Poecilotheria fasciata - The Sri Lanka ornamental is a large arboreal tarantula growing to about 16 centimeters in length. It is endemic to Central Sri Lanka, preferring to reside in tree hollows. The ornamental spider starts life as a burrowing spider and as it gets larger, takes to the trees. The abdomen is dark with cream colored markings and the legs are banded in black and white. The underside of the first two pair of legs have a distinctive yellow color used to warn off any potential threats.
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Balangoda is a city in Sri Lanka’s Sabaragamuwa Province. The area features archeological sites where early hominins have been unearthed. The findings, dated from more than 38,000 years ago, are classified as Homo sapiens balangodensis. This is the earliest known evidence of anatomical humans in South Asia. Access to Sri Lanka was made possible through a land bridge from India. Known as Rama Setu, this land bridge spanned a 50 kilometer gap between India and Sri Lanka.
