Macrogradungula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Macrogradungula |
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| Scientific classification |
Macrogradungula is a special type of spider found only in Australia. It's a monotypic genus, which means it's a group of animals with only one known species. That species is called Macrogradungula moonya. These spiders are also known as large-clawed spiders because of their big claws.
Scientists Raymond Robert Forster, Norman I. Platnick and Michael R. Gray first described this spider in 1987. It belongs to the family called Gradungulidae. This family is part of a bigger group, the superfamily Austrochiloidea, and the suborder Araneomorphae.
Where does the Macrogradungula moonya live?
The Macrogradungula moonya spider has only been found in a few separate places in northeastern Queensland, Australia.
The first spiders were discovered in rainforest sinkholes in a place called Boulder Creek, in the Walter Hill Range. Sinkholes are like big holes in the ground, often found in areas with limestone rock.
Other spiders have been found in caves and rocky areas in the Black Mountains and Mount Bartle Frere. Scientists are still studying if these spiders from different areas might actually be new species.
