The Nature Photography Thread

[adamanteus]

It's Dysdera crocata..... Either eaten away by parasites, just laid a load of eggs, or VERY emaciated. It certainly isn't 'right'.

[reptileparadise]

Very pretty spider, although it looks lie it could use a meal!

[ssssnakeluvr]

commonly called the woodlouse spider (on google). specializes in eating roly-poly's (isopods). we have lots of them here. that one looks to be in bad shape. that leafy looking thing is her abdomen.....doesn't look good for her.

[anji1971]

It looks like it may have been stepped on or something. Poor little thing......

[Zephyr]

WAIT.
I actually know this one!
I caught one the other day, a rather large female, and I'm gonna breed her with a male when I find one. :P
Pretty little spiders, they over winter as 'slings resembling wolf spiders and molt into adulthood the following spring. Obviously, that spider suffered a bad molt- note the abdomen as well as the crooked legs.

[adamanteus]

Dysdera looks that way (apart from the collapsed abdomen) throughout it's life. The 'knock-kneed' appearance is normal for this species.

[adamanteus]

This is how the abdomen should look.

[Zephyr]

Note these bulges and odd looking spots: this happens often in other invertebrates when there is a puncture wound during or directly after molting. The joints collapse due to lack of internal pressure, due to the leaking fluid, all around the animal, hence the spots outlined. Obviously something punctured the abdomen as soon as this little guy/girl molted. D:

[drache]

wow - poor little critter
it's a rough life out there

[adamanteus]