Life and Death in Shadow Hills California...
It's been a two day break now from the hard rains we've been hit with recently. Although I'm not complaining.
At this time of the year tarantulas are burrowed away. Maybe the rain soaked hills forced this guy (girl?) out. Anyway, I'm out inspecting my property and I come upon this titanic (on a small scale...) struggle. A tarantula and a tarantula-hawk (wasp) were engaged in mortal battle. Now, I haven't seen either one of these creatures in a couple of months. Since it started cooling down.
I would have prefered taking these with my 35mm film camera but no film! So I used my Canon A200 digital. It's a good camera for "fun" shots and that's about it... On to the show!
The tarantula (approx. 4" in dia.) is trying to fang the wasp (approx. 2" long) here. They are both moving around very fast jockeying for position. I didn't think tarantulas could move this fast! Right after this shot the stinking batteries died!!! So I had to run back into the house to drop in a new set.
By the time I ran back up the wasp had delivered the coup de grace. It now started dragging the still alive but paralyzed spider down one side of the house. About 40 yards. This shot was taken during the summer.
Here it's at the base of a 7' high gate. At first I thought the wasp would try to find a way around but to to my surprise it started pulling it's pray up the gate! It did this by flipping the spider on it's back and grabbing it head to head. Mind you guys, all this time the spider's legs are still moving although very, very slowly... Poor little dude.
It has just about made it to the top of the gate. Can you guys imagine a simular feat on a human scale. Amazing stuff. I'm continually amazed by the things I've seen around here.
Just wanted to share with yas...
At this time of the year tarantulas are burrowed away. Maybe the rain soaked hills forced this guy (girl?) out. Anyway, I'm out inspecting my property and I come upon this titanic (on a small scale...) struggle. A tarantula and a tarantula-hawk (wasp) were engaged in mortal battle. Now, I haven't seen either one of these creatures in a couple of months. Since it started cooling down.
I would have prefered taking these with my 35mm film camera but no film! So I used my Canon A200 digital. It's a good camera for "fun" shots and that's about it... On to the show!
The tarantula (approx. 4" in dia.) is trying to fang the wasp (approx. 2" long) here. They are both moving around very fast jockeying for position. I didn't think tarantulas could move this fast! Right after this shot the stinking batteries died!!! So I had to run back into the house to drop in a new set.
By the time I ran back up the wasp had delivered the coup de grace. It now started dragging the still alive but paralyzed spider down one side of the house. About 40 yards. This shot was taken during the summer.
Here it's at the base of a 7' high gate. At first I thought the wasp would try to find a way around but to to my surprise it started pulling it's pray up the gate! It did this by flipping the spider on it's back and grabbing it head to head. Mind you guys, all this time the spider's legs are still moving although very, very slowly... Poor little dude.
It has just about made it to the top of the gate. Can you guys imagine a simular feat on a human scale. Amazing stuff. I'm continually amazed by the things I've seen around here.
Just wanted to share with yas...
Comments
Couple of weeks ago, a tarantula, slightly bigger than the above victim, made it's way into the house. It was right after a hard rain and it was cold. Well, about 20 degrees Fahrenheit, cold for us Southern California sissies...
Anyway, it was obvious the spider was cold as it was moving in slow motion. I put it in a shoebox for a couple of days then released it in the hills behind the house. Good deed done.