National Geographic likes to describe spiders by what they could hug

September 13, 2019 7:49 AM

Sri Lanka is home to a new[ly discovered] species of tarantula—and its females are fuzzy, turquoise-tinged, and big enough to comfortably hug a donut (National Geographic), as recently reported in the British Tarantula Society Journal, with more pictures of Chilobrachys jonitriantisvansicklei.

More from National Geographic:

Scientists found the arachnids within an isolated patch of southwestern rainforest, ringed by tea and rubber plantations. Living in tubular, silk-lined burrows, they are fast and aggressive, seizing unlucky insects that wander too close to their underground lairs. Measuring roughly five inches from tip to tip, these spiders are not exactly small, nor are their brilliant blue patches particularly subtle.

In fact, it’s these snazzy blue colors that first caught biologist Ranil Nanayakkara’s attention, and flagged the critters—now named Chilobrachys jonitriantisvansicklei—as potentially new to science. (Related: read why science still can’t explain some blue tarantulas.)
...
This is not the first time Nanayakkara has identified a scene-stealing Sri Lankan tarantula.

In 2013, he described a new species of massive, tree-dwelling tarantula (Academia.edu) called Poecilotheria rajaei. Ornately decorated with interlocking geometric patterns, and with a legspan that could comfortably reach around your face, this so-called tiger spider ended up being a media sensation.

You can find more about spiders of the world from the World Spider Catalog, but that's lacking images, so you may also enjoy the Wikipiedia list of Theraphosidae species, which does include photos.

posted by filthy light thief (33 comments total)

big enough to comfortably hug a donut

Wait, what is this a euphemism for again?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:55 AM on September 13, 2019 [12 favorites]

There's a British Tarantula Society Journal because there's a British Tarantula Society because of course there is.
posted by The Bellman at 8:09 AM on September 13, 2019 [5 favorites]

Wait, what is this a euphemism for again?

To say nothing of the one that wraps its legs around your face.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 8:15 AM on September 13, 2019 [4 favorites]

I made a thing.

It's a spider-hugging donut thing.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:21 AM on September 13, 2019 [12 favorites]

I was kinda thinking about signing up for the Pedal the Plains bike tour (which I guess starts today so I am apparently not doing that after all) and learned yesterday that tarantulas often make appearances.
posted by asperity at 8:22 AM on September 13, 2019

I made a thing.

It does look quite comfortable hugging that donut.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:24 AM on September 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

I made a thing.

It's a spider-hugging donut thing.

weird flex, voodoo donuts, but ok
posted by lalochezia at 8:25 AM on September 13, 2019

spider hugs, spider hugs
friendly neighbourhood spider hugs
posted by nubs at 8:31 AM on September 13, 2019 [5 favorites]

I also hug donuts. With my mouth.
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:40 AM on September 13, 2019 [7 favorites]

"British Tarantula Society" makes me think of fuzy spiders with top hats and monocles going "Wot wot dontcherknow rahthar!"
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 8:49 AM on September 13, 2019 [9 favorites]

I made a thing.
It's a spider-hugging donut thing.

Please don't make any more things.
posted by The Bellman at 8:54 AM on September 13, 2019 [4 favorites]

How do they know a donut is comfortable?
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 9:10 AM on September 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

It's interesting that Robert Raven (a tarantula taxonomy guru) casts doubt on whether it's really a new species; I'm not sure if that's just usual taxonomy GRAR or whether the paper didn't do enough to compare this species with the Indian ones.
posted by dhruva at 9:12 AM on September 13, 2019

I also hug donuts. With my mouth.

And so, in turn, Chilobrachys Jonitriantisvansicklei hugs you. With it's mouth.

It's the circle of life.
posted by CynicalKnight at 9:17 AM on September 13, 2019 [4 favorites]

Aww...who's a fuzzy little arachno-puppy? Yes you are! Who wants a donut?
posted by sexyrobot at 9:17 AM on September 13, 2019 [3 favorites]

Comfortable for whom is the next question.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:19 AM on September 13, 2019

Wait, what is this a euphemism for again?

I'm assuming it's from the daytime TV dub of Slaughterhouse Five.

Why don't you comfortably hug a rolling donut? Go comfortably hug the moon!
posted by zamboni at 9:24 AM on September 13, 2019 [7 favorites]

.... Now I'm imagining a British gentleman tarantula fucking a donut and this is not how I wanted to spend the morning
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 9:27 AM on September 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

I mean, I’m not that comfortable with doughnut hugging; it gets my shirt all messy. Spiders may well feel the same way.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:28 AM on September 13, 2019

Did someone say "spiders with top hats"?
Star vs the Forces of Evil - Spider with a Top Hat [YouTube]
posted by zengargoyle at 9:33 AM on September 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

To save you clicks, the article contains no pictures of spiders comfortably hugging donuts.
posted by achrise at 9:48 AM on September 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

I am now imagining entomologists and arachnologists bringing donuts into the field, for scale, like rock hammers being used for scale in photos of geologic features (Wikipedia).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:53 AM on September 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

I am now imagining entomologists and arachnologists bringing donuts into the field, for scale,

That’s what they claim, at any rate.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:47 AM on September 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

See, I had assumed "hug a doughnut" meant, like, with the arms entirely encircling the doughnut and that this was an absolutely massive spider but no. It's really just the size of a doughnut. Or spiders hug half-heartedly.
posted by stillnocturnal at 11:33 AM on September 13, 2019 [3 favorites]

I kind of like spiders, they eat flies and I hate flies. Also, we had a tarantula as one of our classroom pets in school and I liked it.
But at the same time, information like this is exactly why I do not dream of exploring tropical forests. They are fine without me, I'm sure.
posted by mumimor at 11:39 AM on September 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Or spiders hug half-heartedly.
posted by stillnocturnal

It's like one of those awful bro hugs where it's just, like, a side hug.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:04 PM on September 13, 2019 [3 favorites]

Or spiders hug half-heartedly.

I suspect it's because nothing really hugs them back.
posted by nubs at 12:10 PM on September 13, 2019 [6 favorites]

"British Tarantula Society" makes me think of fuzy spiders with top hats and monocles going "Wot wot dontcherknow rahthar!"
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 10:49 AM on September 13 [4 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

Subscribe. SUBSCRIBE. SUBSCRIBE!
posted by Horkus at 1:15 PM on September 13, 2019 [2 favorites]

Great post, made even better by the phrase, "an eight-legged lover colored like the sea."

I need to use that somewhere.
posted by blurker at 2:15 PM on September 13, 2019 [4 favorites]

Looks like it could comfortably hug a donut like a person holding onto an inner tube.
posted by mbrubeck at 3:16 PM on September 13, 2019

I am now imagining entomologists and arachnologists bringing donuts into the field, for scale, like rock hammers being used for scale in photos of geologic features

Please. Everyone knows that bananas are the universal unit of measurement.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:17 PM on September 13, 2019 [1 favorite]

Be the bug hug that you wish to be.....
posted by mightshould at 6:10 PM on September 15, 2019

Everyone knows that bananas are the universal unit of measurement.

What's reddit going to do if the disease resistant replacement for the Cavendish turns out to be a different size? I envision a frozen standard reference banana kept in a vault in Switzerland.
posted by zamboni at 7:25 AM on September 16, 2019 [6 favorites]