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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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16-12-2011 Two new short stories in "Strange but true" with tiger beetles and devil flower mantis. Updated Quirimbas Islands reportage 30-4-2011 New scientific exhibition Predatori del microcosmo at Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino, until 27-6-2011
03-02-2011 New scientific exhibition Copioni e copiati for Arte e Scienza in Piazza 2011, in Bologna, until 13-02-2011. 08-1-2011 New photo gallery on Iran and persian architecture 05-12-2010 New scientific exhibition Predatori del microcosmo at Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento, until 13-2-2011 29-11-2010 New gallery Professione naturalista, on people working in natural sciences 28-10-2010 New scientific exhibition Copioni e copiati, for Festival della Scienza 2010, at Castello d'Albertis, Genova, until 5-12-2010
13-09-2010 New gallery on Valley of Butterflies, Rhodes, Greece |
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| Welcome to Isopoda.net, website of Italian biologist and science photographer Francesco Tomasinelli. My favourite photographic subjects are unusual animals, travels and scientists at work, but I shoot many other topics, like sports, events and corporate pictures. I work as scientific consultant too, mainly on ecology topics. |
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