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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > KILLER SPIDERS TAKING OVER MADAGASCAR
KILLER SPIDERS TAKING OVER MADAGASCAR
September 24 2010
Antananarivo, Madagascar – The world is a place full of mysteries and dangers truly beyond our imagination. Even today with all our advances and our spread across the globe there are still mysteries being uncovered on a regular basis, likely meaning that
there are many more out there still waiting to be discovered. While it is unlikely that we will discover the type of megafauna that create monster myths, the creatures that we will uncover will still likely create a sense of awe and wonderment at the diversity and beauty of nature.
However in that awe there remains great danger. While no roaring dragons will emerge from the deep, dark jungles smaller animals yet to be revealed could be just as deadly. New species of venomous snakes for example, or hostile bacteria could be just as detrimental to human life as any ferocious monster. Now it appears one such creature has started to make its presence known in Madagascar as reports from that country indicate the growing threat presented by the Darwin’s bark spider. Discovered in 2001, the bark spider has become an increasing menace across the country due in large part to the incredible strength of its silk which enables it to spin giant webs across waterways and roads, ensnaring boaters and cars and creating terror throughout the African nation.
“This has been an impressive species since it was first discovered. Some of the webs it is able to spin are 75 feet wide which is far bigger than any other species on the planet. It is able to do this because of the strength of the silk. The anchor lines it creates allows incredible strength throughout the web which allows for the massive size,” said Dr. Pascal Lefevre. “This allows the species to build webs where other spiders cannot which reduces the competition for food, allowing this particular species t o thrive and grow very large, which of course has become a major problem now that it is interacting with the human population.”
Initially the species was isolated to the Ranamofana National Park but recent storms in the areas have forced the spiders to move outwards.
“This has been an emerging threat for a number of years but it wasn’t something that we knew about until recently. There is no evidence that human interference has allowed the species to move outwards though it is entirely possible that our interactions have made it aware of a new food source and that it has followed human beings, but the connection is not clear, continued Lefevre. “Whatever the reason it is clear that this spider is now a threat to human beings and there may be nothing we can do about it. The type of defences that exist in places like Madagascar are far more limited than those seen in advanced countries. They still have fire though and it’s likely we will be able to kill this insect with fire, though that is far from assured at this point.”
It is not believed that fire will destroy the silk prompting officials to investigate more advanced disposal techniques.
“This is a fascinating insect and one deserving of in depth study but unfortunately that
may not happen. If human deaths are connected to its actions it is very unlikely that many specimens will survive, and those that do will be extremely angry with the eradication of their species,” said Scrape TV Zoology analyst Cambridge Walker. “Unfortunately the reality with many of these small species is that eradication is the only possibility to protect human lives. Large animals are easily contained and isolated but something as small as a spider could easily make inroads and harm human lives without anyone noticing.”
Thus far no human deaths have been attributed to the bark spider, though property damage has been quite extensive.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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