Hey there! Welcome to a whole new episode of News Bites.

I'm Jacob Ingram.

And I'm Brody Halverson.

In today's news:

Two new spiders discovered in Taiwan, and Mexico's mission to save axolotls.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…the world's smallest mammal!

Keep on listening to learn more!

Let's get into it.

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台灣發現兩種新蜘蛛

Two New Spiders Found in Taiwan

Spiders are fascinating creatures.

There are over 40,000 different kinds of spiders around the world.

They have eight legs and belong to a group called arachnids, which include scorpions and ticks.

蜘蛛屬於一個叫做節肢動物的大家族，這個家族還包括蠍子和壁蝨。

Spiders are known for spinning webs (結網), their unique way of moving, and sometimes, their spooky appearances (恐怖的外觀).

And guess what?

Scientists in Taiwan have discovered two new spider species (品種) in the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島)!

The first one is called the Parilarilao trapdoor spider (巴利澤敖海穴蛛).

This spider lives in intertidal zones (潮間帶), and builds special nests with trap doors (帶陷阱門的巢穴).

They're cleverly designed so they don't get flooded when the tide comes in.

它們的設計非常巧妙，潮水漲潮時不會被淹沒。

These spiders only show themselves when it's time to catch food.

The name "parilarilao" comes from an indigenous word.

It means "living at the end of Taiwan."

The second new spider is the Taiwanese tree-dwelling wolf spider (樹穴狼蛛).

Unlike most wolf spiders, these live in trees.

And they are quite big, over 2 centimeters!

They were found in tree holes in various parts of southern and eastern Taiwan.

Its scientific name "Hogna arborea" combines "wolf spider" and "living on trees."

The team of scientists comes from the Endemic Species Research Institute (生物多樣性研究所).

They worked for years together with local universities and international experts to confirm these spiders as new species.

They collected lots of spiders, studied their DNA, and compared them to other spiders from around the world.

他們收集了很多蜘蛛標本，研究它們的DNA，並將它們與世界各地的其他蜘蛛進行比較。

These discoveries are exciting because they add to Taiwan's rich biodiversity (生物多樣性).

Who knows what other fascinating creatures are waiting to be found?

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拯救墨西哥鈍口螈

Axolotl Rescue Mission

Speaking of fascinating creatures…

Have you heard of axolotls (墨西哥鈍口螈)?

In Mexico, scientists are worried about this unique salamander (獨特的蠑螈).

They're asking people to help save these amazing creatures.

Unlike other salamanders, axolotls live in water all their lives.

They have long bodies, short legs, and tails.

What's really cool about them is their ability to heal themselves.

真正酷的是它們的自我療癒能力。

They can even regrow parts of their heart or brain!

它們甚至能夠再生心臟或大腦的部分！

Unfortunately, axolotls are endangered (瀕臨滅絕).

Their numbers have dropped a lot, especially in Lake Xochimilco near Mexico City (墨西哥城附近的索奇米爾科湖).

Years ago, there were thousands of axolotls there, but now there are only a few.

The water has become dirty, and other fish are eating their food and babies.

To help, scientists at Mexico's National Autonomous University started a program called "AdoptAxolotl."

People can donate money (捐款) to help save the axolotls.

The money goes to cleaning the lake and raising axolotls in safe places.

Last year, this program was a big success.

It raised over US$26,000!

This year, they're doing it again.

People can "adopt" (領養) an axolotl for a month with a US$30 donation.

Smaller donations help buy food, and bigger ones improve the axolotl's home.

小額捐款可以幫助購買食物，大額捐款則用於改善墨西哥鈍口螈的生活環境。

Donors (捐款者) can even visit the place where axolotls are being raised.

The money will support the scientists and help bring back axolotls in their natural home.

The scientists also want to count how many axolotls are left in the wild.

This will help them protect these incredible animals better.

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So, in today's News Bites:

Scientists in Taiwan have discovered two new spider species in the Hengchun Peninsula!

The first one is called the Parilarilao trapdoor spider.

The second new spider is the Taiwanese tree-dwelling wolf spider.

The scientists worked for years with local universities and international experts to confirm these spiders as new species.

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And,

Scientists in Mexico are worried about axolotls because they are endangered.

They are unique salamanders with the special ability to heal themselves.

To help, scientists started a program called "AdoptAxolotl."

People can donate money to help save the axolotls, and help bring back axolotls in their natural home.

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趣味小點

Tasty Tidbit

The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat.

Well, its actual name is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, but people also call it the bumblebee bat because it's tiny.

It's so small that it can sit on your thumb!

This little bat is about 1 to 1.3 inches long and has a mass of 2 grams!

It lives in Thailand and Myanmar, in Southeast Asia.

And it likes to live in limestone caves near rivers.

This tiny bat eats insects and comes out to fly mostly at dusk.

Do you know about other interesting animals?

If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!