They find a new species of spider 0:54
(CNN) --
A new species of tarantula, which lives exclusively in the hollow stems of bamboo plants, to the surprise of scientists, was recently discovered in Thailand.
"These animals are truly exceptional; they are the first known tarantulas with a bamboo-based ecology," Narin Chomphuphuang, a researcher at the Department of Plant Entomology and Pathology at Khon Kaen University in Thailand, said in a blog post.
Thailand's JoCho Sippawat, a wildlife enthusiast with 2.5 million YouTube subscribers, first came across the tarantula during a hike in the forest near where he lives in Mae Tho, Mueang Tak district, Thailand province. Tak, in northwestern Thailand, Chomphuphuang said.
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Sippawat later emailed an image of the spider to Chomphuphuang, an arachnologist, meaning a scientist who studies spiders.
Chomphuphuang immediately thought it was a new species of tarantula, but it wasn't until he went on a field trip to examine and study the spider that the creature was officially declared new to science.
Distinct from all other known tarantulas, a new genus and species was declared:
Taksinus bambus
.
Its name is in honor of the 18th century Thai king Taksin the Great.
Narin Chomphuphuang, center, takes a photo of the research team.
YouTuber JoCho Sippawat is on the far left.
Southeast Asian tarantulas typically live on the ground or in trees.
Tree-dwelling tarantulas often spend time in different types of trees, and this is the first tarantula to live exclusively on a specific plant.
The newly recognized spider is the only arboreal tarantula living in Thailand, according to the study.
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Chomphuphuang said that making a home out of bamboo had many advantages for the spider.
Bamboo contains moisture that helps the spider maintain its temperature, which is especially important for tarantulas, which molt and shed their exoskeleton.
The slippery surface of bamboo also deters predators.
Taksinus bambus is the first tarantula known to only inhabit bamboo stems.
"We examined all the trees in the area where the species was discovered. This species is unique because it is associated with bamboo, and we have never observed this tarantula species on any other plant," he said in a press release.
The Taksinus bambus has adapted to life in the hollow stems of bamboo, building entrance tubes to the nest with its silk.
It also builds tubes of silk inside the bamboo in which it can take shelter.
Spiders weave tubes of silk inside bamboo stems.
Tarantulas do not bore into bamboo stems on their own.
Instead, they rely on the help of other animals.
According to the study, bamboo is attacked by numerous animals, such as beetles and worms.
Or sometimes the bamboo cracks as a result of changes in humidity.
The researchers stated that there is a lot of wildlife in Thailand that remains undocumented.
Chomphuphuang said few people realize how much wildlife there is in Thailand and it remains undocumented.
"Our main mission is to study and save from extinction the biodiversity and fauna of these forests, in particular the specific microhabitats of each species," he said.
The tarantula lives in the high hill forests of northern Thailand, at an altitude of about 1,000 meters.
"The first step is to inform people about this species and its location. Then you have to manage and protect this forest area for wildlife."
The research was published last week in the academic journal Zookeys.
Thailand Tarantula
