Latest news with #tarantulas
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Record-Setting Tarantulas Boast Longest Sex Organs to Avoid Getting Eaten by Females
Researchers have just identified four new species of tarantulas whose genitals are so long they had to make a new biological classification for them. Meet the Satyrex ferox, S. arabicus, S. somalicus, and S. speciosus. They hail from the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa and are so different from their closest relatives—on both the morphological and molecular level—that the team created a new genus for them, Satyrex. 'The genus name is a combination of Satyr, a part-man, part-beast entity from Greek mythology known for his exceptionally large genitals, and the Latin rēx, meaning king,' the researchers wrote in a study published last month in the journal ZooKeys. Like Satyrs, the males of the four new species, as well as a fifth Satyrex species, have the longest known palps of all tarantulas. Palps are limbs that male spiders use to, among other things, transfer sperm while mating. Technically, palps are not penises but rather secondary sex organs. Satyrex ferox, whose legspan is around 5.5 inches (14 centimeters), has male palps up to 2 inches long (5 cm). For comparison, that's almost as long as its longest legs. Since male spiders, unlike male humans, probably don't go around comparing their nether regions to each other, what's the point of adorning such lengthy junk? For S. ferox specifically, 'we have tentatively suggested that the long palps might allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating and help him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female,' Alireza Zamani, lead author of the study and an arachnologist from the University of Turku, said in a Pensoft blog post (Pensoft published ZooKeys). Yes, you read that right. View this post on Instagram'This species is highly defensive. At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threat posture and produces a loud hissing sound by rubbing specialized hairs on the basal segments of the front legs against each other,' Zamani added. In fact, ferox means 'fierce.' In other words, Zamani and colleagues suggest S. ferox may have evolved to have such long genitals because it allows them to have sex without getting eaten by their partner. Talk about a love bite. In comparison, the other species' names are more boring. Researchers named S. speciosus for their beautiful colors and S. arabicus and S. somalicus for their regions of origin. According to the study, the new genus also includes a fifth Satyrex—a known species previously classified in the genus Monocentropus, now called S. longimanus. 'The much longer palps of S. longimanus and the four newly described species were among the primary characters that led us to establish a new genus for these spiders, rather than place them in Monocentropus,' Zamani concludes. 'So yes, at least in tarantula taxonomy, it seems that size really does matter.'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Hunky tarantulas now growing GIANT record-breaking sex organs & mega ‘palp' saves them from being gobbled by lusty mate
NEWLY discovered tarantulas have shocked scientists due to their "exceptionally large" manhood. The spiders ' sexual organs measure in at record length to fend off "highly aggressive" mates that try to eat them after doing the deed, experts believe. 4 4 Four new species of tarantula have been identified and one is packing record-long genitalia. Scientists noticed they had much larger palps, which is the appendages used by male spiders to transfer sperm during mating. The biggest of the bunch is almost as big as its legs. These newly found tarantulas, named Satyrex ferox, have a legspan of about 5.5 inches while its palp can reach a length 2 inches. And yet researchers don't believe their sexual organs have grown to impress mates. Instead, they suspect it's to protect them from being eaten post sex. 'The males of these spiders have the longest palps among all known tarantulas," explained Dr Alireza Zamani of the University of Turku, who led the study into them. "We have tentatively suggested that the long palps might allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating and help him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female." Scientists aptly named the species Satyrex ferox, which is a combination of "Satyr" a part-man, part-beast figure from Greek mythology with exceptionally large genitalia. The "Rex" part is Latin for king, while "ferox" means fierce. "This species is highly defensive," Dr Zamani added. "At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threat posture and produces a loud hissing sound by rubbing specialised hairs on the basal segments of the front legs against each other." The others have been called Satyrex arabicus, Satyrex somalicus and Satyrex speciosus. All types live underground in burrows at the base of shrubs or between rocks. The study was published in the journal ZooKeys, is called 'Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps'. 4 4
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
We still know 'very little' about tarantulas, professor of biology says
Professor Cara Shillington of Eastern Michigan University discusses tarantulas, what we know about them, what we don't — and the phenomenon of their mating season.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Science
- Fox News
We still know 'very little' about tarantulas, professor of biology says
Professor Cara Shillington of Eastern Michigan University discusses tarantulas, what we know about them, what we don't — and the phenomenon of their mating season.
The Independent
29-07-2025
- The Independent
The tarantula invasion has begun – here's where you'll need to watch your step
Tens of thousands of tarantulas are starting to make their way above ground, in search of fuzzy love. But while that sounds like an arachnophobe's worst nightmare, scientists say it's not as scary as you might think. The annual mating season for the world's largest spiders is already under way in the Southwest, as high spring temperatures and moisture drive the hungry creatures out of their underground burrows. Texas is in full-flung mating season, the Austin American-Statesman reports, with tarantulas popping up in South Texas grasslands and deserts. 'It's kind of shocking to people that may have never experienced it because most have not seen a tarantula before — even if they have lived in that area most of their life (they're pretty secretive),' University of Idaho Associate Professor Dr. Chris Hamilton told The Independent. Starting in October and through November, California, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico can also expect an influx of eight-legged friends. In Colorado, where tarantulas are a major attraction, the municipality of La Junta tells people to try to see them an hour before dusk during mid-September to October around the Comanche National Grassland. Sometimes people catch them trekking across roads and highways. 'We've counted as many as 50 [tarantulas] in an hour and a half. That's pretty substantial,' Lyn Neve, a National Forest Service employee, told Denver 7 last year. But while you might see a so-called 'clutter' of tarantulas in these states, particularly near grasslands, it won't come close to the Fifties cult film 'Tarantula.' which saw a house-sized arachnid terrorize an Arizona town. Of the 29 tarantula species in the U.S., most only reach around 4.5 inches in diameter. And those who appear above ground are normally males as female tarantulas are 'basically homebodies,' says the National Park Service. Males may live as many as 10 years, but females can live for up to a quarter of a century. For the males, the journey to find a mate is no picnic. While they typically only travel about a mile to a female's burrow in that time many are eaten by snakes, owls or foxes, or run over by cars. Others will die of exhaustion or the inability to shed their skin. 'It makes me feel bad for the little dudes,' Cristi Painter, a wildlife biologist with the National Forest Service, also told Denver 7. 'You know, he just wants a girlfriend and hopefully one that doesn't eat him. And if she doesn't, he's going to die anyway.' If you do want to see the spiders, the best time to see them in summer is in the middle of the night. But, just don't get too close: Tarantulas are not known to bite, but it doesn't mean that they can't. Their bite is comparable to a bee sting which usually only has a mild effect on humans, although some people may have a more severe allergic reaction. 'They can be grumpy when handled roughly, but if they bite, it's typically from being provoked,' Wizzie Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomology specialist, explained in a statement. 'So, look at them and appreciate them because they are beneficial. But people shouldn't handle tarantulas in the wild.'
