For a frog or other amphibious animal, fleeing into the water and hiding for an extended period of time is the norm, but it is a bit of an unusual tactic for a spider.
Coming up for breath is not required for the newly discovered species, which has eight furry sleeves.
The cost of being submerged could be high for an ordinary spider. There is no way to eat, there is heat loss, and there is a lack of air.
A spider found next to a stream in Costa Rica was observed to stay underwater for 32 minutes.
For a lot of species, getting wet and cold is almost as risky to survival as dealing with their predator to begin with, says Lindsey Swierk, lead author of the new study.
It wasn't until recently that the spiders were known to hide underwater from threats.
The researchers were near a stream at the Las Cruces Biological Station in Costa Rica when they saw a T. extensa sitting on a boulder.
The spider took off over the surface of the water when the researchers tried to capture it. After the researchers continued their pursuit, the spider scuttled down a rock and submerged itself under the water for over an hour.
Unfortunately for the spider, the researchers were able to capture it, but also film and photograph the weird underwater display.
The secret behind this ability seems to be a film of air around its body, which is what they have observed so far. The hairs on the spider's body are so strong that they can protect the spider from the water.
Swierk says the film of air surrounding the spider when it is underwater appears to be held in place by the spider's hairs.
The spider almost looks like it has been dipped in silver. The film of air might help keep the respiratory openings away from water. The film of air might help to minimize thermal loss to the cold stream water that the spider submerges itself in.
The research has been published.
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