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New species and genus of spider discovered in Baja California is as big as a baseball

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hitme

Member
giphy.gif


Baja California is Florida West.
 

cm osi

Member
"It probably shows that there aren't enough entomologists and arachnologists looking for this stuff," Berrian mused.

Berrian, who has been working with spiders for over 20 years, admits that the cave spider is the first arachnid to ever bite him. He recovered quickly – "It felt like getting poked by a cactus spine."

Gee i wonder why. not every spider is nice as a cactus spine
 
Man, the idea of such gargantuan spiders seemingly hanging.out in ones home is crazy to me.

Itty bitty spiders is fine. But giant bastard ones like that just hanging out in your bedroom? How would you even sleep?

The size of a a baseball just leisurely wandering your ceiling would be so distracting
 

Brenal

Member
So California is trying to take over Florida's title as the Australia of the USA?

The face looks like a classic spider bro but the legs say "come give me a death hug"
Baja California the half of California that Mexico kept after the war.

But anyway it sometimes the fact that so many poisonous species live in my country scare me but living in the city you almost never come across them.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
I always get confused when something like a spider has it's size compared to something perfectly spherical like a baseball or basketball. Is the spider's thorax and head the size of a baseball? Cuz that is HUGE. Or with legs? When the legs are stretched all the way out? Or folded a little? That's smaller, but how much smaller? Like, the shapes are too dissimilar it doesn't work.

This article says it's actually bigger than a baseball:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/sd-me-cave-spider-20170403-story.html

For the two San Diego Natural History Museum researchers, it was an exciting windfall — an unknown arachnid as wide across as a softball.

”This is the type of spider that a lot of people would shriek and run from — it's big enough to fall in that category," said Wall, curator of entomology for the museum.

They located about two dozen of them, Berrian said, and brought back about eight specimens. Convinced that the spider was unlike others in the area, but unsure what it was, they consulted Mexican entomologist Maria Jimenez to nail down its taxonomy. She concluded that the new species belongs to the family of wandering spiders, which includes the Brazilian wandering spider, known for its potent and sometimes lethal venom. Cacachilensis looks like it could wield an impressive bite as well.

”They're pretty meaty," Wall said. ”They do have clearly visible fangs. You don't have to look very hard to find them."


Under rows of black eyes, the spider has thick, hairy pincers that can deliver a venomous sting. That's how the wandering spiders, named for their habit of roaming for prey, hunt for food and defend themselves against other animals.

”It's intimidating, and that can be enough for a lot of things to leave you alone, except loony-tune arachnologists," Berrian said, acknowledging that it wasn't enough to deter him from handling the spiders.

Unlike its Brazilian cousin, he discovered, cacachilensis doesn't seem to kill you.

”I was bitten by one of these spiders down in Baja," he said, describing it as milder than a bee or wasp sting. ”It was like being poked by a cactus spine and a little mild pain, but it went away in a few hours."
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
“I was bitten by one of these spiders down in Baja,” he said, describing it as milder than a bee or wasp sting. “It was like being poked by a cactus spine and a little mild pain, but it went away in a few hours.”

You gotta admire how these motherfuckers describe spider bites like they're at a frickin' wine tasting :lol
 
Interesting that it's part of the wandering spider family yet has seemingly very mild venom, I guess whatever it preys on doesn't put up much of a fight.
 

louiedog

Member
As someone with no real fondness for spiders, but no dislike either, I find this one to be pretty cute.

Interesting that it's part of the wandering spider family yet has seemingly very mild venom, I guess whatever it preys on doesn't put up much of a fight.

West Coast chill.
 

XenodudeX

Junior Member
Berrian, who has been working with spiders for over 20 years, admits that the cave spider is the first arachnid to ever bite him. He recovered quickly – "It felt like getting poked by a cactus spine."
And now it has a taste for human blood. Great.
 

Apathy

Member
Baja California the half of California that Mexico kept after the war.

But anyway it sometimes the fact that so many poisonous species live in my country scare me but living in the city you almost never come across them.

Edited, my bad, for some reason my brain just skipped Baja and went straight to California.
 

SoldnerKei

Member
I remember that Zelda boss

and actually... it looks kind of cool, I mean, I can't stand spiders, but this one looks pretty badass.
 
Interesting that it's part of the wandering spider family yet has seemingly very mild venom, I guess whatever it preys on doesn't put up much of a fight.
It's probably because its so big so it doesn't need strong venom to kill its prey. The deadliest spiders tend to be small like a black widow and the big ones like tarantulas tend to have weak venom.
 
I always get confused when something like a spider has it's size compared to something perfectly spherical like a baseball or basketball. Is the spider's thorax and head the size of a baseball? Cuz that is HUGE. Or with legs? When the legs are stretched all the way out? Or folded a little? That's smaller, but how much smaller? Like, the shapes are too dissimilar it doesn't work.

I'm fairly certain the clock spider incident established the precedent that it would be the entire legspan spread out.
 
Ugh, Baja California is way too close for comfort. That's like a 3 hour drive from where I live. Gigantic spiders are supposed to be across the world in Australia and shit.
 
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