Nature & Environment
New spider species discovered in Oregon
By
T.K. RandallAugust 18, 2012 ·
16 comments
Image Credit: sxc.hu
A completely new species of spider has been discovered by cave explorers in southern Oregon.
The new hook-legged arachnid is the first new family of spider to be found in North America since 1890, named Trogloraptor marchingtoni (meaning 'cave robber') the spider is up to 3 inches long. The creatures are believed to hang upside-down from the roof of caves to catch food.
"It is just as fascinating to arachnologists as the discovery of a new dinosaur is to paleontologists," said spider expert Norman Platnick. The new find is believed to help account for stories of giant spiders occupying caves in the region with the possibility of more, potentially larger discoveries still to come.
A group of cave explorers and scientists have made a rare discovery: an entirely new taxonomic family of spider in the caves of southern Oregon.
Source:
Yahoo! News |
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