A new 'trapdoor' tarantula-like spider species has been discovered within zoo walls where experts say it can live for decades.
The venomous pine rockland trapdoor spider snatches unsuspecting prey from the surface and drags them under into its lair.
Staff at Zoo Miami, Florida, first spotted the arachnid in 2012 but escaped handling and remained a mystery for more than two years, when a second specimen was caught and the zoo sought help.
Scientists estimate the larger female spiders can live up to 20 years, using their venom to "liquefy the insides of their prey”.
Zoo conservation chief Frank Ridgley said: “To me, it appears similar to a small shiny black tarantula.
"They spend their entire lives in that same burrow, waiting for prey to come past their trapdoor, then they lunge out from their camouflaged lair to grab their prey."
The spider was identified as a new species by Dr Rebecca Godwin of Piedmont University in Georgia.
"I had no doubt that it was a new species," she said.
She believes the female spider has a lifespan upwards of 20 years.
The male, meanwhile, takes up to seven years to mature, before it leaves its burrow to find a mate, dying shortly after.
Dr Godwin said: "The individuals that zoo staff encountered were wandering males,” she said.
"They have a rough carapace (shell) on their front half and a silvery-grey abdomen with a light-coloured patch on top.
"They're really quite beautiful spiders."
For humans, the spider’s venom is on par with a bee sting, Dr Ridgley said.
"But, the venom is effective against the small invertebrates that it might go after," he continued.
"Spiders like this often rely on their size and strength to subdue their prey, and the venom often acts to help break down and liquefy the insides of their prey."
Music: Monogram - Patrick Patrikios
Source: Daily Star, Zoo Miami, Inaturalist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
The venomous pine rockland trapdoor spider snatches unsuspecting prey from the surface and drags them under into its lair.
Staff at Zoo Miami, Florida, first spotted the arachnid in 2012 but escaped handling and remained a mystery for more than two years, when a second specimen was caught and the zoo sought help.
Scientists estimate the larger female spiders can live up to 20 years, using their venom to "liquefy the insides of their prey”.
Zoo conservation chief Frank Ridgley said: “To me, it appears similar to a small shiny black tarantula.
"They spend their entire lives in that same burrow, waiting for prey to come past their trapdoor, then they lunge out from their camouflaged lair to grab their prey."
The spider was identified as a new species by Dr Rebecca Godwin of Piedmont University in Georgia.
"I had no doubt that it was a new species," she said.
She believes the female spider has a lifespan upwards of 20 years.
The male, meanwhile, takes up to seven years to mature, before it leaves its burrow to find a mate, dying shortly after.
Dr Godwin said: "The individuals that zoo staff encountered were wandering males,” she said.
"They have a rough carapace (shell) on their front half and a silvery-grey abdomen with a light-coloured patch on top.
"They're really quite beautiful spiders."
For humans, the spider’s venom is on par with a bee sting, Dr Ridgley said.
"But, the venom is effective against the small invertebrates that it might go after," he continued.
"Spiders like this often rely on their size and strength to subdue their prey, and the venom often acts to help break down and liquefy the insides of their prey."
Source: Daily Star, Zoo Miami, Inaturalist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patryn.worldlatestnews
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