-
-
Imagine a movie in which our governor visits an alien planet and hunts down a group of alien military types, one by one, in the wilderness, until only one is left. Arnold has heat vision, of course, but one alien figures this out and covers itself with sand to disguise its own heat signature, thereby becoming invisible to this human hunter. Let's call the film Bizarro Predator. I think this is what our protagonist would look like. Except spiders are poikilotherms and don't have heat and are probably invisible to heat-sensing interstellar predators. D'oh.
-
-
Imagine a movie in which our governor visits an alien planet and hunts down a group of alien military types, one by one, in the wilderness, until only one is left. Arnold has heat vision, of course, but one alien figures this out and covers itself with sand to disguise its own heat signature, thereby becoming invisible to this human hunter. Let's call the film Bizarro Predator. I think this is what our protagonist would look like. Except spiders are poikilotherms and don't have heat and are probably invisible to heat-sensing interstellar predators. D'oh.
-
Found under granite rock in disturbed chaparral.
-
-
-
-
Muy camuflada bajo unas tobas ignimbrÃticas, es una de las más grandes que he visto de la especie
-
Muy camuflada bajo unas tobas ignimbrÃticas, es una de las más grandes que he visto de la especie
-
Muy camuflada bajo unas tobas ignimbrÃticas, es una de las más grandes que he visto de la especie
-
under granite slabs, sandy desert wash
-
A medium sized spider (20mm legspan) that covered its body with sand particles. Also seen during the month of September and October in 2015.
-
A medium sized spider (20mm legspan) that covered its body with sand particles. Also seen during the month of September and October in 2015.
-
23mm leg-span, 12mm body length. Encrusted with sand particles.
-
23mm leg-span, 12mm body length. Encrusted with sand particles.
-
Typical Homalonychus habitat From
Wikimedia Commons: Homalonychus spiders are fairly common in such habitats, found under granite slabs resting on the soil surface, and/or under dead vegetation.
-
-
Homalonychus sp. photographed in Baja California (1 April 2004)From
Wikimedia Commons
-
Homalonychus theologus penultimate male, showing how specialized setae (hairs) trap sand and camouflage the spiderFrom
Wikimedia Commons
-
Homalonychus theologus penultmate maleFrom
Wikimedia Commons, with this description: Interesting "paired leg" stance first noted by Vetter & Cokendolpher (2000, Journal of Arachnology), with adjacent legs held together and outstretched rigidly. These authors suggested that this behavior may constitute cactus spine mimicry.
-
-
-