The Fastest Animal In The World Is A Tiny Spider?

Plenty of animals procure food in the wild by ambushing prey. If you were to guess which type of animal can lunge towards its prey at the greatest speeds you would likely mention a large tiger or any member of the cat family. However, scientists have recently learned that the title of “fastest lunging animal” does not go to a tiger, lion or hyena. Instead, the recently discovered karaop spider holds the record for fastest lunge during an ambush.

This speedy spider specimen prefers to dwell beneath the bark of trees, and its unusually flat body allows the spider to hide in tight places where other predators stand no chance of catching the karaop spider. However, it is not the spiders bizarre flat body that has researchers excited, rather it is the spiders seemingly instantaneous movements that researchers find awe inspiring.

An American arachnid expert, Sarah Crews, has captured several karaop specimens that she plans on bringing back to her lab. Crews wants to film the super fast movements of karaop spiders by using high definition recording equipment. The resulting footage of the super-fast spider will be reviewed and analyzed extensively in order to better understand the mechanics that allow for such lightning fast movement. Traditionally, and even to this day, many researchers believe that spider movements are made possible by hydraulic induced pressure, but recent studies are changing this long held belief as it now looks like spiders travel with the help of their muscles as well.

According to Dr. Robert Raven, a lifelong spider expert and a curator at a famed spider museum, karaop’s are highly skilled hunters. In order for karaop’s to catch their prey while snugly situated underneath tree bark they must make a ninety degree turn and subdue their prey before their victim knows what happened.

Which type of insect or spider would you say is the fastest traveller of all insects and spiders? Have you witnessed the bugs speed in person?