Sand Dunes Reveal New Spider Species

One of the largest spiders of its class was recently discovered in Israel, by a team of biologists based at the University of Haifa-Oranim. Dubbed Cerbalus aravensis, the new arachnid is mostly nocturnal, and becomes most active in the hottest months of the year, for a reason still unknown to researchers. The creature lives in an area that is losing its sand dunes fast, so it may be threatened, scientists say. According to anthropologists, C. aravensis is the largest member of its species, LiveScience reports.

In the southern Arava region of Israel, an area called the Sands of Samar features numerous sand dunes that are currently shifting to other locations. The newly found spider lives within these dunes, burrowing its layer inside the sand. The nesting location is covered with a trap door that is made out of sand grains. These particles are glued together, so the spider is out of harm's way as long as it doesn't go out hunting. But what attracted the eyes of the researchers was the creature's size. Its leg span can reach about 5.5 inches (14 cm), which is very large for a spider.

The issue, however, the team points out, is the fact that C. aravensis' habitat is gradually disappearing. There is little we can do about this, they add. “The new discovery shows how much we still have to investigate, and that there are likely to be many more species that are unknown to us. If we do not preserve the few habitats that remain for these species, they will become extinct before we can even discover them,” Dr. Uri Shanas, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biology at the UHO, says. He reveals that the Israel Land Administration plans to renew mining projects in the area.

The Sands of Samar will become home to massive exploitations in the near future, which means that the spiders will either be displaced, or driven to extinction. Given the high degree of adaptation the animals have to their environment, it seems unlikely that they will be able to survive anywhere else, conservationists say. This is the classic type of confrontation between ecologists and biologists, on the one hand, and the government and some corporations, on the other. It remains to be seen which will prevail in this instance.