Eight New Spiders Grab (Don't Bite) Humans

Eight new species of whip spiders look threatening, but these newly found arachnids from the Amazon region of Brazil don’t bite — they just grab.

The newfound creepy crawlies double the known number of species of this type spider in Brazil, according to new research in PLOS ONE.

Whip spiders worldwide, also known as tailless whip scorpions, have scared many because of their resemblance to venomous stinging scorpions. They are, however, harmless to people, which they grab instead of bite, as this video shows:

You can also get a really good look at another whip spider in the below video.

Researchers Alessandro Ponce de Leao Giupponi and Gustavo Silva de Miranda found the new whip spiders in the Brazilian states of Pará and Amazonas. All of the spiders belong to the order Amblypygi and are of the genus Charinus. They include C. bichuetteae, C. bonaldoi, C. carajas, C. ferreus, C. guto, C. orientalis, C. brescoviti, and C. ricardoi.

“Brazil now becomes the country with the largest diversity of Amblypygi in the world, with 25 known species,” the researchers, both from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, wrote.

The name “amblypygid” means “blunt rump,” and refers to the spiders’ lack of a flagellum or tail that is seen in actual whip scorpions. The spiders possess no silk glands or poisonous fangs. When they grab a person, the sensation is a bit like being pricked by a rose thorn. Such attacks can stun or crush the spiders’ tiny insect prey, though.

They are very social and gregarious creatures, so some people even keep them as pets. Half of the new species are already considered to be highly endangered, however, so saving the spiders in their own habitat is the priority now.

Read more at Discovery News