermediate zones—the exact kind of vertical retreat they readily establish around in captivity.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Poecilotheria You Don’t Buy Twice\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetallica\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eregalis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eornata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e will come around again. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP. fasciata is a different story.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e If you’ve been waiting to add one of the genuinely difficult-to-find Sri Lankan ornamentals to your collection, this is exactly the kind of species worth grabbing when it’s actually available.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Westside Tarantulas ","offers":[{"title":"4.5 inch DLS - Female","offer_id":66990941143411,"sku":null,"price":925.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0895\/7090\/2387\/files\/IMG_0952.jpg?v=1790448036","url":"https:\/\/westsidetarantulas.com\/products\/poecilotheria-fasciata","provider":"Westside Tarantulas ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}