The specimens were deposited for examination at the Wildlife Liaison Development Society, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where detailed measurements, diagrams and taxonomical descriptions were established. The first has been named Scalidognathus nigriaraneus, after its genus and the Latin words for black (nigri) and spider (araneus), on account of its blackish colour. The second has been christened Scalidognathus tigerinus, once again after its genus, and after the tiger on account of the abdominal stripes that resemble those of the big cat. Both specimens are burrowing spiders, making their webs at the end of tunnels. Whereas the burrows of the first specimen were found in a sparsely vegetated area, in a moist, moss-covered slope in Ooty, Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu, the tigerinus were found to favour the base of trees or root tree systems. Located near the Marudhamalai hills, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, these burrows were found in sandy soil.
Published in Sanctuary Asia, Vol XXXII No. 3, June 2012
