YouTuber Discovers New Tarantula Species in Thailand

The tarantula discovered in Thailand lives in bamboo and is so different from others that it has been declared a new genus and species.

When wildlife enthusiast and YouTube star found an unusual spider near his home in northwest Thailand, he knew he had found something special.

He quickly sent a photo of the spider to arachnologist Narin Chomphuphuang of Khon Kaen University, who helped confirm what Sippawat had hoped: it was a new species of tarantula.

Sippawat, whose nature YouTube channel has 2.5 million followers, first encountered the black and white fluffy spider during a forest excursion near his home in Tak province, Thailand.

Zongtum “JoCho” Sippawat (left), with arachnologists Wuttikrai Khaikaew, Kaweesak Keeratikiat, Narin Chomphuphuang and Chaowalit Songsangchote.

After scientists collected specimens and conducted field surveys in the area in July 2020, the spider was officially declared new to science.

Sippawat and the scientists he collaborated with were surprised to find that the tarantula nests inside bamboo stems.

This behavior had never been documented before in tarantulas, a family that includes more than 1,000 different species.

The new spider, named Taksinus bambus, is so different from all other known tarantulas that it has been declared a new genus and species.

The team named the new tarantula after Thai King Taksin the Great, who ruled Tak Province in the 18th century.

The tarantula Taksinus bambus. Photo: JoCho Sippawat

Details of this recent discovery are published in the journal ZooKeys .

"These animals are truly remarkable," Chomphuphuang, who co-authored the study, wrote in a blog post.

"These are the very first known tarantulas whose ecology is based on bamboo."

Most tarantulas in Southeast Asia live on the ground or in trees, but this tarantula is the first to live exclusively on a single specific plant, according to CNN .

Sippawat first found the spider in Asian bamboo stalks, inside their silk-lined shelters.

The arachnids create tube-shaped silk burrows located either in the tips of branches or in the hollow culms of bamboo.

The newly recognized spider is the only known tree tarantula in Thailand, the study authors note.

"This species is unique because it is associated with bamboo, and we have never observed this tarantula species in any other plant," Chomphuphuang writes.

"It is no exaggeration to say that they are now the rarest tarantulas in Thailand."

The scientists behind the work explain that although the new tarantula species thrives inside bamboo, it cannot bore or pierce the stems on its own.

Instead, Taksinus bambus relies on other animals, such as the bamboo borer beetle, the bamboo worm, and the bamboo-nesting carpenter bee, to enter the plant, reports Matthew Hart for Nerdist .

The discovery of a new tarantula underscores the importance of protecting Thailand's biodiversity, much of which remains undocumented.

“Our main mission is to study and save the biodiversity and wildlife found in these forests, especially species-specific microhabitats, from extinction,” explains Chomphuphuang.

“The first step is to inform people about these species and their locality.

Then this forest area must be managed and protected for wildlife.”

Source: Smithsonian Magazine