tjalamont.bsky.social
Writer & nature photographer, especially macro photography of arthropods. Desert Tortoise conservation advocate. Fan of California, Montana, the rest of the planet. Photo website: https://www.tomastlephotography.com/
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If you read to the end... :)
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Smaullg
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If you read to the end... :)
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-- this fantastic little lizard.
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--this amazing little lizard, also in pic 1 (juvenile Helmeted Iguana, Corytophanes cristatus, maybe 5 inches including tail; usually seen on trees, this one was in the leaf litter). Anyway, it was a gloriously abundant patch of rainforest, and I'm thankful to our Toad Guide. Follow your toad. 🐸
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--dozens of tiny colorful jumping spiders, and--
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--followed it. Immediately, we started seeing wonderful creatures, including several kinds of small frogs (this is a Striped Rocket Frog, Allobates talamancae)--
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I’m not sure, but I’ve only heard about it in jumping spiders. Wolf spiders also have pretty good vision but I don’t know if they can move their eyes internally.
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It’s definitely the organic origin of googly eyes 👀
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That’s a good question - I’m not sure which came first 🐔🥚
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When the levee slowly erodes
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Maybe? I wasn't sure what it was. Aphid-size, if so.
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--spider, I think a juvenile Lyssomanes sp., was spotted by a fellow photographer on my hat while we were walking along a path. It was quite reluctant to leave its Pantone 294C perch, which means we now have scientific proof that some jumping spiders are Dodgers fans. (Costa Rica)
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--windshield-wiper-like, with its palps. The reason the two largest eyes are two different colors in photo 1 is that they are looking in two different directions (the green one is green because the internal, moveable part of the eye is aimed sideways, reflecting nearby greenery). This--
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--spiders will prey on other spiders, but in this case the jumping spider had the upper fang. Btw, there are quite a few jumping spiders (and other spiders, true bugs, katydids, and other insects) that mimic ants, not least because ants bite and/or sting, and many predators avoid them. (Costa Rica)
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--a spitting spider, so named because they spit a sticky fluid, a mix of venom and liquid silk, to ensare prey. If you look closely in the upper right of this photo, you'll see a clear liquid stuck to the spitting spider's legs, which I'm guessing is some toxic spit it deployed in vain. Spitting--
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Amazing!🦡
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Thank you 🪰
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I hear you, but I find all of them fascinating, complex, and beautiful in their own way. I realize many folks don’t agree - which is why I work very hard to avoid negative/scary language to describe these creatures. They are pointlessly killed/hated enough already without me feeding that narrative.
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Also, thanks to @ndrewrivera.bsky.social for the mosquito ID 🦟
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It's not a spider, but a different kind of arachnid called an amblypygid. They have no venom and can't make silk. They are in their own order, separate from other arachnids (spiders, harvesters, mites, scorpions, etc.). This was a small juvenile, body length under 1 cm. Seen in Costa Rica.
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Thank you - one of my favorites from the trip.
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They really are dainty in their movements. Wonderfully complex and fascinating animals!
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Amblypygids use their spiky, mantis-like pedipalps to grab prey. They only use six legs for walking; the first pair of legs are modified into long, thin, antennae-like appendages that they use to feel their way around in the dark and sense prey. I like the white highlight at the bend in this one.
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Go for it, it's a time-honored strategy
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Also possibly steampunk robots
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I love these beetles so much