Wonders of Nature By spiderweber Watch

497 Favourites 106 Comments 31K Views

Welcome back to “Wonders of Nature.” Today we will be looking at a fascinating creature only found in the deepest near water caves in the world. The Cave-Dwelling Fishing Spider, better known as the Mermaid Spinner, builds its underground lair within the large limestone caverns that litter all coastlines of almost every continent. As you expect, it’s very difficult to reach these creatures in their natural habitat, but with the help of a small digging crew we have actually found a way access this spectacular creature in its natural habitat…

*whispers to camera* Here we are… As you can see off in the distance is our target. Notice how it waits just above a large pool of water, waiting for its prey to swim passed. What we can’t show you is that the mermaid spider actually lays a web of trigger threads all through the water. When its prey swims into this cavern it can’t get out. Unfortunately for the prey… it is completely oblivious to the fact it’s trapped until it’s far too late…

Oh look! We’ve come across a stroke of luck; the spider’s larder. This spider has obviously been busy. I can count 1…2…3! Three mermaids have been captured by this spider. Amazing! See how they stare at us and squirm around in their silky prisons. Sorry girls. I wish I could help, but it’s against the law to meddle in the lifestyle of this protected species.

Oh my… Folks, we have a treat for you this episode… If you look in the distance, you can see the silhouette of two mermaids swimming right into the Mermaid Spinner’s trap. Now… mermaids are known to travel in pairs or small groups. This is to ensure the safety of one another. That’s probably how these mermaids were caught. Unfortunately… both of these new girls are now sealed in with no way of escape.

And there he goes! He has struck the first blow, and in one scoop has plucked the mermaid from the water. It’s now that I should mention that the Mermaid Spinner is completely blind. Rather than seeing the mermaids in the water, a technique that would prove useless because of the refraction and movement of the waves, it feels vibrations traveling through the strands of web. Once it finds its prey… Bam! Let’s return to the scene unfolding. Here we can see the spider has a tight hold on the struggling mermaid. If you listen you can hear the mermaid’s cries. And now the spider is preparing its prey. Watch as it pulls a large sheet of silk from its abdomen, and slowly wraps it around the mermaid’s body, starting at the torso. Whoops it seems the mermaid was able to pull an arm free. Not to worry. The spider will seal it in the next pass. When we return, we’ll watch as the spider fully cocoons its prey and snatches its second victim. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into this Wonder of nature…

************************************************

*Sigh* After a loooooong time on hiatus, I'm finally able to submit something. Sorry it's taking a while to post anything. i'm really busy with classes and whatnot. Anyhow. hehehe. i really hope you enjoy this picture. it combines my two favorite things. mermaids, and cocooning. YAY!!!!!! Enjoy everyone.



P.S.-YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED IN THE SIDE THERE, THAT THIS DEVIATION IS IN A GROUP. I PRESENT TO YOU THE STIFLED IN SILK GROUP! A GROUP DEDICATED TO COCOONING. EVERYONE GO HAVE A LOOK. NOT A WHOLE LOT OUT THERE YET, BUT WE HOPE TO GET MORE MEMBERS SOON AND BUILD A NICE LITTLE GROUP.

IMAGE DETAILS Image size 1472x2062px 823.01 KB Make HP Model HP pst_p02c Date Taken Feb 12, 2011, 7:13:42 PM Show More

Published : Feb 13, 2011