Poecilotheria Rajaei

Poecilotheria Rajaei is a tarantula in the genus Poecilotheria endemic to Sri Lanka. The name Poecilotheria is derived from Greek: "poikilos", meaning spotted, and "therion", meaning wild beast. Its food comprises prey that is frequently larger than this animal's length, such as birds, lizards, rodents, and snakes.

The spider features vibrant yellow and gray striping on its first and fourth legs and a pink abdomen band. Its legs can extend up to 20 centimeters (8 in) in length. It prefers to reside in old-growth trees, but because of destruction in its post-war habitat, it is now more likely to inhabit outdated structures. The venom of P. rajaei can kill small rodents, birds, lizards, and snakes but is not fatal to humans. The newly discovered tarantula's exact rarity is unknown, however, there is some worry that habitat loss is causing their population to decline.