Scientists have unearthed a completely new species of spider hiding in sand dunes on the Israel-Jordan border. With a legspan that stretches 5.5 inches, the spider, called Cerbalus aravensis, is the biggest of its type in the Middle East. “It is rare to find a new species of spider — at least around this part of the world — which is so big,” said biologist Uri Shanas of the University of Haifa-Oranim in Israel, who discovered the arachnid. This Big spider can run big Casino Poker with no work!
Most of Cerbalus aravensis’s habits remain a mystery, but the researchers say it is nocturnal and most active during the blazing summer heat. The spider lives in an underground den, hidden by a door that swings upwards to welcome unsuspecting prey like lizards and insects. To make the camouflage door, the spider patches together bits of sand.
The researchers believe the spider uses a “sit-and-wait” hunting strategy, biding its time till prey approach, Shanas said.
Unfortunately, the spider’s habitat is under immediate threat, he said. The Israeli government recently approved mining operations in the region, which could wipe out the creature.
Great!
Awesome but… does it bite?
“The Israeli government recently approved mining operations in the region, which could wipe out the creature.”
Good luck to that mining operation!
Arggggghhhhh! Nuke it from orbit!! ITS THE ONLY WAY!
“researchers say it is nocturnal and most active during the blazing summer heat” – logic fail?
Unfortunately, the palastinians’s habitat is under immediate threat, he said. The Israeli government recently approved mining operations in the region, which could wipe out the people.
I HATE SPIDERS!!! if i were on that team you would hear me shouting swearing and screaming all around the world!
Amazing!
Spiders are pretty amazing! in my my opinion like the rain forest to wipe out a species not a good idea. nocturnal at night strives in the summer heat like tim said definitely a logic fail.
im writting a comment so it wont be sad
I hope they wipe out every one of the little buggers!!! Spiders are creepy (I don’t care if they eat grass!!). KILL THEM ALL!!
why logic fail? – it’s most active on summer nights …
I repect the spiders. It is Awesome to see spiders and other interesting spiders and bugs. Spiders will probably find a NUKE Hideout in Israel and payback will be a bite .
they should save the spider. i mean like if there are no spiders whos gonna eat the bugs? everyone that wants the spider to be gone should consider the following:
-spiders eat bugs with potental desieses
-spiders can be very useful and this one may lead to a medical science cure
-if this spider goes extinct then lizards probibilly will foxes cyotes and such might get desies. it coul make our lives suck. and not to mention an increse in the misqito population.
so i say stop the mining thing and save the spiders to save the deserts to save us!
My first thought was that the world could use fewer spiders. Then after thinking…YES definatly fewer spiders would be a good thing, especialy this giant creepy mother that just hides and attacks unsuspecting creatures out of a creepy freakin spider hole in the sand. Freakin ooogies me out man.
if that thing came near me i would freak!!!
Is it edible?
Yes, please kill them all, YUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW a nocturnal and diurnal new species I LOVE SPIDERS
holy crap!
If I came face to face with that thing, I’d happily give it my wallet.
the pink piggy made me comment aawwww
From it’s living habits it sounds just like a giant trapdoor spider.
I have no major issues with Spiders they do have their uses in our world like getting rid of flies and other bugs like bees help our environment with what they do but if that blighter appeared out of nowhere in front of me my instinct would be to either jump on it or run and then wonder what I was doing in the desert to begin with ;0)
I add comment only for the the sad pink creature
DON’T BE SAD PLZ
aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
BURN IT! RIGHT NOW!
what the hell is wrong with you people!
nobody ever has the right to take the life of any living being out of greed but only to get food…
dont kill the spiders as they are a part of this planet just as we are all… we are all animals and should love and respect all living things
i do like some creepy crawlers like that..i want to see it myself first before they nuke it out…!!
What a beautiful creature! Look at the coloration and the fragile, but strong appearance. We are blessed to have such wonders.
Kate, you are right – that is a type of trapdoor spider. I am used to seeing them with more substantial back legs (the better to launch itself at prey) but it seems to adapted well to its environment.
Let us hope it survives the mining activity or can find a new range to exist in.
Sooooo, let me get this straight. The “scientists” just barely discovered this thing but somehow magically know that precicely where the Israelis want to mine is the only place on Earth where it lives or can live?
One of those scientists wouldn’t happen to be named Al Gore, would he?
and nuke it to the other side of the moon
wonder what my cat would do with it, emmm, go kitteh fetch the spider.
I don’t want to be near those things, I think small spiders are fine except the black window
holy fu*kin sh*i!
that is a big spider. a camel spider is bigger though in my personal opinion
First off, Spiders are awesome.
Second, Spiders are a critical part of the worlds ecosystem.
Third, I want one.
Oh, and Wyatt, Camel spiders are not spiders, they are arachnids but are more closely related to scorpions. Another misconception is that tarantulas are spiders they’re not they are a separate subspecies with an extra pair of “legs” which are actually specially developed pedipalps and they do not inject digestive fluids into their prey.
And if y’all think that puppy’s big you should see my Lasiadora Klugi.
Camel spiders arent spiders silly…
their long legs are definitely adaptation to the extreme heat keeping their body away from the ground…. fascinating creature definitely… those who thinks spiders are dangerous… well i’m not sayin’ they’re not but there are more dangerous creatures that thrives so close to us than these spiders!!!… thats why i’m thyping this post with gloves coz they exists on places such as keyboards, toilet seats ,etc….. even more deadly than spiders!!!
Awwwww!!!! O_O It’s soooo cute :3 I adore spiders… big ones anyways (the little ones creep me out, at least with the big ones they’re easier to see) and this new creature really is a true beauty.
Wow, such beautiful legs and patterning, if I found one I would want to take it home ^_^
i love it, i want one, dont kill them send them to me
Hope the mining operations get approved very quickly & that kills every single one of these b@$!@#&s. It’s not like the Earth has a shortage of spiders, or of different spider species. And of all animals in this world, which I typically love ….. I HATE SPIDERS!!!
Tim, no, that is not a failure. Warm summer nights do exist.
I say keep the spider wipe out the human species and their habitat in that place. We can use more new species of things in this world and jim are you a guy and your freaked out by a little old spider you pu*#y stop being a girl and leave it to the girls to say something a guy would say about a spider that big chicken S*#t. But i think jade is right we should kill them off in the name of medical science instead FAIL!!!!!. I say start a breeding program for them.
Well…if it is in fact a newly discovered species then it’s safe to say that human interaction with the species is rare. Although if the mining goes underway, I think it’s to be expected that the spiders will become passengers on trucks and whatnot and be introduced into human civilization.
Usually when we threaten another species, we can expect the species to eventually pop up in cradles and bathrooms. Granted we can wipe out the species, although we better expect nature to strike back eventually.
Nuke the ever-loving-shit out of it!!!!! And all spiders!!!!
Christ on a stick!!!! Nuke the shit out of it!!! Nuke all of them!!!
awesome that they found a new species, but I would go ape-shit on that thing with a 9-iron if it came anywhere near me.