![]() ![]() This creates a narrow, flattened outline, which they use to hide in crevices. They have a characteristic pose they tend to adopt, with their four frontmost legs pointing directly forward, and their four back most legs pointing directly backwards. ![]() Gooties are nervous and defensive, but they are not often described as aggressive. Are gooty sapphire tarantulas aggressive? So you might see more of them if they’re kept in indirect light. This species is also known for their strong dislike of bright light. So you’re most likely to see them in motion when you feed them. Like all tarantulas, their hunting instincts are triggered by the movement of live prey. A lot of owners report that they prefer to spend their time hidden away, and experienced spider keepers recommend providing tank furnishings that make this very easy for them. Gooty sapphires are frequently described as being more nervous and skittish than other tarantula species. So it could be that some breeding lines are more venomous than others. That is, bites with extreme and long lasting results. However, some members of the spider community have recently reported ‘hot bites’ from P. Their bites are deeply unpleasant, but historically they haven’t been considered among the most dangerous. To make it as effective as possible, they have adapted to produce a very powerful venom. But semantics aside, yes, gooty sapphires are venomous, and very much so! Unlike tarantula species which rely on a venomous bite and flicking tiny irritating hairs from the sides of their abdomen to repel threats, gooties rely solely on their venomous bite as their only form of defence. Venomous animals use their bite to deliver toxins, whereas poisonous animals are toxic when they are eaten. It’s more accurate to say that they are venomous. ![]() Males are slightly smaller, and reach full size slightly faster than females. A female gooty sapphire ornamental tarantula can achieve a diagonal leg span of up to 8 inches. Gooties are a relatively quick growing tarantula species. How big do gooty sapphire tarantulas get? Beside their blue areas they also have a white fractal pattern running down the center of their back, and vivid yellow patches at some of the joints on their legs (which are the result of yellow pigment). In fact, the hairs themselves are not blue at all! Because of this, how intensely blue a gooty sapphire looks will depend partly on how the light is hitting them. The scaliness of those hairs disrupts how light is reflected from their surface, so that blue wavelengths dominate. Their main body color is blue, not because of blue pigment, but due to special lamellated hairs on their exoskeleton. Gooty tarantulas are famous for their exotic coloring. But in captivity they have become popular and are widely available for sale. In the wild, gooty sapphire tarantulas are critically endangered due to destruction and disturbance of their habitat. But this nickname covers any of the 15 species in this group (and it is technically a misnomer, since the syllable ‘Poec’ is pronounced ‘peace’ not ‘poke’). So they are sometimes called pokey tarantulas too. They belong to the Poecilotheria group of tarantulas. ![]()
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