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 a male and a female tarantula during an expedition there. It is the first discovery of this species 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 provinces such as Hainan, Hubei, Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as it is 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 globally, said Yang.

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

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