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April 14, 2011 6:57 PM Subscribe
Excellent footage of the stunningly beautiful yet bizarre courtship and mating behavior of the Peacock Spider.This is quite possibly the first footage of this quality that shows this behavior. Many jumping spiders have elaborate courtship dances. More Previously.
I'll take your words for it *shudder*
posted by supermedusa at 7:10 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by supermedusa at 7:10 PM on April 14, 2011
Together with the golf post, today we are presented with the grim road map of existence.
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:10 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:10 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
I refuse to believe that those things are anything but a Jim Henson creation. Like something right out of The Dark Crystal.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:12 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by Rock Steady at 7:12 PM on April 14, 2011
This worked for me in college.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:13 PM on April 14, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:13 PM on April 14, 2011 [7 favorites]
Trying this out in the club tomorrow.
posted by oinopaponton at 7:18 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by oinopaponton at 7:18 PM on April 14, 2011
Flagged as: It's about fucking spiders, what other reason do you need?!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:20 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:20 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I love their "hey look at me hey look over here hey hey" gestures.
posted by aubilenon at 7:20 PM on April 14, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by aubilenon at 7:20 PM on April 14, 2011 [8 favorites]
I love jumping spiders. Spiders are cool but jumping spiders are like just the coolest. The twitchy way they move they look like perfect little robots of data. If I had to polymorph into a bug I'd turn into a jumping spider.
posted by BeerFilter at 7:21 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by BeerFilter at 7:21 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
That was so cute! I found all of the quick cuts a bit distracting, but it was worth it.
I kind of want to make a cape with the design from his back... if I were set up for silk painting I'd probably try. Maybe felt could work? Actually, you could base a whole superhero costume around his look.
posted by polymath at 7:21 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
I kind of want to make a cape with the design from his back... if I were set up for silk painting I'd probably try. Maybe felt could work? Actually, you could base a whole superhero costume around his look.
posted by polymath at 7:21 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
I'd hit it.
posted by ryanrs at 7:24 PM on April 14, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 7:24 PM on April 14, 2011 [8 favorites]
This is amazing. Great post.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:24 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:24 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh sure it's all gorgeous and cute now, but when you wake up at 3am with one of those things on your chain it won't be. Mark my words.
posted by Big_B at 7:25 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by Big_B at 7:25 PM on April 14, 2011
Chin. DAMNIT.
posted by Big_B at 7:25 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Big_B at 7:25 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
OH HEY IT'S THE MISUNDERSTOOD SPIDER
I was wondering what species it was.
posted by The Whelk at 7:27 PM on April 14, 2011 [15 favorites]
I was wondering what species it was.
posted by The Whelk at 7:27 PM on April 14, 2011 [15 favorites]
"I saw you from across the log and I dropped my previously stretched out leg, of which I have seven more."
posted by Corduroy at 7:27 PM on April 14, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by Corduroy at 7:27 PM on April 14, 2011 [6 favorites]
actually, the design on the "cape" looks kind of like a spider--eyes, pedipalps, legs. it's kind of a poster, an ad--"hey ladeez! i'm teh hawtness! have secks with me!" and then of course, the ladeez would often sooner eat em than fuck em. (can we say fuck here?)
posted by miss patrish at 7:28 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by miss patrish at 7:28 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
i always pick MY mates based on the colorfulness of their flaps and the frequency of their abdominal vibrations.
posted by daisystomper at 7:29 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by daisystomper at 7:29 PM on April 14, 2011
It's crazy how similar this feels to the beautiful Birds of Paradise segment on Planet Earth. Wonderful to watch.
posted by Corduroy at 7:30 PM on April 14, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by Corduroy at 7:30 PM on April 14, 2011 [5 favorites]
I though they looked like bearded-hippy-tie-dye spiders.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:31 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:31 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
now I know what I want to be for halloween.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:32 PM on April 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:32 PM on April 14, 2011 [4 favorites]
I'm with ryanrs. Those peacock spider dudes are hot. As a human female who spends too much time melting her brain on reddit I have to say that "I'd tap that."
posted by aunt_winnifred at 7:32 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by aunt_winnifred at 7:32 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
( ᑎ\º|º/ᑎ )
posted by saturday_morning at 7:34 PM on April 14, 2011 [18 favorites]
posted by saturday_morning at 7:34 PM on April 14, 2011 [18 favorites]
Very cool footage! Someone needs to set that dance to music.
posted by juliplease at 7:34 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by juliplease at 7:34 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
The question now becomes, to what song do we mash this up? "Boris the Spider" seems too easy and not dance-y enough.
