Lizard versus Spider.

yakman

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
27
Just returned from a visit to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Thought this encounter may be of interest. Someone has identified the spider as possibly Latro tredecimguttatus.


One morning whilst walking in the valley, a movement at the edge of the track caught our eye. On closer inspection a juvenile Atlantic Lizard was found to be tangled in a spiders web. The web's owner quickly appeared and attempted to secure its capture with more silk. The lizard frantically rotated it's tail in an effort to break free, the legs and torso were firmly tangled in the web. It looked as if the lizard may wriggle free to begin with and the spider hung back waiting its chance. As the lizard paused for breath the spider managed to rush in and secure the tail and from there the result was a forgone conclusion. Resisting my wife's plea to help the lizard, we watched as the spider slowly dragged it's dinner into the base of a nearby plant.











 

davisfam

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 19, 2010
Messages
287
Wowzaa, that's one interesting situation to just stumble upon.. LUCKY! LOL! :p Thanks soo much for sharing and GREAT pictures! :clap:
 

Deroplatys

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
688
I would of saved the lizard after the photo's providing it hadnt already been bit :/
 

Treynok

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
202
Awesome picture, but I have to disagree. Interfering with nature by taking away the spiders catch after it expended so much energy could be detrimental to the spider. They are both beautiful animals but this truly is nature taking it's course and is why it is such a great picture and such a unique moment to be able to experience.
 

davisfam

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 19, 2010
Messages
287
Awesome picture, but I have to disagree. Interfering with nature by taking away the spiders catch after it expended so much energy could be detrimental to the spider. They are both beautiful animals but this truly is nature taking it's course and is why it is such a great picture and such a unique moment to be able to experience.
We couldn't agree more.. well said ;)
 

KnightinGale

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
170
Wow, a unique moment indeed. Congrats on the photo op and thanks for sharing these pics. Heh, kind of refreshing to see photos of a real encounter like this from a board member after all that set-up "nature program" spider vs. snake stuff that has been floating around.
 

Widowman10

Arachno WIDOW
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Messages
4,212
i couldn't disagree that it is not 13-guttatus :D very nice spider.

and if ANY widow could capture a lizard, it would be a tred :cool:

they have the stickiest webs and biggest capture nets!

thanks for sharing!!
 

revilo

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 2, 2010
Messages
173
wow, spectacular pictures, really ! :clap:

at first thought, when i was reading the headline, i was thinking : oh, no again an idi.. who is playing fights with poor animals.
but this is like the others said something completly different. simply the way of nature...

ciao, oli
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
Simply awesome pictures. I'm so glad this wasn't a link to some stupid bugfights video...

Latro web is some amazing stuff. I was cleaning out an enclosure that had been occupied by a L. variolus for the last couple of years and I'm always amazed at the strength of these webs. Between that and the whole "high tension" thing they do, I'm not surprised they can capture things like lizards and mice. It's still amazing to see.
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
May 22, 2006
Messages
3,478
Latrodectus silk is 250 times stronger then a steel wire of the same thickness...:eek: So bye, bye lizard! It had no chance. Maybe next time, it's the spider....
 

KnightinGale

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
170
Hm, yes, when I was cleaning out my L. hesperus k.k. I picked up one stick and the whole thing came out in one piece. Easiest clean-up job ever. It all stayed in the same position and everything...just pull it out, put in bag. Then there was only some substrate left on the bottom.
 
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