Tasmanian Spiders by Beth Stott
One of my passions is spiders, especially Tasmanian spiders. I warn you that if you are frightened of spiders I suggest that you do not enter my house as it is a safe haven for spiders.
Before you look at this site and go YUK!! I suggest you look at what spiders can do to assist you. Like the study that is being held at the moment into Tasmanian Cave-Dwelling Spiders.
Spider puts new spin on salvation
A Cave-Dwelling Tasmanian spider may soon be spinning out a new food preservative.
Hickmania troglodytes or Tasmanian Cave Spider has an unique chemical in its silk which is highly effective against bacterial and fungal infections.
When it was isolated and properly understood, it could outperform existing food additives, Hobart zoologist Niall Doran said.
"Most anti-microbial agents are very short-lived so it would be no good to get something that lasted a bit longer" Dr Doran said.
The findings are part of broad 10 year study into Tasmanian cave-dwelling animals and fauna by the University of Tasmania and the Forest Practices Board.
Dr Doran, from the Department of Primary Industries, Water and the Environment - which is also involved in the study - is particularly interested in the cave spider, which is found only in Tasmania and has many unusual characteristics.
One of these is its courtship and mating, which
can take up to six hours.
The male must spend hours wooing the female, seductively tapping her on the head with one of his legs.
He aims to get her in a "tight embrace", using legs specifically shaped for this task, while avoiding being bitten.
"If she hasn't eaten for long enough she will have a go at eating him", Dr Doran said.
Unlike most spiders, which make a vertical web, Hickmania troglodytes spin a horizontal mesh which snares insects that fall from the cave roof. Occasionally it will jump up and down on the web to find out whether an insect has been captured.
The spider, which can grow to a leg span of 18cm, is found mainly in caves, including Mole Creek and Mt Wellington systems, but also in rainforests and mine shafts.
Its origins date back more than 200 million years.
Findings of the study will help ensure forestry activity does not adversely affect cave habitats.
ref: Binet, H, 2000, 'Spider puts new spin on salvation', The Saturday Mercury, The Mercury, Hobart, May 13, pp 1&6
Just to put a slight genealogical spin on this article, my husband's grandfather was the guide to the Baldock Caves in the early part of last centenary. I have been told he would collect specimens from the Baldock Caves and send them to Melbourne. Who he sent them to I have not been told. The Baldock Caves are one of the wet cave systems in the Mole Creek area.
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