This works pretty well.
Sorry
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 7:36 PM on April 14, 2011
This works pretty well.
Sorry
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 7:36 PM on April 14, 2011
Curses, a shake too late.
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 7:37 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 7:37 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oddly, the narration from the spider video works even better when overlaid on the Kelis video than the other way around.
"The males are getting excited".
Indeed.
okay done, lol caffeine
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 7:39 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
"The males are getting excited".
Indeed.
okay done, lol caffeine
posted by Godspeed.You!Black.Emperor.Penguin at 7:39 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
That was awes... um, not allowed to say that... fascinating.
How can I be a born'n'bred Aussie with a deep-seated pride in our creepy-crawlies, and not know about the peacock spider?!? Consider me edumacated.
Kinda wish I didn't click on the related video, "Big Spider Attacks Dad", but then I laughed my arse off at the end when his little girl says "I TOLD you not to play with spiders!".
Thanks, lazaruslong.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 7:42 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
How can I be a born'n'bred Aussie with a deep-seated pride in our creepy-crawlies, and not know about the peacock spider?!? Consider me edumacated.
Kinda wish I didn't click on the related video, "Big Spider Attacks Dad", but then I laughed my arse off at the end when his little girl says "I TOLD you not to play with spiders!".
Thanks, lazaruslong.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 7:42 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
I love how he smooths his eyebrows out before the leg moves...rico suave.
posted by ltracey at 7:58 PM on April 14, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by ltracey at 7:58 PM on April 14, 2011 [8 favorites]
I'm so glad sexual selection is a thing.
posted by you're a kitty! at 8:01 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by you're a kitty! at 8:01 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
Those are the cutest spiders I've ever seen. "Hey baby! Hey baby! Hey baby! OMIGOD DON'T EAT ME!" Poor fellas.
posted by Lexica at 8:02 PM on April 14, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 8:02 PM on April 14, 2011 [5 favorites]
Those things totally move like they're in a Wallace & Gromit movie.
posted by mhoye at 8:09 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mhoye at 8:09 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
You know, I was watching this and thinking 'this is so beautiful in its own way and I feel sorry for anyone who can't appreciate it'. MeFi (and everywhere?) is kind of anti-spider.
But then came about 5:20. The whole rest of it is undoubtedly fantastic, but spider-haters might want to skip that part.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 8:11 PM on April 14, 2011
But then came about 5:20. The whole rest of it is undoubtedly fantastic, but spider-haters might want to skip that part.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 8:11 PM on April 14, 2011
Oh god these things are so cute. They shouldn't totally have their quail bible.
"DON'T SWAT PEOPLE BUT ESPECIALLY NOT MEEEEEEE!"
posted by The Whelk at 8:18 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
"DON'T SWAT PEOPLE BUT ESPECIALLY NOT MEEEEEEE!"
posted by The Whelk at 8:18 PM on April 14, 2011 [2 favorites]
The thing is, I actually started out not at all terrified of those tiny spiders. But it's the way they move, man. Shudder.
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 8:27 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 8:27 PM on April 14, 2011
More Previously.
It's ok, lazarus. Spider courtship fetishes are perfectly normal. Honest, no judgment here; if live audio of thumping spider legs and colorful expanding abdominal spider flaps is what gets you going, rest assured your secret is safe with us.
(Although I gotta admit colorful expanding abdominal spider flaps *are* kinda hot.)
posted by mediareport at 8:32 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's ok, lazarus. Spider courtship fetishes are perfectly normal. Honest, no judgment here; if live audio of thumping spider legs and colorful expanding abdominal spider flaps is what gets you going, rest assured your secret is safe with us.
