Draculoides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Draculoides |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Schizomida
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Hubbardiidae
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| Genus: |
Draculoides
Harvey, 1992
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The Draculoides is a special kind of arachnid, a bit like a spider, but not quite! It lives only in the caves and soil of North West Australia. These tiny creatures are called schizomids. They walk on six legs and use their two front legs as feelers to explore their world.
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Meet the Draculoides
Draculoides are small invertebrates. This means they don't have a backbone. They are also known as troglobites, which means they live in dark places like caves. They use their large, fang-like pincers, called pedipalps, to grab other small creatures. Then, they crush their prey into pieces and suck out the juices.
What are Schizomids?
Many people might think the Draculoides is a spider. But it's actually a type of schizomid. Schizomids are small, soil-dwelling animals. They are part of the arachnid family, which also includes spiders, scorpions, and ticks. But schizomids have some unique features. For example, they use only six of their eight legs for walking. The two front legs are used as feelers to sense their surroundings.
How Draculoides Got Its Name
The Draculoides genus was first described in 1992. This was done by M.S. Harvey, a scientist from the Western Australian Museum. He had already described a similar species called Schizomus vinei in 1988. This species was later renamed Draculoides vinei.
In 1995, another species was found on Barrow Island in Western Australia. It was named Draculoides bramstokeri. The name bramstokeri honors Bram Stoker. He was the author of the famous book Dracula. The name Draculoides itself also refers to Dracula. This is because of how these creatures eat their prey. They suck out the juices, much like a vampire is said to drink blood.
Types of Draculoides
Here is a list of the different species within the Draculoides genus:
- Draculoides Harvey, 1992
- Draculoides bramstokeri Harvey & Humphreys, 1995
- Draculoides brooksi Harvey, 2001
- Draculoides julianneae Harvey, 2001
- Draculoides mesozeirus Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008
- Draculoides neoanthropus Harvey, Berry, Edward & Humphreys, 2008
- Draculoides vinei (Harvey, 1988)
