One of the two tarantulas found by scientists in the Nangunhe national nature reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province on May 11.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
Tarantulas, an endangered spider species, were found by scientists in a national nature reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Tuesday.

According to the Nangunhe national nature reserve, a group of scientists from Dali University found two tarantulas, a male and a female, during an expedition here. It's the first time that the species has been found in the reserve.

Tarantulas are relatively primitive and large spiders with a gland which secretes venom. The length of an adult tarantula can reach more than 10 centimeters. It's also called "bird-eating spider" due to its predatory nature.

In China, the species can only be found in a limited number of provincial-level regions such as Hainan, Hubei, Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as it's very demanding in its natural habitat. The new discovery demonstrates the high level of biodiversity in the Nangunhe reserve, said Yang Zizhong, leader of the expedition team.

Due to illegal poaching, the number of tarantulas has decreased sharply in recent years and has been listed as an endangered species in the world, said Yang.

The Nangunhe nature reserve is a key biodiversity area in China with many rare and endangered wild animals such as Asian elephants, white-palmed gibbons and western black-crowned gibbons.