(Although I gotta admit colorful expanding abdominal spider flaps *are* kinda hot.)
posted by mediareport at 8:32 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Heehee. I have a thing for jumping spiders. They are just so freaking cute! I think its the cognitive dissonance that keeps me coming back, because I am usually a little squicked out by them.
posted by lazaruslong at 8:48 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by lazaruslong at 8:48 PM on April 14, 2011
Most of this little showoff's behavior would go unnoticed if it wasn't for for the huge eyes and excellent binocular vision that Salticidae possess. Not only do they recognize other jumpers and eight legs' worth of dance moves [self-link] (even in ultraviolet), but they can discern television images, mirror images, chase laser spots, and selectively stalk prey like the little tigers they are.
posted by cenoxo at 8:55 PM on April 14, 2011 [14 favorites]
posted by cenoxo at 8:55 PM on April 14, 2011 [14 favorites]
I don't like spiders, but these guys are super cute! They look like pokemon.
posted by clearlydemon at 8:56 PM on April 14, 2011
posted by clearlydemon at 8:56 PM on April 14, 2011
What, no "shake your moneymaker" jokes?
posted by retronic at 9:11 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by retronic at 9:11 PM on April 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
My favorite thing about them is how they clearly perceive us and our world. I remember one beautiful afternoon where I spotted a jumper on the hood of my white car. I stood there and watched him watch me and every time a car would pass on the road he would turn away from me and watch the car go past. Then he'd turn back to me and I'd make like a spider-hand gesture at him and raise my thumb and pinky in the air and he'd raise 2 legs in the air in a similar way and look at me like YEAH, WHAT. Then another car would go by and he'd turn and watch that then turn back to me and I'm like, "Yeah, I don't know why they think gotta be going so fast, either." So amazing.
posted by BeerFilter at 9:44 PM on April 14, 2011 [29 favorites]
posted by BeerFilter at 9:44 PM on April 14, 2011 [29 favorites]
They're like little pirates with kitten faces and eye patches and beards. Oh my.
posted by jamjames at 10:25 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by jamjames at 10:25 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
1. A great reminder that nature is so much fucking cooler than anything we could ever make up.
2. Get laid or get eaten. I'm still trying to work out whether the human race would be better or worse off if that rule applied to us.
posted by yiftach at 11:02 PM on April 14, 2011
2. Get laid or get eaten. I'm still trying to work out whether the human race would be better or worse off if that rule applied to us.
posted by yiftach at 11:02 PM on April 14, 2011
That was great. The narrators voice kind of made it for me, that and the different sound levels of the different cuts, I know that should be a bug I saw it as a feature. It was just a groovy little movie and in my head I was anthropomorphizing the little guys "Go little guy, you'll get that hot eight-eyed chic! Go!" and then the narrator oh so casually says she's not interested and they all better get away quick, which they do. Except that one. Who, exhausted and exhilarated from his near-brush with the chance at reproduction (just like I was once!), gets stalked, captured and eaten. HolyFuckingShit. I cared about that little... video is evil
posted by From Bklyn at 11:57 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by From Bklyn at 11:57 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]
that is awesome. thanks for sharing it.
posted by Señor Pantalones at 12:07 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by Señor Pantalones at 12:07 AM on April 15, 2011
I am normally terrified of spiders but now i want to give these guys a little cuddle. Adorable!
posted by ukdanae at 12:21 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by ukdanae at 12:21 AM on April 15, 2011
Very cool. As someone who used to suffer from synapses lacerating levels of arachnophobia I actually found that very charming. Other than the whole 'oops too slow getting eaten now' thing of course.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 12:23 AM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 12:23 AM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Additional images of the tiny Australian Peacock Spider Maratus volans here with photographer Dr. Jurgen Otto's complete Flickr set here [another bunch of reasons why we need the IMG tag back].
posted by cenoxo at 4:07 AM on April 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by cenoxo at 4:07 AM on April 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
And if you squint your eyes a bit, notice how the pattern on his abdominal flaps closely resembles a spider, complete with eight grey legs, pedipalps, and eyespots.
posted by cenoxo at 4:20 AM on April 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by cenoxo at 4:20 AM on April 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
"It's fun to stay at the Y! M! C! A!"
