BrainBug and I are getting together tonight at 7:30 Central time to talk about the Joro spider. Or perhaps more accurately, the media’s hysterics over Joro.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
BrainBug and I are getting together tonight at 7:30 Central time to talk about the Joro spider. Or perhaps more accurately, the media’s hysterics over Joro.
FWIW on the swallowing spiders in one’s sleep myth see :
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/swallow-spiders/
&
https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/arachnology-and-entomology/spider-myths/myth-you-swallow-spiders
Plus some interesting reader comments / responses here :
https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-23997,00.html
Via the Guardian.
As for the spider species mentioned – see :
https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/creatura-blog/2018/04/new-zealands-sole-venomous-spider-is-the-stuff-of-legends/
For the Katipo & for those endangered by the pet trade see :
https://www.science.org/content/article/slideshow-tarantulas-loved-extinction
As well as :
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/discovery-of-a-metallic-blue-tarantula-bolsters-case-for-trade-protection/
Plus, of course, there’s always wikipedia as a first stop which generally seems pretty good here to me in this area :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katip%C5%8D
Also the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species see :
https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?taxonomies=113940&searchType=species
(Hopefully that link works or type Poecilotheria into their seacrh box and see genus listing to choose various individual species incl. P formosa & rufilata.)
&
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63561/12691712