The world is filled with creatures that have yet to be discovered. Every year, something new (whether it is a unique insect, fish or rodent) is discovered. In this article, you will learn about some of the interesting discoveries that have been found and reported n August 2012, such as a snake with a rather impressive size.
Giant Python Found
Residents living in the Florida Everglades may want to take heed to the latest find nature that brings back memories of prehistoric monsters. A python measuring 17 feet has been discovered ”“ the largest ever found in the state of Florida. The exact measurement of the snake is 17 feet, 7 inches long and weighs 164 pounds. To add to the thrill of the discovery, the snake was pregnant with 87 eggs. Witnesses have exclaimed how monstrous the snake looks, which measures about a foot wide.
The snake sheds light on the habits and survival rate of the creatures in the wild, who are finding plenty of native wildlife to feast upon. Originating in Southeast Asia, this type of snake is prevalent in Florida. Many of the Burmese Pythons have made their way into the wild after former owners released the reptiles after they were no longer wanted as pets.
Lawmakers have been pushing to introduce legislation to ban the snakes in the United States. So far, the Burmese python was one of four snakes on the list, along with the yellow anaconda, and the northern and southern African python.
Scientists will study the contents of the snake’s stomach to learn about what it has been eating in the Florida Everglades. So far, feathers have been found in its stomach. There is nothing out there to stop the spread of the snakes so they pose a serious threat to native wildlife. To make matters worse, the snakes are successful at reproducing and do so in high numbers.
In the Everglades National Park, 1,865 Burmese pythons have been found between 2000 and 2011. This has led scientists to believe that 10,000 of the snakes are located within this region.
Rare Spider Discovered
A brand new taxonomic family of spider has been uncovered living in the caves of southern Oregon ”“ a rare discovery made by a group of cave explorers and scientists. Only two other spider families have been found since 1990 and this marks the first newly discovered native spider in North America since 1890. So far, only of the one species belong to the family, which was given the name of Trogloraptor marchingtoni by researchers ”“ named after Neil Marchington, a member of the Western Cave Conservancy who is responsible for initially discovering the spider. The name, Trogloraptor translates into “cave robber.”
The spider possesses interesting hooks (or claws) on its legs, which scientists believe are used to capture flying insects out of the air ”“ like midges. When the legs are outstretched, the spider can measure up to 3 inches or 8 centimeters long.