Isopoda 
Photo stories Weird Nature The spider and the frog
Photo stories Weird Nature The spider and the frog
| The spider and the frog |
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By Francesco Tomasinelli and Emanuele Biggi Updated 18/03/2008 Frogs have difficult lives in South American rainforests. Many of them are preyed by Snakes and by Artropods, especially by spiders which are big and particularly active at night. But there is a frog that developed a peculiar relationship with some spiders. This is the Microhylid Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata, who lives, often in good numbers, near spider burrows of some tarantulas species. The spider, a still undescribed Theraphosidae of the genus Pamphobeteus, tolerates the frog and never attacks it. Other amphibians passing outside his burrow are immediately captured, even by the young specimens which, in this species, remain with the mother for many month with no sign of cannibalism. This curious relationship is one of the few cases of mutualism between amphibian and spiders (the other involves Xenesthis immanis instead of Pamphobeteus sp.) for the first time photographed with such detail. The advantages for the Chiasmocleis are obvious. She won't be attacked by other spiders and by small snakes: intrusions are not tolerated in the tarantula territory. And it’s possible the Arachnid is somehow helped by the frog who preys upon small parasites (mainly Diptera) and possible ants that could harm the spider or its eggs. On Amphibians see also Saving frogs into the Amazon On Arachnids see also Surprising spiders Many thanks to Rudy Von May, Alessandro Catenazzi, Mo Donnelly, Nigel and Renata Pitman, Rick West and all the crew of the CICRA Los Amigos biological station in the Peruvian Amazon. |
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29-06-2010 New pictures exhibition till 31-10-2010 at Jardin des Plantes des Paris, Museè d'Histoire Naturelle: Inventaires sans frontieres (with pictures by F. Tomasinelli, X. Desmer, P. Richaud)
30-03-2010 New gallery on Animals living in Italian cities 10-03-2010 New gallery on different jobs in Genova Port for Genoa Port Center 17-02-2010 Four new small photo stories in Strange but true section 16-01-2010 New reportage on Quirimbas National Park in Mozambico 05-12-2009 New exhibit at Natural Science Museum of Bergamo, Italy - Predatori del Microcosmo until 31-01-2010 12-09-2009 More invading species pictures added
02-04-2009 New photo story on entomophagy: Insect as food 20-03-2009 Updated Caves life gallery, a look at biospeleology. |
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| Welcome to Isopoda.net, website of Italian biologist and science photographer Francesco Tomasinelli. My favourite subjects are neglected animals, like insects, arachnids and reptiles, but I work on many other nature topics, travel, events and general photography too. |
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