Tartarus mullamullangensis, informally known as the Mullamullang cave spider, is a palm-sized, long-legged cave spider from Western Australia. Completely adapted to cave living, it is blind and totally lacks pigmentation, giving it a creamy white appearance.
The cylindrical lampshade-shaped web is spun out between rocks.
The species is closely related to spiders found in forests of Southern Australia. This makes it likely that T. mullamullangensis is a relict species from the time when the now arid region was much more humid.
First photo of the N37 cave spider discovered and photographed by Bill Crowle under the cairn built at the end of N37, (Mullamullang). Two miles underground along a large passage of many rockpiles, sanddunes and lakes, and about 300ft under the surface. The black & white image Bill Crowle made can be seen on the right. The spider was later described by Mike Gray, who was on this trip.
The Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single exposure of limestone bedrock, and occupies an area of about 200,000 square kilometres (77,000 sq mi). At its widest point, it stretches about 1,100 kilometres (684 mi) from east to west across the border between South Australia and Western Australia.
Christinus is a genus of Gekkonidae geckos found in southern regions of Australia. It contains species and subspecies that are regionally termed as marbled geckos. The contrasted patterns of these geckos, marbling, are found in a variety of reddish-brown, grey, silver, white, black and purplish hues. They are frequently found in old knotted trees and sometimes congregate in large numbers in established urban environments.
Abrakurrie Cave is a wild cave on the Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia. It is located about 48 kilometres (30 mi) north west of Eucla and is reported to have the largest single cave chamber in the southern hemisphere, and that stencils in the cave are the deepest penetration of Aboriginal art of any cave system in Australia.
Cocklebiddy is a small roadhouse community located on the Eyre Highway in Western Australia. It is the third stop after Norseman on the journey eastwards across the Nullarbor Plain. Like other locations in the region, the site consists of little more than a roadhouse. The current business name of the roadhouse is the Wedgetail Inn and, like most other Nullarbor establishments, has access to satellite television, as well as providing caravan park and hotel-motel facilities.
White-tailed spiders are spiders native to southern and eastern Australia, and so named because of the whitish tips at the end of their abdomens. The body size is up to 18 mm, with a leg-span of 28 mm. Common species are Lampona cylindrata and Lampona murina. Both these species have been introduced into New Zealand.
The Australian masked owl is a barn owl of Southern New Guinea and the non-desert areas of Australia.
Stiphidiidae, also called sheetweb spiders, is a family of araneomorph spiders first described in 1917. Most species are medium size and speckled brown with long legs. All members of this family occur in New Zealand and Australia except for Asmea. They build a horizontal sheet-like web under rocks, hence the name "sheetweb spiders".
Tartarus is a genus of spiders in the family Stiphidiidae. All four described species are found in cave systems of Western Australia. These are located in the karst area of the Nullarbor Plain. They are likely relict species from a time when the region was much more humid, given the fact that the other members of the family Stiphidiidae in Southern Australia live in forests.
Hampton is an interim Australian bioregion located in southeastern coastal Western Australia, with a small portion (4%) extending into adjacent South Australia. It has an area of 1,088,198 hectares. The Hampton bioregion is part of the Coolgardie woodlands ecoregion.
The chocolate wattled bat is a bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found only in Australia, including the island Tasmania, and widespread in southern regions. It is known to reside from sea level to at least 1,570 metres (5,150 ft) in Victoria.
The Nullarbor dwarf bettong, Bettongia pusilla, was a potoroine marsupial that occurred in Australia. The animal is only known from skeletons found in caves of the Nullarbor Plain and is now classified as recently extinct.
Andrew Wight was an Australian screenwriter and producer best known for his 2011 film Sanctum. He produced over 45 films including television documentaries, live television specials and 3D IMAX films. His credits include Ghosts of the Abyss, Aliens of the Deep and Expedition: Bismarck. Wight was honoured with the Australian Geographic Society Spirit of Adventure Awards in 1989.
Trogloraptor is a genus of large spiders found in the caves of southwestern Oregon. It is the sole genus in the family Trogloraptoridae, and includes only one species, Trogloraptor marchingtoni. These spiders are predominantly yellow-brown in color with a maximum leg span of 3 in (7.6 cm). They are remarkable for having hook-like claws on the raptorial last segments of their legs.
The Mundrabilla meteorite is an iron meteorite found in 1911 in Australia, one of the largest meteorites found, with a total known weight of 22 tonnes and the main mass accounting for 12.4 tonnes.
Janusia is a monotypic genus of Australian wandering spiders containing the single species, Janusia muiri. It was first described by Michael R. Gray in 1973, and has only been found in Australia. Originally placed with the Miturgidae, it was moved to the Ctenidae in 1989.
Troglodiplura is a genus of Australian Anamidae spiders. Formerly monotypic, in 2020, four new species were added to the genus. The genus and type species, Troglodiplura lowryi, were first described by Barbara York Main in 1969. The genus has only been found in Australia, within the caves of the Nullarbor Plain.
Baiami is a genus of Australian intertidal spiders that was first described by Pekka T. Lehtinen in 1967. Originally placed with the Stiphidiidae, it was transferred to the Desidae after the results of a 2019 genetic analysis.
Troglodiplura challeni is a species of troglomorphic spider in the family Anamidae, found in Western Australia.
Troglodiplura harrisi is a species of troglomorphic spider in the family Anamidae, found in Western Australia, in caves on the Nullarbor Plain.
Tartarus murdochensis is a cave spider from Western Australia, in the family Stiphidiidae. The spider was first described in 1992 by Mike Gray.
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