I spent Easter touring Tasmania. These are some of the photos I took. What a stunningly beautiful landscape!

Horned Baboon Spider by Dr. Erik Verreyne

Watching the Red Moon while a Pearl Spotted Owl, crowned lapwings and thick knees painting the night silence. And another of the horned Baboon Spiders ran past us. This time a male confirmed by LD. And this bloke was perfectly happy to sit on his shirt until we finished the photo shoot. Then hurriedly continued his lonely hunt for insects, small lizards, geckos and even small rodents. The female is lurking in her burrow, waiting for her trigger-lines to be disturbed before she pounces on prey, or on him. And he has to mate for his life if she is ready, or run for his life if she is not, using the hooks on his legs to keep her at bay. He has to prevent her from reeling him in with her "charm" and making him dinner to sustain the fertilized eggs or young. Imagine making love with a vampire while holding her arms stretched out to prevent her fangs from getting close to your throat.....Not so nice way to go I suppose... Thanks LD. Very informative, yet filled with suspense.............