• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Say hello to a brand-new spider species

April 27, 2021
dvm360 Staff
dvm360, dvm360 June 2021, Volume 56,

The Pine Rockland Trapdoor Spider, kin to the tarantula, was recently identified thanks to Zoo Miami staff.

There’s a new large spider species in town—and it was recently found lurking around the endangered pine Rockland forest surrounding Zoo Miami. With a name reflecting its habitat, the Pine Rockland Trapdoor Spider (Ummidia richmond) was first discovered by a zookeeper inspecting reptile research traps in 2012. At the time, the zoo’s conservation and research department couldn't identify this mystery spider as it didn’t match any existing records of species in the area.

Fast forward 2 years later and another one of these spiders was found and evaluated by experts including, Rebecca Godwin, PhD, assistant professor of biology at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia, who confirmed this arachnid is a previously undescribed species. After years of research, Godwin identified the 8-legged creature, kin to the tarantula, as a new species, according to a Zoo Miami release.

This exciting finding offers hope for more discoveries like these in large regions such as the Greater Miami Area, says Zoo Miami staff. However, since roughly 1.5% of the pine Rocklands outside the Everglades National Park remains, this newly-identified spider is likely already endangered.

Advertisement

"The fact that a new species like this could be found in a fragment of endangered forest in the middle of the city underscores the importance of preserving these ecosystems before we lose not only what we know but also what is still to be discovered," says Frank Ridgley, DVM, head of the conservation and research department at Zoo Miami. Venoms of related species have been found to contain compounds with potential use as pain medications and cancer treatments.”

Trapdoor spiders are some of the longest-lived and can spend their entire lives in the same burrow. Currently, zoo staff has only found a handful of male Pine Rockland Trapdoor Spiders but no females to date. Over the past 35 years, this species has not been identified anywhere aside from the area surrounding Zoo Miami.

To learn more about this new spider species, go here.

download issueDownload Issue: dvm360 June 2021

Related Content:

Exotic Animal Medicinedvm360 June 2021
Oldest tortoise at Houston Zoo becomes father to 3 hatchlings
Oldest tortoise at Houston Zoo becomes father to 3 hatchlings
Senior penguins receive revolutionary cataract surgery
Senior penguins receive revolutionary cataract surgery
Veterinarian with a love for wildlife photography
Veterinarian with a love for wildlife photography

Advertisement

Latest News

Kentucky Humane Society with Louisville Metro Animal Services to host mega adoption event

San Diego Zoo celebrates Andean bear cub twins

Spring’s pet toxins have sprung

IBPSA and Zoundz Music for Pets team up to reduce pet anxiety in pet care facilities

View More Latest News
Advertisement