Wolf spider mating? (and other arachnids)

[desertanimal]

After looking at this series of photos, which show things a lot more clearly than my bare eyes did, I am thinking that this is mating. Is that right?

Finally got some shots of how a solifugid tries to bite. They're not the clearest, but my clear shots never really show the compound chelicerae, because my clear shots are of motionless, relaxed animals.

Large-ish wolf spider.

Small, dead desert hairy scorpion.

Tiny baby solifugid.

I also saw a baby tailless whip scorpion, but couldn't get a photo of it before it scuttled sideways down a hole. That was the first time I'd seen one of those in real life.

---------- Post added at 04:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:15 PM ----------

Might as well toss the herps on here as well.

Long-nosed snake

The long-nosed snake was hunting this little man, who lived another night due to my interruption. (No worries, this was clearly a well-fed snake.)

The most cooperative Colorado river/Sonoran desert toad I've ever met.

That's it for last night. Thanks for looking!

 

[Meecht]

Awesome pictures! That's a very beautiful snake.

 

[patrickbull]

Wonderful pics! Love the quality. The wolf spiders are indeed mating. You can tell the male is reaching around to insert the pedipalps.

 

[super-pede]

did you lick the toad? JK

great pics:clap:

 

[loxoscelesfear]

what an awesome looking time! looks like Hogna carolinensis wolf spiders.

 

[desertanimal]

Wonderful pics! Love the quality. The wolf spiders are indeed mating. You can tell the male is reaching around to insert the pedipalps.

Thanks for the confirmation. That was the first time I'd seen any spiders mating, and it was quite different from the pictures I've seen of tarantulas, so I wasn't sure in person.

did you lick the toad? JK

great pics:clap:

LOL! Um, no. I didn't actually even handle this one. I always have to catch them because they won't stay around for photos, but this one did. As a result, these are the best photos I have of these toads.

what an awesome looking time! looks like Hogna carolinensis wolf spiders.

Thanks for the species ID!

 

[maurus]

I can see a little girl saying "My mommy told me they were fighting". Nice pics!

 

[super-pede]

colorado river toads produce a chemical in their poison glands called DMT. It's hallucinogenic.

 

[patrickbull]

colorado river toads produce a chemical in their poison glands called DMT. It's hallucinogenic.

Specifically, 5 meo-dmt. A few books and websites have been put out the subject. I found the Spirit Molecule Documentary by Rick Strassman to be quite interesting.