In the heart of Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert lies the Darvaza gas crater, often referred to as the 'Door to Hell'.
The crater was formed in 1971 when Soviet geologists accidentally collapsed a natural gas chamber while drilling. Fearing the release of poisonous gas, they set it alight, expecting it to burn out quickly. But their plan didn't work, and the crater has remained lit ever since. Or so the story goes – Turkmenistan has no official record of the incident.
It's hard to imagine how life could exist here. Yet there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that amid the scorched earth and sulphurous fumes, an unexpected group of residents has found a way to survive: spiders.
Darvaza is, no doubt, a place of mystery. And earlier this month another twist was added to the tale as scientists at an international conference on hydrocarbon development in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat announced that the crater is finally starting to burn out.
“The reduction [in fires] is nearly threefold,” said Irina Luryeva, director of Turkmenistan's state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, at the conference.
As the light seemingly begins to fade on the Darvaza gas crater, we take a closer look at its wild (and spidery) past.
Do spiders live at the Darvaza gas crater?
There are, it appears, no scientific studies to prove that spiders live at, or inside, the Darvaza gas crater.
However, research from similar sites around the world suggests spiders can and do survive in high‑temperature, gas‑rich environments like Darvaza.
"The effects of temperature on spider prey-hunting, web-building, sexual signalling and habitat selection are well-documented," reported Hiaoguo Jiao et al. in a 2010 study published in the Journal of Thermal Biology.
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Scientific studies on the existence of spiders at the crater may be slim, but there are plenty of anecdotal reports on the matter.
Some say that several spider species spin their webs perilously close to the crater’s edge, where ground temperatures can soar above 50°C. These accounts suggest the crater’s steady light may act like a giant insect trap, luring flying prey at night and providing an unlikely feast for these heat-tolerant hunters.
Most of these spiders are nocturnal, say the reports, hiding during the day under rocks or in burrows. At night they emerge to hunt. Others stalk their prey directly, using their speed and agility to overcome the challenges of the harsh terrain.
What we do know is that spiders, particularly camel spiders (sometimes referred to as wind scorpions or sun spiders), live in the desert that surrounds the gas crater. So, there's a very plausible chance some will end up at the crater's edge, whether by chance or by design.
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Do spiders fling themselves into the crater?
One particularly attention-grabbing story associated with the Darvaza gas crater is that spiders throw themselves into its fiery depths.
Much like moths to a flame, the spiders too are attracted to the light – so much so that they are lured perilously close to the rim, at which point they simply drop straight in. Numerous travel blogs have reported this behaviour, yet there are no peer-reviewed studies to prove this actually happens.
See inside the Darvaza gas crater
Main image: Darvaza gas crater. Credit: Getty
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