Now that's a spider.



A multinational team of researchers with the San Diego Natural History Museum has added yet another spider to the category of awfully scary arachnids.

The size of a softball, they found the hairy 8-eyed specimen wandering inside a cave in Baja California, Mexico a few years back, while investigating the Sierra Cacachilas mountain range.

After thorough analysis they have now confirmed it is indeed a new species. They have named it Califorctenus cacachilensis.

“The first evidence we found of this species was a shed exoskeleton in the cracks of a rock overhang,” said Jim Berrian, field entomologist at the museum and one of the authors.

“The exoskeleton was abnormally big and I could tell by the eye pattern that it was in a group of spiders, wandering spiders from the Family Ctenidae, with very few species in Baja California Sur.”

The Califorctenus spider’s head and legs are of an intense brown color, while its abdomen is yellow. It is relatively flat and is nearly 4 inches long. It also has two very visible fangs.

The intimidating creature, however, carries a venom that is not fatal to humans.

“I got bit while handling a live specimen of Califorctenus cacachilensis and I’m still alive,” Berrian said.

Most insects and spiders on the planet have yet to be discovered, according to the San Diego Natural History Museum website. There are about 1.1 million species of insects and spiders on the planet that scientists have given names, but most researchers estimate that there are two to five million that remain undescribed.

“When I saw [the Califorctenus] for the first time, I was very impressed by their size,” said Dr. Maria Luisa Jimenez, a Mexican expert who co-authored the study introducing the new spider.

“In all my experience over the years collecting spiders on the peninsula, I had never seen a spider this large. I suspected that something new was waiting to be described.”

Although this species is considered large, it is far from being among the largest arachnid: the Heteropoda, which lives in tropical Asia, has a leg span of up to a foot.

Link

It's so FLUFFY!

Easier to see him hiding under the toilet seat at night !!!!!, plus they wear sombreros too

So many nopes.

Now that's taking one for the team!

I wonder if they male good pets?

quote:

The intimidating creature, however, carries a venom that is not fatal to humans.

“I got bit while handling a live specimen of Califorctenus cacachilensis and I’m still alive,” Berrian said.

Zoomed out a bit...

They should have just named it

Shelobus nofuckingwaysis

Ken

quote:

“I got bit while handling a live specimen of Califorctenus cacachilensis and I’m still alive,” Berrian said.

Only till the eggs start hatching...

In other news, the U.S. will be testing an old bomb design that not only KILLS IT WITH FIRE, it seal caves for all time.

This video is of the lower power setting.

Well, two of my personal safety rules should help avoid these....
1. Stay out of Mexico.
2. Stay out of caves.

I think I remember seeing that one on an episode of Gilligan's island

Michael

Right on! Another terrific spider.

quote:

They have named it Califorctenus cacachilensis.

I dunno, I think scarius theshitoutofus might be a better one.

What's up with the giant video running off the screen?

A load of 4-buck will take care of that issue no problemo.

And, yes, that video is too huge. I have to "hide post" to get beyond it.

I see my snafu has been dealt with, thanks and sorry.

quote:

I have to "hide post" to get beyond it.

Hey, that works! It has been right in front of me all this time, but never having used it, didn't occur to me.