Malayali researcher sets out to conserve endangered Rameshwaram Parachute Spider

Kochi: The Hanuman Kovil in Rameswaram is home to a terrifying insect that deters people from venturing near. ‘It stands on four legs and scares you… It is a flying, biting monster. Death is guaranteed,’ people who go for the temple festival here say. They are absolutely terrified of the ‘Rameshwaram Parachute Spider’ which flies down from tamarind trees.

 It’s size is bigger than the palm of a human hand and if anyone spots it, they immediately proceed to kill it. This is the situation of the spider which is included in the list of critically endangered species of the world. 

Dr M.J Mathew of the Sacred Heart College, Thevara Spider Research centre is leading the race to save the Rameshwaram Spider which belongs to the tiger spider species.

The Rameshwaram Parachute spider is found in the Rameswaram Island and the nearby Mandapam area of the world. British researcher Andrew Smith discovered this spider for the first time in 2004 in the Hanumanvilasa Rameshwaram temple. Hence, its scientific name is Poecilotheria Hanumavilasumica. They are found in the holes of Tamarind, Casuarina and Date palm trees and come out only at night.

They can quickly descend from the treetops to the ground in the manoeuvre of a parachute slide. Seeing this, the locals mistakenly believe that they have the ability to fly. Similarly, they stick their hind legs and stand to intimidate their enemies which further scare the locals. If you get bitten by this spider, you are likely to get an infection because it has a venom. If treatment is not sought, the infection may worsen. This is the reason why locals kill the spider. Along with this, extensive felling of trees in the name of development destroys their habitat. 

This species is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as there are less than 300 of these spiders left in the world.

“Although there is a report that they have been spotted in Mannar, Sri Lanka, the authenticity of the same needs to be verified,” Dr Mathew said.