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South African researchers have revealed the discovery of a new species of spider with an unusual horn-shaped outcrop on the backs of central Angola's forests, considered the first of its kind.
Named "Ceratogyrus attonitifer", the arachnid belongs to the group of horned baboon spiders that possess a type of protuberance, but nothing to do with the milder, longer protrusion of this species.
"This spider is absolutely unique in the world.This huge horn protrudes in the center of his head and no other spider in the world has anything like it," said Dr. Ian Engelbrecht, arachnologist at AFP. the National Institute of Biodiversity.
"There are other species that have a horn on the shell but it's a muscular structure … This structure looks to be full of adipose tissue."
The researchers first discovered the weird spider in 2015 when collecting specimens as part of surveys carried out in the Okavango watershed, straddling Angola, Namibia and Botswana.
Several specimens of women from Miombo forests in central Angola were collected in burrows as part of the Okavango Wilderness Project.
Surprisingly, locals were able to provide the experts with information on the biology and behavior of the spider they had long called "chandachuly".
South African researchers have only sketched the description of their new specimen, but remain uncertain about the function of the cornet.
"It does not make sense that the spider has such a big horn," said Engelbrecht, adding that it could "offer features similar to a camel hump or something like that, but that we have no idea ".
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