Happy Face Spider – A rare spider found only in the Hawaiian islands sports a happy face meant to momentarily confuse predators.
The patterns on the happy face spiders developed as a protective camouflage because it takes an aggressor a second to work out whether the spider is prey or not, thus providing a vital chance of escape.
The tiny spider goes by the name of Theridion grallator and the spiders have a vast range of patterns and colours on their abdomens – yet all come from the same species.
The amazing diversity is due to genetic variations, although the patterns may also change depending on their diet and availability for mating.
And that’s the latest on the happy face spider.
Tags: happy face spider, science, smiley face spider, spider, weird photos
June 6th, 2009 at 8:16 am
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