Scientists have discovered a new spider species named 'Loxosceles tenochtitlan' in Central Mexico. Shockingly, the venom of these spiders is so potent that it could rot the human flesh in a single bite. The discovery was made by researchers led by professor Alejandro Valdez-Mondragon at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in the city of Tlaxcala.
Is this spider bite lethal?
Researchers who made this discovery revealed that the bite could create lesions of dead flesh up to 14 inches wide, but they do not consider this spider lethal. These spiders are being found plenty in central Mexico, and they usually live in household furniture and fabrics.
"As it is very similar to the Loxosceles misteca we thought that it had been introduced to this region by the shipping of ornamental plants, but when doing molecular biology studies of both species, we realized that they are completely different," said Valdez-Mondragon, The Sun reported.
The researcher also added that these spiders attack humans with their vicious bite when they feel threatened. As per experts, the best way by which these spiders can be avoided is by keeping a tidy house with fewer hiding spots.
Do spiders drink milk?
A few months back, another study report published in the journal Nature had revealed that jumping spiders, majorly seen in South East Asia used to feed their babies with milk. It should be noted that this so-called milk is basically a nutritious fluid in their body, and it contains sugar, fats, and proteins. Interestingly, offsprings used to drink this milk from their mother's body even after they attain sexual maturity.
However, mother spiders only allow daughter spiders to drink this milk after sexual maturity, and it is considered a deliberate attempt to reduce the chances of interbreeding. Researchers also noted that more studies should be carried out to discover more species other than mammals who feed their babies with milk.
