These web threads are covered in droplets of glue, secreted by another of the spider’s up to seven specialized silk glands. The genus Latrodectus, which also includes the five black widow spiders found in the United States, is known for spinning messy but especially strong webs: the resilient, elastic silk capture threads reach all the way to the ground and ensnare hapless insects, centipedes, or even other spiders. The spider in this video is a female redback ( Latrodectus hasselti), easily identified by the vivid red marking on her bulbous abdomen. While spiders are efficient predators, however, the outcome of this rare occurrence came down to pure chance. ( Watch an eastern brown snake swallow a carpet python.)Īlthough the video ends with the outcome of the battle still unclear, the tiny spider did in fact vanquish its outsized foe, confirms Brenton Maher, an employee of North Vic Engines who was present when the video was filmed. As the thrashing snake attempts to free itself, the spider dances closer, eventually managing to administer a bite that seems to temporarily immobilize the snake. In reality, this spider just got very, very lucky.Ī video filmed in an engine shop in Victoria, Australia shows what appears to be a young eastern brown snake caught in the nearly-invisible web of a redback spider-“our pet redback,” the videographers joke in the Facebook caption. It has all the makings of a fight night special: with speed and skill, a scrappy redback spider takes down an eastern brown snake over ten times its size.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |