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?
- (a) I only
- (b) I and III
- (c) II only
- (d) II and III ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• The Peacock tarantula (Poecilotheria metallica), famed for its metallic blue colour, is a spider — an arachnid, not a crustacean — and, like all tarantulas, a carnivore that eats insects; statement I is wrong on both counts.
• It is critically endangered and known from a single small patch of degraded deciduous forest near Gooty in Andhra Pradesh, so its natural habitat in India is limited to a few forest areas — statement II is correct.
• Members of the genus Poecilotheria are arboreal, living in tree hollows and under bark rather than in ground burrows — statement III is correct.
• Its rarity has made it a target of the illegal pet trade.
• Hence II and III, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) I only
- Statement I is wrong: it is a carnivorous arachnid, not an omnivorous crustacean.
- (b) I and III
- Statement I is wrong, though III is correct.
- (c) II only
- Statement III (arboreal) is also correct.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.