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Field covered in 'spider bum parachutes' is nightmarish but kinda cool

Look at it glisten.
 By 
Johnny Lieu
 on 
Field covered in 'spider bum parachutes' is nightmarish but kinda cool
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If the sight of spiders freaks you out, well, just cast your eyes on this massive 30-metre (30 yard) cobweb that was found by Tracey Maris and her daughter on a field in Tauranga, New Zealand on Sunday.

"We were down below the newly-made tsunami evacuation mound on our local football field and there was a bright glistening coming from the top of the mound -- it looked almost like the hill was sparkling but we were unsure why," Maris told Storyful.

"So my 10-year-old daughter and I raced up to look and were shocked to learn it was all spider web. Kind of yuck, but really beautiful at the same time. I was amazed being up on top of the mound seeing how far it stretched for."

The phenomenon, often called "spider bum parachutes" is a result of spiders seeking higher ground from floodwaters, by casting a large thread of silk from their bodies to -- you guessed it -- use as a parachute.

Topics Animals

Mashable Image
Johnny Lieu

Mashable Australia's Web Culture Reporter.Reach out to me on Twitter at @Johnny_Lieu or via email at jlieu [at] mashable.com


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