Science A Break From The Alex Smith Drama: Urbanization Is Supersizing Spiders - Page 6

listopencil · 02-28-2013, 11:34 AM

City living brings with it a few shifts in lifestyle compared to rural habitation: shorter commutes, accessible shops and, often, an over-reliance on restaurant dining and fast food. Another side effect of the congested, cramped, cement-laded city life is that the temperature tends to be a little warmer year-round, a shift known as the “urban heat island” effect.

As it turns out, these changes aren’t only affecting cities’ human populations. In Australia, where spiders already have a propensity to be terrifyingly large, new research by University of Sydney PhD candidate Lizzy Lowe, says The Age, found that Sydney’s higher temperatures and easier access to food are driving the spiders to grow even bigger.

She studied the golden orb weaver in three types of environments in and around Sydney – urban parks, remnant bushland and continuous bushland. Twenty sites were studied and, for each spider web found, she assessed its proximity to man-made objects and vegetation.

Comparing the sizes of the spiders, she found that the city spiders outpaced the country spiders. And, though her research focused only on Golden orb weaver spiders, she suggests that the same effect can probably be seen in other species.

A female golden orb weaver spider. Photo: Arthur Chapman

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smar...izing-spiders/

**GloryDayz** · 03-01-2013, 06:56 AM

I blame global warming and automatic weapons.

listopencil · 03-01-2013, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holladay

What no love for this link....thought it was hillarious

Nice lil PSA on spiders. Quite educational.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=sHzdsFiBbFc

Gotta love crack cocaine spiders!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe if you embedded it instead:

listopencil · 03-01-2013, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish

Music should have been "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story.

Fish · 03-01-2013, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by listopencil

Music should have been "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story.

listopencil · 03-01-2013, 10:24 AM

Rare Spider Hides Out in London Cemetery Vaults for 150 Years

A rare species of orb weaver spider, Meta bourneti, turned up in the vaults of London’s Highgate Cemetery where it may have been lying low for the past 150 years.

As an orb weaver, the species requires total darkness, so archeologists think the tombs made a perfect hideout for the spider, which normally lives in caves and feasts upon small insects and woodlice. According to the BBC, this is the first time M. bourneti has been recorded in London.

Around 100 spiders, measuring about 30 mm, turned up in the tombs, some of which date back to the 1830s. The discovery shows just how important urban cemeteries can be for providing refuges for wildlife, the London Wildlife Trust told the BBC.

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smar...for-150-years/

Rausch · 03-01-2013, 10:48 AM

This is why I purchase Mantid egg cases every year...

Fish · 03-03-2013, 10:15 PM

AussieChiefsFan · 03-03-2013, 10:48 PM

Good luck America.

listopencil · 03-14-2013, 03:13 PM

Well, hey, apparently today is International Save A Spider Day. Here's a slideshow:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...198058761.html

It has some creepy/cool images like this one:

[IMG]http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/963*1285/A+Green+Spider(Araniella+cucurbitina)+spins+its+web+between+two+trees+by+Gonzalo+Acuna+(Montevideo+U raguay)_963.jpg[/IMG]

listopencil · 03-14-2013, 03:15 PM

Well that's weird. The IMG tag isn't working for some reason.

Fish · 03-14-2013, 03:19 PM

Hangin out. Pooping webbing that's stronger than steel. You know, just spider shit....

REDHOTGTO · 03-16-2013, 07:49 AM

this is why i use the best spray ever, TEMPO no more spiders, roaches, anything just death, try it , it works like crazy

CoMoChief · 03-16-2013, 08:03 AM

i dont know why i keep clicking into this thread.

Spiders and clowns just freak me the **** out.

Fish · 03-22-2013, 05:37 PM

**bevischief** · 03-22-2013, 05:53 PM

I haven't seen a spider since I moved up here.

