cienciaaonatural
Luis Azevedo Rodrigues
Paleontologist (PhD); Science writer/blogger
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SCIENCE AND MEDIA
BIODIVERSITY
A new species of spider has been discovered in the dune of the Sands of Samar in the southern Arava region of Israel, scientists from from the department of biology at the University of Haifa-Oranim said this week. With a leg span of up to 5.5 inches (14 centimeters), the new spider is the largest of its type in the Middle East, the scientists said. Its habitat is endangered.
New spider found in giant sand dune in Israel - NatGeo News Watc
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Giant Spider Species Discovered in Middle Eastern Sand Dunes | W
Scientists have unearthed a completely new species of spider hiding in sand dunes on the Israel-Jordan border. With a legspan that stretches 5.5 inches, the spider, called Cerbalus aravensis , is the biggest of its type in the Middle East. “It is rare to find a new species of spider — at least around this part of the world — which is so big,” said biologist Uri Shanas of the University of Haifa-Oranim in Israel, who discovered the arachnid. Most of Cerbalus aravensis ‘s habits remain a mystery, but the researchers say it is nocturnal and most active during the blazing summer heat. The spider lives in an underground den, hidden by a door that swings upwards to welcome unsuspecting prey like lizards and insects. To make the camouflage door, the spider patches together bits of sand.
No hay sitio para tanto lince | soitu.es
Pasados cuatro años desde que naciera el primer lince ibérico ( Lynx pardinus ) en cautividad, las jaulas de los centros del Programa de Conservación Ex-situ (fuera de su hábitat) están llenas de estos felinos.
EVOLUTION
Este método de respiração pode ter permitido aos antepassados destes animais serem mais resistentes e dominarem a Terra depois da extinção massiva ocorrida há 251 milhões de anos. Depois da extinção que provocou a morte de 70 por cento da vida terrestre e 96 por cento da marinha, estes répteis – arcossauros – foram os animais que dominaram o planeta. Terá sido uma forte actividade vulcânica ou o impacto de um grande asteróide que provocou a catástrofe.
Pássaros e jacarés respiram da mesma forma
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