Electric blue tarantula species discovered in Thailand
(CNN) – Researchers are calling the discovery of an electric blue tarantula species in Thailand mesmerizing, according to a study published in the research journal ZooKeys.
Researchers found the spider living in a mangrove forest during an expedition to Phang-nga province in southern Thailand.
They say the electric blue coloring does not come from the presence of blue pigmentation, but rather in the unique structure of their hair.
According to the study, the spiders’ coloring varies by sex and age.
Females and young males have more violet hairs than metallic blue parts of their bodies.
The electric blue tarantula is apparently one of the world’s rarest tarantulas because of the decline of mangrove forests, researchers say.
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