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Auburn scientist discovers new tarantula species near Folsom Prison, names it after Johnny Cash

Another Auburn biologist has named a crazy critter after a famous musician. Because that’s what Auburn biologists do — find things spiders and catfish and just give them nifty, news-worthy names.

In 2013, it was the Bono spider. A year before that, it was Aubie… because the only place in the world the thing can be found is Auburn’s Grove Hill neighborhood (because it has high spidery standards like that). And of course we all remember 2015’s Greedo the catfish.

Now it’s Aphonopelma johnnycashi, the tarantula in black that Auburn doctoral biology student (or however you say it) and huge Johnny Cash fan Chris Hamilton discovered, yes, near Folsom Prison.