This tiny, scorpion-like creature is only found in caves near Boulder. Here鈥檚 how a family discovered it

In The NoCo

This tiny, scorpion-like creature is only found in caves near Boulder. Here鈥檚 how a family discovered it

By In The NoCo,

Published December 26, 2024 at 5:35 AM MST

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Larca boulderica as seen under a microscope, showing its crab-like pincers. This species of pseudoscorpion is about the size of a lentil, and was discovered in a cave near Boulder, Colo. — *Larca boulderica* as seen under a microscope, showing its crab-like pincers. This species of pseudoscorpion is about the size of a lentil, and was discovered in a cave near Boulder, Colo.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science made an exciting announcement this year: A new species of cave-dwelling in the foothills outside Boulder. Researchers named it 鈥� a nod to the city of Boulder 鈥� and say the only place on the planet where you鈥檒l find it is in just two caves near the Boulder Flatirons.

We reached out to David Steinmann, the research associate with the Museum of Nature and Science who found the new species. We thought he鈥檇 want to talk about his once-in-a- lifetime discovery. Instead, he told us that for him, it wasn鈥檛 a singular event at all. In fact, he kind of specializes in hunting for new species, and says he鈥檚 found at least 50 of them.

Steinmann joined host Erin O鈥橳oole to talk about his unusual work, and what exactly a pseudoscorpion is. As we listen back to some of our favorite science-related interviews of 2024, we鈥檙e revisiting this one today.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC鈥檚 new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS 暗黑爆料hour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University鈥檚 NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family鈥檚 financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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