UBC museum names Ecuadorian spider after popular Dr. Seuss character

VANCOUVER – An Ecuadorian spider discovered by a University of British Columbia researcher now bears the name of a Dr. Seuss character.

Wayne Maddison of UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum discovered the five millimetres-long adult male jumping spider while in the South American country in 2010.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Back in Vancouver, the museum decided to celebrate its first anniversary by running a contest to name the spider.

The museum says contestants were asked to submit a name which would follow Lapsias, the genus classification given to spiders in 1900.

The museum says it received 810 entries and Tristan Long of Waterloo, Ontario submitted the wining name Lorax after a small creature in a Dr. Seuss book.

Maddison says the name is perfect because the Dr. Seuss character, Lorax has a prominent yellow moustache just like the spider. (The Canadian Press)