The photo makes many people tremble, but it is extremely happy news for science

Spiders are probably one of the most common fears of humankind. It is estimated that about 6% of the population feels unbearable to see such a hairy animal with many legs. And to make it easier to imagine, that 6% is equivalent to nearly 500 million people.

But spiders also have "this spider that spider . " Among them, there is a species that causes a very terrible nightmare called "hunt spider" - huntsman spider. They are the giant spiders of Australia, stride when growing up to 25cm cheating. Think of it, such an animal suddenly appears in front of you, even if it's not dangerous, the bravest person will be startled.

Giant hunter spider once found in a house in Australia.

And now imagine: this spider too, but it consists of dozens of them gathered in one place, why?

That's what Angela Sanders - a biologist from Bush Heritage Australia - witnessed recently when she checked the wooden box she installed on a tree. When she opened the box, what awaited her were dozens of spider hunters crawling around, utterly . amusing

Images that make the bravest people also shudder.

Feeling awful yet? However, after a brief startle, Sanders felt this was good news. Because such a large concentration of spiders means that the ecosystem the experts preserve is slowly recovering, and becoming healthy enough for spiders to reproduce.

When nightmares are the joy of science

Sanders works at the Monjebub Nature Reserve in Western Australia - an organization trying to restore the ecosystem, after decades of human encroachment.

To do this, they planted a lot of trees to provide habitat for native creatures, and brought food for many animals like pygmy possum (Cercartetus concinnus), and giant huntsman spider (genus Delena). ). However, just planting trees would not be enough for pygmy mice to survive, so they decided to install some wooden boxes - called "eco boxes" to support them.

The thing is, the hunter spider also lives on trees. Their preferred habitat is tall, dense foliage. But the newly planted trees could not be a suitable incubator, so the spiders would also find better housing - their boxes.

"This is a hunter spider that lives in clusters, usually under a tree canopy. But in the conservation area, the canopy doesn't have much, so the spiders chose our boxes." - Sanders said.

It is unusual for multiple spiders to snuggle in a narrow location. Most spiders, even if they are next to each other, are very independent. When mature and self-sufficient, they will leave the nest, giving each other their own path.

But there are also a number of species that possess a very "loving affection" lifestyle, the whole family living together in a cluster, possibly in the same giant spider web. Hunter spiders do not release silk, but they still live in swarms and this offers many surprising advantages. Previous research has shown that cohabitation will create stronger spiders, and also reproduce faster.

"The spiders in the box come from the same species, with different sizes and colors - proving their age is different," said Julianne Waldock, a arthropod researcher.

"Why do so many spiders gather together? Dr. Linda Rayor from Cornell University once studied this problem on two Australian spiders."

"Both species have extremely good stamina, and so they are willing to share with each other when resources become scarce. Large individuals will share food for the smaller ones."

In other words, when the habitat becomes harsh, the spiders will work together, sharing food for all to grow together. It sounds cute, right?

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