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New "Albino" Spider Found in Australia

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G

Gaborn

Member
white-albino-spider-found_43342_600x450.jpg


Along came an "albino" spider—and it's shocked scientists in Australia.

"I nearly fell over when I saw its white head," Mark Harvey, senior curator at the Western Australian Museum, said via email.

The newfound trapdoor spider isn't a true albino, since it still has some pigment—its body is brown, like those of other trapdoor spiders.

But the 1.2-inch-wide (3-centimeter-wide) arachnid has been dubbed the albino trapdoor spider until it's formally described as a new species.

A person in a small town in western Australia found the strange-looking spider near his house, captured it in a jar, and sent it to the museum.

"Unfortunately we know nothing about its life history. We presume that they live in burrows for their entire lives—like all trapdoor spiders—and when males mature, they wander in search of females in their burrows," Harvey said.

Spiders That Pop Out for Prey

Trapdoor spiders get their name because they use soil, vegetation, and silk to construct doors to their burrows that are hinged with silk. The arachnids then pop out when they feel the vibrations of passing prey, which include insects, other arthropods, and small invertebrates.

The spiders also mate inside the burrows, where "males of all species probably have to lift the female body up to access her genital opening, which is located on the underside of the abdomen," he said.

The newfound spider is considered rare, Harvey added—it's currently the only known specimen of its kind.

"Spiders are a diverse group of animals that fascinate and terrify many people," though they're crucial in keeping insect populations in check, he said.

"The world would be a poorer place without spiders."
Click to expand...

Story Here
 
P

Parallax

best seen in the classic "Shadow of the Beast"
I bet this thing emits gas powered fire webs too..... its gotta compete with the other natural terrors that reside in australia.....
 
R

RumblingRosco

Member
Busaiku said:
Are there seriously scorpions capable of flight.
Click to expand...

I misread it as "spiders" instead of "scorpions" and was just loading up my pistol. Thank you for your post, I was moments away from offing myself. I can handle flying scorpions.
 
W

Winnie the Pimp

Member
wait, what's this about flying scorpions?


anyway they say this guy is so rare and all, but maybe it's just a mutation then and there ARE no other types of this supposed species?
 
T

Takao

Banned
Honestly, I used to be scared of large spiders, but the amount of people posting them on GAF has kind of made me numb to it.
 
S

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
Weak bolding attempt. You did not highlight the most important part:
"Spiders are a diverse group of animals that fascinate and terrify many people," though they're crucial in keeping insect populations in check, he said.

"The world would be a poorer place without spiders."
Click to expand...
My better half would scream and freak out at the nearest spider. She stopped having nervous breakdowns after I told her that they ate all the other nasties she does not like - cockroaches specifically. Now she has enough guts to "catch" the big Huntsmans and put them outside.
 
M

MrHicks

Banned
nuke australia from orbit already
we can't have those crazy insects hopping on a ship and infecting the rest of the world
 
D

Duracelllll

Member
Gaborn said:
"I nearly fell over when I saw its white head," Mark Harvey, senior curator at the Western Australian Museum, said via email.
Click to expand...
Probably going to unleash it on Ross Lyon in the next couple of months.
 
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