Wait, they're trying to attract females with that dance?
posted by Gator at 5:06 AM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wait, they're trying to attract females with that dance?
posted by Gator at 5:06 AM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Great stuff. My mind is blown yet again... I had no idea spiders could pull off this kind of display. The tiny jazz hands just make it so much more so. Beautiful. Now I want to go make jewelry with that motif.
posted by kinnakeet at 5:25 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by kinnakeet at 5:25 AM on April 15, 2011
I kind of wish I were a member of a species that performed mating dances.
posted by emd3737 at 5:27 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by emd3737 at 5:27 AM on April 15, 2011
I kind of wish I were a member of a species that performed mating dances.
Obviously, you do not hang out at the cloughb.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:22 AM on April 15, 2011
Obviously, you do not hang out at the cloughb.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:22 AM on April 15, 2011
I thought the spiders were cool, and the photography was great, but I have to say the editing was confusing and the series of one second cuts wasn't illustrative of the situation.
Were we looking at a performance by several males for several females taking place in one location at one time? Or was it several one-on-one demonstrations intercut? Several males displaying for one female?
Beautiful animals, though. If the "head cocking" behaviour is used the same way birds and mammals use it, that would be interesting, too.
posted by Trochanter at 7:57 AM on April 15, 2011
Were we looking at a performance by several males for several females taking place in one location at one time? Or was it several one-on-one demonstrations intercut? Several males displaying for one female?
Beautiful animals, though. If the "head cocking" behaviour is used the same way birds and mammals use it, that would be interesting, too.
posted by Trochanter at 7:57 AM on April 15, 2011
I imagine all the constant cutting was due to them..you know...jumping away.
Anyone else watching this waiting for the drive by shooting?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc
posted by toekneebullard at 8:17 AM on April 15, 2011
Anyone else watching this waiting for the drive by shooting?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc
posted by toekneebullard at 8:17 AM on April 15, 2011
I kind of wish I were a member of a species that performed mating dances.
You obviously haven't been to the Jersey shore.
posted by exhilaration at 8:20 AM on April 15, 2011
You obviously haven't been to the Jersey shore.
posted by exhilaration at 8:20 AM on April 15, 2011
They're cuter than I expected. Also, they're smaller than I feared they might be so my fight-or-flight mechanisms haven't kicked in. That's a win-win in my book.
posted by tommasz at 8:21 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by tommasz at 8:21 AM on April 15, 2011
Vibrations as part of the courtship behavior of a different jumping spider
posted by AceRock at 8:55 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by AceRock at 8:55 AM on April 15, 2011
What a remarkable planet we live on, what an amazing place the universe is.
posted by rhombus at 10:24 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by rhombus at 10:24 AM on April 15, 2011
Interesting. I just tried to show the video to Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey and discovered that I am wayyyyy less arachnoaverse than he is. Huh.
posted by Lexica at 10:33 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by Lexica at 10:33 AM on April 15, 2011
I liked that one moment when the spider went "Stop! Hammer Time!" and then started shuffling back and forth.
Except he did it without the Hammer pants.
posted by bwg at 4:34 PM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Except he did it without the Hammer pants.
posted by bwg at 4:34 PM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think I saw this on the Discovery channel before. Amazing...
posted by silentsender at 5:18 PM on April 15, 2011
posted by silentsender at 5:18 PM on April 15, 2011
Don't click on this link if you are afraid of spiders, or would like to not be.
Big Spider Attacks Daddy
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:32 AM on April 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Big Spider Attacks Daddy
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:32 AM on April 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm usually apathetic about spiders, but this is marvelous. I could watch him dance all day. I especially loved the self-portrait on his abdomen.
posted by narwhal bacon at 11:20 AM on April 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by narwhal bacon at 11:20 AM on April 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
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i love spiders.
if you couldn't tell
posted by miss patrish at 7:08 PM on April 14, 2011 [3 favorites]