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Dancing Peacock Spider
Sources: Peacockspiderman and Mother Nature Network
Related article: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/tiny-jumping-spiders-dance-like-theres-no-tomorrow
Tiny jumping spiders dance like there’s no tomorrow… Even if you’re arachnophobic, it’s hard not to appreciate the performance of a peacock jumping spider.
If you’re among the many people who find spiders scary, the thought of a jumping spider — some of which can seemingly teleport — might be terrifying. Not only are most spiders incapable of harming humans, though, but some tiny jumping spiders in Australia go a few steps further by charming us.
Male peacock spiders are talented dancers, coincidentally entertaining humans with their elaborate efforts to woo female peacock spiders. The dances include fancy footwork, rapid vibrations and a vividly colored abdomen flap that can be raised like a flag. A few dozen species exist, most of which are about an eighth of an inch long, furry and big-eyed. It’s easy to see why they’ve been called “kittens with too many legs” and have reportedly helped people conquer their fear of spiders.
In the video below, a 0.15-inch member of the species Maratus speciosus — native to beaches near Perth in Western Australia — shows off a variety of moves that have endeared him to 1.1 million viewers on YouTube. This is one of several peacock-spider videos filmed by entomologist Jurgen Otto, who’s among the only people to ever capture high-quality footage of these miniature marvels in action.
Source: http://www.earth-heal.com/videos/viewvideo/4235/dancing-peacock-spider.html
