Trogloraptor, a giant predatory spider, was recently discovered in the Pacific Northwest. Sasquatch next.
Trogloraptor is named for its cave home and spectacular elongated claws.
It is a spider so evolutionarily special that it represents not only a new genus and species, but also a new family Trogloraptoridae.
Trogloraptor hangs beneath rudimentary webs on cave ceilings. It is about four centimeters wide when its legs are extended.
Their extraordinary, raptorial claws suggest that they are fierce, specialized predators, but their prey and attack behavior remain unknown.
The true distribution of Trogloraptor remains unknown: that such a relatively large, peculiar animal could elude discovery until 2012 suggests that more may be lurking in the forests and caves of western North America.
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