(ANIMAL DISCOVERY) A tarantula the size of a human face has just been discovered in Sri Lanka. Scientists are pretty sure the tarantula belongs to the genus Poecilotheria, but are still hoping to run some DNA tests. Poecilotheria rajaei is venomous, fast, and quite large. The rare spider lives in old trees, but sadly its now facing habitat destruction due to deforestation. Read on to find out more about this exciting discovery. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL VIDEO) They call him Cuban Pete. He’s the king of a rumba beat. — Global Animal
(EXOTIC MEDICINE) The banana spider, a highly venomous arachnid, is now being studied in hopes of finding a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). The venom of the Phoneutria nigriventer is known to cause loss of muscle control and breathing problems that can result in paralysis and asphyxiation. But most importantly (in this case), the venom causes priapism, painful prolonged erections. Scientists are not just going to let this embarrassing and painful effect hide under the covers. Read on for more on animal aphrodisiacs. — Global Animal
(ANIMAL DISCOVERY)—A new spider family has been discovered in the Pacific Northwest caves and forests. Trogloraptor, or “Cave Robber,” is a large spider with long claws. So far it is unknown on what the spider preys on and all the places it inhabits. Scientists are also quite shocked that such a large spider went undetected for so long. Read on to find out more about this exciting discovery.—Global Animal
(ANIMAL DISCOVERY) Scientists working with Conservation International have released a list of their 20 favorite finds from the 1,300 new species discovered in the past 20 years. Among them you can find the cuddly looking goliath bird-eating spider, the satanic leaf-tailed gecko, and the tube-nosed fruit bat. Read on to find out more about these fascinating animals and see the amazing pictures. — Global Animal
(SPIDERS) AUSTRALIA — After flooding in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 8,000 people were forced to leave their homes, as well as thousands of wolf spiders. Wolf spiders do not create webs to catch prey. Instead, this blanketing effect is believed to be produced by spiders “ballooning,” which allows the spider’s silk to catch wind like a parachute and cover land more quickly. Imagine how many spiders it must have taken to create this layer of silk! — Global Animal
(WILDLIFE) AUSTRALIA — A potential new species is under examination after a small-town man discovered a strange-looking spider near his home and submitted it to the Western Australia Museum. The eight-legged creature has been dubbed the albino trapdoor spider until it is formally described as a new species. The spider is not fully albino but instead has a brown body with a white head and it is the only one of its kind. Read on for more about this one-of-a-kind arachnid and its close relative, the trapdoor spider. — Global Animal
(SPIDER SCIENCE) Diving bell spiders spend their entire lives underwater. The spiders are able to breathe underwater by creating air bubbles in their webs that act as gills. While scientists have been aware of this phenomenon, researchers recently discovered that these spiders only need to surface once a day for air. Read on to learn more about this fascinating new research! — Global Animal
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