When I die, I want to be reincarnated as a ROV » « Buttons and threads, or how to achieve criticality in a non-linear fashion

It’s a spider, but it’s too cute not to share

It was rainy and damp, but we found a few little spiders hiding under leaves. Mary held one. Don’t look below if you are not fond of spiders!

I also put a few photos of S. borealis on Instagram. They are not cute. Kind of brutal, actually.

When I die, I want to be reincarnated as a ROV » « Buttons and threads, or how to achieve criticality in a non-linear fashion

Comments

  1. leerudolph says

    a few photos of S. borealis

    Perhaps for this Xmas season someone could make an arachnid-centered version of The Polar Express. It could be a real blockbuster!

  2. kestrel says

    Awwww… that spider is adorable!

    Since your obsession with spiders began, I’ve been noticing them more and more. Holy cow they are everywhere. On the other hand they are eating things I am not fond of, so I actually don’t mind at all.

  3. magistramarla says

    So tiny! I live in California, and I’ve been busy planting an herb garden. I’ve been running into lots of spiders, and every time I spot one, I think of PZ. Like Mary, I’m not afraid to hold spiders, worms, etc. that I run across in my garden.

  4. brightmoon says

    Spiders freak me out. I won’t even touch a picture of one if I see it in a book . I actually dropped Clack’s Gaining Ground because she put a picture of a fossil spider in it . I went fully instinctual, though to be honest that thing was ginormous. Worms ,rats, snakes, no problem . ( ball pythons are even tempered btw)

  5. nomdeplume says

    How can anyone not see that as beautiful?

    Seems to have large palps for its size?

  6. leerudolph says

    brightmoon@4: “I went fully instinctual”.
    Is is settled (one way or the other) whether such reactions are “instinct” or not? (I haven’t always read PZ’s posts that may have explored that.)

  7. paulburnett says

    nomdeplume@5: “Seems to have large palps for its size?”
    Might be a male. Some male spiders drum with their palps to attract females; some use their palps to give a present to their mate.

  9. unclefrogy says

    the fright reaction might be instinctual but what stimulates that reaction is probably a learned response which would be different with every individual.
    uncle frogy

  10. brightmoon says

    6 trying not to describe the writhing , climbing yelling ,Overreacting did to get away from a picture.

  11. blf says

    What’s not shown is Mary is otherwise completely covered in a cocoon of spider silk. She’s waving her one remaining free finger at the spider, “Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!”