The extraordinary courtship dance of Australia's peacock spider

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2013/jan/15/1


Maratus volans from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park near Sydney. This adult male is displaying to a female he's spotted, with large extended and elevated opisthosomal fan, and extended legs III.
Image: Jürgen C. Otto and David E. Hill, 2011.

One of the most common phobias in the world is arachnophobia, the irrational fear of spiders. But there is one sort of spider out there that is so cute that even arachnophobes may like them.

I am talking about those diminutive jumping spiders (Family: Salticidae). Not only are these spiders very small, but they are generally colourful and they have keen eyesight -- essential for stalking and quickly jumping upon their prey since they do not spin webs to ensnare insects.

It's possible that I may be projecting just a wee bit, but jumping spiders seem to have personalities and, as one zoology professor told me when I was a grad student, they even learn to recognize their human care-givers.

[Scootaloo]

1. Not only can they dance, but they're musically talented as well!

[xchrom]

2. !

[Mojorabbit]

4. LOL nt

[stuntcat]

16. HAHAH!

oh my gosh, I'm crazy about Disco Spider!

[montana_hazeleyes]

23. LOL

[april]

3. thank you

[NYC_SKP]

5. Gorgeous! Shades of "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"!

...at about 2:38...

[xchrom]

6. Yup! Nt

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

What a cool little spider!

[tclambert]

8. Why does it have a tattoo of another spider on its back?

Is that an ex-girlfriend? Didn't you learn anything from Angelina Jolie?

[Skittles]

9. I thought from the first pic he was big

and I thought, aw no, aw HELL NO....but it appears he is a tiny chap

[xchrom]

11. I think you could kick his ass. Nt

[Skittles]

14. he is just.....too fabulous!

[xchrom]

18. He does have a case of Teh Fabulous. Nt

[mike_c]

10. salticid semiphore signalling is cool...

...but the consequences for getting it wrong are pretty permanent.

[Matilda]

12. Thanks for that!

I confess I have never heard of this spider, but I think he's gorgeous. I hope he wasn't the one that bit me at night a few weeks ago - it was a tiny spider I felt, and I brushed it away without being able to see what it was, but next morning I had three big lumps on my arm. I probably frightened him when I brushed at him, and he retaliated in the only way he knew how.

[FailureToCommunicate]

13. Geez, what guys have to go thru to get a gal's attention!

[Skittles]

15. SCHEDULING FTC FOR ASS KICKING

*EGREGIOUS*

[wtmusic]

17. I tried picking up women by waving my arms around like that

Didn't work at all.

[Scootaloo]

19. No, no... Use your legs, then shake your ass at them!

You have to follow the instructions perfectly

[wtmusic]

21. The Hokey Pokey? Really?

I guess it's worth a try.

[loudsue]

20. I still wouldn't go out with him.

Not a chance.

[toby jo]

22. Aussies have some pretty spiders

I get loads of em in my house every fall - I live in an old 1 room schoolhouse. They show up in the sink and shower, under the covers of my bed, running around in general. They'll be in your shoes or boots and clothes. I had to get used to them, it's awful hard to kill them. They have this incredibly intense stare, it gets under your skin a bit. A friend says it's because they have 8 eyes.

Oh.

After a few weeks of this, they disappear into the cracks until the spring when they all scamper outside again.

[montana_hazeleyes]

24. Move over John Travolta! This guys got you beat.

Thanks for this. Australia has so many colorful and interesting animals, birds .insects ,spiders..... on and on.
My Budgies, Cockatiels, and gloriously colored Red Rump Parrot all have Aussie origins.

Also I feel humans are way too arrogant in their interpretation of animals and all creatures intelligence. And their abilities to feel and understand emotions.

[littlemissmartypants]

25. Nonverbal communication is a beautiful thing.

A very well made and mindfully edited video!! I am so glad there was no cheesy background music!




Personally, I prefer a snappy dresser that knows how to dance and doesn't say much. Thanks for sharing. Peace. lmsp