This entry from the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest, submitted by Lakshmi Vadlamani, shows a dancing lady spider in Namibia. When this spider wants to flee danger, it can flip on its side and cartwheel at a speed of 44 turns a second. Though only 0.8 inches long, it can dig burrows up to 19.6 inches deep, moving 80,000 times its weight in sand. Can Spiderman do better?
The launch of
the fourth Spiderman film on July 3rd marks the perfect time to contemplate
Peter Parker and . . . you know . . .
spiders, a.k.a.
arachnids (from the Greek word meaning get
this creepy thing outta here; just kidding; it’s really derived from Arachne, a mythological Greek weaver who was turned into a spider). The alter ego of Spiderman,
Peter Parker, became a superhero when he was bitten by an irradiated spider that injected radioactive chemicals into his body, giving him superhuman strength and agility, the ability to cling to most surfaces and thus run up walls, and a spider-sense that warns him of danger. You’ve probably been bitten by an irradiated spider yourself, so you know how it goes.
With that background, we get to today’s ...
Link to original article / Continue Reading...
Wildlife Promise ... National Wildlife Federation Blogs.
Comments…