The species' natural habitat is deciduous forest in Andhra Pradesh, in central southern India.

[5] Poecilotheria metallica is found only in a small area of less than 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi), a reserve forest that is nonetheless highly disturbed.

The type specimen was discovered in a railway timber yard in Gooty about 100 km southwest of its known range, but it is believed to have been transported there by train.

In the wild, P. metallica lives in holes of tall trees where it makes asymmetric funnel webs.

However, P. metallica's bite is considered medically significant, with venom that may cause intense pain, judging from the experience of keepers bitten by other spiders in the genus.

[10] As with other tarantulas with blue hair, the vivid colors of P. metallica are produced by quasi-periodic perforated multilayer nanostructures.

[18][19] P. metallica has been bred in captivity for more than ten years[20] and is popular with tarantula enthusiasts, and has a high demand due to its attractive coloration.

[21] As with most tarantulas, the spider's sex can influence price - females generally being more expensive because of their longer life.

Members of the species are hardy, relatively fast-growing spiders that are generally fed crickets, but may also eat moths, grasshoppers and cockroaches.