Newly-discovered Australian spider can swim and eat toads
The spider was named Dolomedes briangreenei, after famed physicist Brian Greene
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A new species of spider which can swim and catch fish has been discovered in Australia.
The spider, named Dolomedes briangreenei, was unveiled at the ninth annual World Science Festival in Brisbane, Australia.
The creature was named after Brian Greene, the famed string theorist and Columbia University professor who founded the festival in 2008.
The spider is around the size of your palm, a locates its prey by detecting vibrations and tiny waves in water while skimming around on the surface.
It also catches insects which fall into its path, grabbing them and diving underwater before making its way to dry land to eat them.
Despite its size, it can eat fish, tadpoles and even cane toads, which are considered an invasive species and pest in Australia.
The spider is only found on Australia's east coast, in freshwater streams around Brisbane.
Fortunately for Australians, it isn't dangerous to humans - although there's no shortage of lethal wildlife crawling around all over the country.
As Mashable reports, Greene managed to bond with his arachnid namesake.
Speaking to the press, he said: "Physics is all about waves, understanding the universe is all about waves."
"With the announcement last month of humankind's first detection of gravitational waves - ripples on the surface of space and time - I am particularly honoured to be so closely associated with a spider that has its own deep affinity for waves."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments