A SPIDER OF MANY COLOURS

Never under estimate the diversity of size and colour in the Kalahari.  Walking back to our campsite from the office we spotted a small, very small, colourful spider in the sand.

If you look closely at the photographs you can see how big the sand particles look and below you can see how tiny this little spider really is.

The shear beauty of this little gem was so astounding that we just had to get a proper photograph of it. So while one ran to get the macro camera the other stayed behind to keep watch. It turns out that this was actually a very very special find and that this particular spider was not often seen. The identity was kindly provided by one of the spider fundi on Facebook to be that of a male Buckspoor Spider, namely Seothyra longidedata from the Eresidae family.

This spider is on many an avid arachnid lovers list and here he was wandering in the middle of a sea of sand with plenty of birds around that would be only to eager to make a meal of him!  Ever tried convincing a spider to face the camera and stand still?  

That can be fun but this guy actually played along and was the perfect subject, so much so that if you tapped the ground in front of him he would lift those forelegs in display. 

 At one point he flipped over and played “dead”! The Kalahari never ceases to amaze!   We unknowingly set him free on a nearby thorny branch for protection!  Turns out the sand is actually his home!