We have photos today from both a newbie and an oldbie. The newbie is reader Doris Fromage, who contributed a spider picture (we have many arachnophilic readers):
This is a green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans), apparently quite gravid. Isn’t she a beauty? She’s about the maximum size of 0.87 in. Wikipedia tells me that gravid females can change their color to better match their background (which, you’ll notice, she does: see how the spots of red on her abdomen pick up the red of the rose leaf stems)—but it takes about 16 days. See the webbing behind her? Since she’s clearly a hunting spider, I suspect the web is like a rock climber’s safety harness. Jumping spiders will typically lay down a web like this right before attempting a jump; if they end up in free fall, they can quickly climb back up. While I have not observed this with the green lynx, since it is hunting above ground, it seems a likely explanation for the webbing.
For those readers who think I’ve forgotten their photos, this set was sent to me by Stephen Barnard (of Silver Creek Ranch in Idaho) on May 19. His notes are indented:
The light has been poor lately and threatens to remain so for a while,so I haven’t been doing much photography. Wet, overcast weather can be good for landscapes (photo below), but it makes wildlife photography difficult.
This of one of the Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) I released:
This is of one of the three Pygmy Rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) living under my deck. I’ve taught Deets to leave them alone. They’re very tame. I could probably get them to take food from my hand.
JAC: This is the world’s smallest member of the Leporidae (rabbits and hares, 60 species in all), with adults weighing roughly a pound (450 g):
The fourth photo is of a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), and the fifth is of two babies.
Very nice picture – but the pheasant – Stephen released a non-native species? Isn’t that illegal? Granted it is not likely to be invasive…
I love green lynx spiders. I do not find them where I live now. It is possible that the webbing she has is the beginnings of a site in which to make an egg sac, but I am not sure.
In my former life in San Diego CA (*sigh*) I would find these all the time, and it was not unusual to see them eating surprisingly large bees.
I am intrigued by the web structure in the image, especially since it includes plant material and forms a tent. The webbing behind the spider looks very much like a nursery-web that is typically built by members of the spider family Pisauridae. Our knowledge on nursery-web construction by Lynx spiders is fragmentary, based on a few observations (e.g., Fink, 1987, The Journal of Arachnology, 15: 231, the paper is free online). Detailed observations of the nursery web construction by female Lynx spiders could shed light on the evolution of the nursery-web within the superfamily Lycosoidea to which both, the Lynx spiders (family Oxyopidae)and the Pisauridae, among others, belong.
That’s very interesting, thanks!
I like the spider pic – excellent detail.
Ring necked pheasants, so far, have not survived NH winters. So the NH Fish &Game Dept raises them and releases them, dazed & confused, into the woods & fields just as the shooting season on them starts. Hunting them is considered a sport. It’s possible one could walk up to one and grab it.
I love the detail on these photos. And overcast and wet landscape has me longing for a little rain.
Petra, your question intrigued me (and also Mark’s suggestion), so I went to check, and sent off a new raft of photos in hopes that Dr. Ceiling Cat will see fit to include them. Without giving away the draaamaaa that has unfolded, suffice it to say that she chose to make her egg sack a little ways away from the tangle, attached to the underside of a leaf. So if that tangle was intended to be a nursery tent, she apparently thought the better of it (and if Dr. CC posts the photos, you will see a possible reason for a change of spidery plans!).
Is this a species that dies after laying their eggs? Lovely spider! Don’t think they live up in the Northwest, or if so, I haven’t seen any.
Most araneomorph spiders (= non tarantulas) have only one reproductive season in their life. They have to make the most of it.
Yes, I would love to see the images of the ‘nursery web’ she finally used. I always planned to examine oxyopid nursery webs and compare them to pisaurid nursery webs. But then I switch my attention to millipedes: So many legs, so little time.
Great line!
@ Doris and Stephen:
All of these shots are fantastic!
Holy cow, I want to touch the feathers on the Ring-necked pheasant and Owl!
Thanks for these!
That spider’s cool.
That was exactly my reaction–all of these pictures are so good! Spiders and rabbits and owls, oh my!
I wish I could train my d*gs not to catch the rabbits…we have eastern cottontails (an introduced species), and the d*gs kill a few every year. German Shorthaired Pointers are not a breed easily trained away from their hunting instincts. I’ve stopped them from chasing rabbits if I spot them in the moment, but that’s rare.
Nice photos, all!
Doris:
This picture of the green lynx spider is so good–I wonder if you’ve considered releasing it under a creative commons license, and uploading it to Wikipedia? Their picture needs a major upgrade, and this picture can provide that.
Of course, I’m tempted to ask Stephen the same question–the picture of the pygmy rabbit should definitely be more widely known!
What an attractive spider! I do hope Jerry posts the follow-up shots, Doris!
Stephen, that landscape is superb–love the composition and muted light conditions!