02-28-2013, 11:34 AM
listopencil sic semper tyrannis Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: :: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $1082965	A Break From The Alex Smith Drama: Urbanization Is Supersizing Spiders City living brings with it a few shifts in lifestyle compared to rural habitation: shorter commutes, accessible shops and, often, an over-reliance on restaurant dining and fast food. Another side effect of the congested, cramped, cement-laded city life is that the temperature tends to be a little warmer year-round, a shift known as the “urban heat island” effect. As it turns out, these changes aren’t only affecting cities’ human populations. In Australia, where spiders already have a propensity to be terrifyingly large, new research by University of Sydney PhD candidate Lizzy Lowe, says The Age, found that Sydney’s higher temperatures and easier access to food are driving the spiders to grow even bigger. She studied the golden orb weaver in three types of environments in and around Sydney – urban parks, remnant bushland and continuous bushland. Twenty sites were studied and, for each spider web found, she assessed its proximity to man-made objects and vegetation. Comparing the sizes of the spiders, she found that the city spiders outpaced the country spiders. And, though her research focused only on Golden orb weaver spiders, she suggests that the same effect can probably be seen in other species. A female golden orb weaver spider. Photo: Arthur Chapman http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smar...izing-spiders/
Posts: 21,326

03-01-2013, 06:56 AM	#76
GloryDayz Clark, do the right thing(s).. Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Lee's Summit, MO Casino cash: $77813	I blame global warming and automatic weapons. __________________ Come on Clark Hunt, you can do this... Glass is doing shit over at the K, so if you do something awesome here, this city could go back to having awesomeness abounding in it's teams (and lots of support from the fans too). Come on buddy, do this thing...
Posts: 10,762

03-01-2013, 10:24 AM	#80
listopencil sic semper tyrannis Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: :: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $1082965	Rare Spider Hides Out in London Cemetery Vaults for 150 Years A rare species of orb weaver spider, Meta bourneti, turned up in the vaults of London’s Highgate Cemetery where it may have been lying low for the past 150 years. As an orb weaver, the species requires total darkness, so archeologists think the tombs made a perfect hideout for the spider, which normally lives in caves and feasts upon small insects and woodlice. According to the BBC, this is the first time M. bourneti has been recorded in London. Around 100 spiders, measuring about 30 mm, turned up in the tombs, some of which date back to the 1830s. The discovery shows just how important urban cemeteries can be for providing refuges for wildlife, the London Wildlife Trust told the BBC. http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smar...for-150-years/ __________________ I am my own God. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.
Posts: 21,326

03-03-2013, 10:15 PM	#82
Fish Missing Dick Curl Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2089229	__________________
Posts: 21,452

03-03-2013, 10:48 PM	#83
AussieChiefsFan ¡Mayday! .... All Day ... Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia Casino cash: $26027603	Good luck America.
Posts: 8,096

03-14-2013, 03:13 PM	#84
listopencil sic semper tyrannis Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: :: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $1082965	Well, hey, apparently today is International Save A Spider Day. Here's a slideshow: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...198058761.html It has some creepy/cool images like this one: [IMG]http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/9631285/A+Green+Spider(Araniella+cucurbitina)+spins+its+web+between+two+trees+by+Gonzalo+Acuna+(Montevideo+U raguay)_963.jpg[/IMG] __________________ I am my own God. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system.* We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.
Posts: 21,326

03-14-2013, 03:15 PM	#85
listopencil sic semper tyrannis Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: :: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $1082965	Well that's weird. The IMG tag isn't working for some reason. __________________ I am my own God. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.
Posts: 21,326

03-14-2013, 03:19 PM	#86
Fish Missing Dick Curl Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2089229	Hangin out. Pooping webbing that's stronger than steel. You know, just spider shit.... __________________
Posts: 21,452

03-16-2013, 07:49 AM	#87
REDHOTGTO Starter Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: INDEPENDENCE,KANSAS Casino cash: $20320	this is why i use the best spray ever, TEMPO no more spiders, roaches, anything just death, try it , it works like crazy
Posts: 633

03-16-2013, 08:03 AM	#88
CoMoChief The Revolution Has Begun Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $124453	i dont know why i keep clicking into this thread. Spiders and clowns just freak me the ** out. __________________ 2013 Adopt-A-Chief: Eric Berry #29**
Posts: 28,397

03-22-2013, 05:37 PM	#89
Fish Missing Dick Curl Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2089229	__________________
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03-22-2013, 05:53 PM	#90
bevischief .... Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Fargo Casino cash: $18266535	I haven't seen a spider since I moved up here. __________________ Lex and Terry listen to it! http://lexandterry.com/ "The republic can survive a Barack Obama. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president." unknown Corporation Nation watch it. The Exploding Autoimmune Epidemic by Dr Trent watch it. Dr Mary's Monkey watch it.
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