The Velvet Worm (Onychophora) looks like a plush toy. It looks squishy. And it's darn cute. Our night would've been a dull walk had it not been for the sighting of this beautiful multi-legged worm. When we approached, it ejaculated squirted at us. What? I've known the velvet worm to squirt slime at it's prey but this was the first time seeing it, and it has already given us a special welcome gift!
The Velvet Worm is armed with a pair of slime-guns, which are actually their front limbs. The slime squirts off the guns as gooey streams of liquid, normally directed at prey to ensnare them. Quite magically, this biological glue is supposed to harden into a gel almost immediately upon contact with the prey. Apparently, it would eat back the slime after the squirt. No wastage there! Such tactics reminds me of... the Spitting Spider (Scytodiidae) which also spits venom at their prey.
The complete album can be viewed here.
The Velvet Worm is armed with a pair of slime-guns, which are actually their front limbs. The slime squirts off the guns as gooey streams of liquid, normally directed at prey to ensnare them. Quite magically, this biological glue is supposed to harden into a gel almost immediately upon contact with the prey. Apparently, it would eat back the slime after the squirt. No wastage there! Such tactics reminds me of... the Spitting Spider (Scytodiidae) which also spits venom at their prey.
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- Record shot of the Velvet Worm, possibly Eoperipatus sumatranus which has been recorded in Singapore. It is also listed in the Singapore Red Data Book as endangered. Notice the stream of goo streaking down from the head, that was remnants of the slime!
- Close up on the Velvet Worm's head. Utter cuteness!
- The squishy looking and seemlingly jointless legs resembles the limbs of a plush toy!
- Front view of the Velvet Worm. Say hallooo!
- Mr Squishy was feeling agitated, so we let it climb onto the stick where it felt more comfortable and stayed still.
- Oh those legs...
- Close up of the underside of the Velvet Worm
- Before we placed it back on the tree trunk, it finally decided to move yooo.
- This is out of focus, but just had a comical effect
- Tiny little Huntsman Spider (Sparassidae) from the leaf litter
- Ben found this pair of mating Four-Lined Tree Frogs (Polypedates leucomystax) in the middle of the path.
- I struggled to take pictures of it, as my extension tube decided to lose connection at the last minute. :(
- We did make an interesting discovery though. The eyes of the Four-Lined Tree Frogs (Polypedates leucomystax) would fluoresce under ultraviolet light!! (Thanks to Melvyn again for shining UV at everything we saw) I didn't get to take pictures of that as the horny duo jumped off soon after, but it was really creepy. Definitely in my to-do list!
- Found a number of these Orb Web Spiders (Araneidae)
- View of the eyes of the Orb Web Spider (Araneidae)
- Side view, never know when it is necessary for identification
- Nursery Web Spider (Pisauridae), quite a small one
- Check out it's eye arrangement!
- Found an Archduke larva (Lexias pardalis dirteana). I often called such cats the Christmas Caterpillar.
- Found another Skull-Faced Caterpillar, struggling to climb up the branch.
- Another Orb Web Spider (Araneidae), a lovely male!
- The Orb Web Spider (Araneidae) tried to balloon away.
- Another Ground Spider (Zodariidae). Apparently the Zodariids here like to rest on tree trunks.
- Katydid (Tettigoniidae) with exceptional appendages on it's legs.
- Jumping Bristletail (Machilidae), often ignored but spectacular up close
- Check out the eyes!
- A common but small Sac Spider (Clubionidae)
- This Sac Spider (Clubionidae) has 6 eyes in the bottom row.
- Found an interestingly large Jumping Spider (Salticidae)
- The lateral eyes were actually quite big for a salticid!
- And... here's the classic face shot!
- Hair-raising view
- An obvious male. Pity that I did not take sharper pictures of the palps, which had some unique stripes on them.
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Here's a video from Youtube which shows the craziest squirt from a velvet worm!
As mentioned at the start of the post, the night was rather dull. BUT.. what's dull to me might be of interest to some of you so here they are!
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The complete album can be viewed here.