24 Aug, 2008

Tiny spiders also emerge from their nest for just long enough to film some early morning maintenance work.

As a filmmaker and observer I am well aware that I am not an expert on all living organisms. I often rely on reference books and local experts to identify species for me. Today was just such a case and although I used available reference material, I am not convinced that my identifications are accurate. I would appreciate any comment from visitors to this site.

The first animal we saw on today's excursion in the Okaukuejo area of Namibia's Etosha National Park was spotted when I noticed a small movement in the bushes alongside the road. We reversed and on the ground next to us was what I assumed to be a scrub hare (Lepus saxatilis).

These hares are not always easy to film and often dart off to safety immediately after spotting you.

I didn't believe it would stay in one place for long, but collected my camera equipment anyway and crept around the side of the vehicle to get a good view on the ground. The hare was rooted to the spot.

This is yet another animal in this region whose coat of hair allows it to blend into the background. Its colouring and technique of standing motionless must be a good combination when it hides from predators.

The hare stayed just long enough for me to film its features in close-up: the delicate ears flattened against its body, the little nose sniffing the air for danger, the highlight in its bright amber-coloured eye and the long whiskers.

It then sped off and disappeared into the undergrowth.

I then decided to film the spider nests that I had seen in many locations in the park. I wanted to catch them in the early morning light.

After consulting our reference books, we decided that these could be the nests or webs of the hackle-web spider of the family Dictynidae.

These randomly shaped and sized nests are often dust-covered and suspended from or between branches in a variety of tree species. Today we found and filmed nests in acacia shrubs.

I had a few minutes to record the delicate, warm-coloured and tiny (2-3mm across) spiders as they descended from the nest on fine threads. It was a brief showing and before long they had all ascended and disappeared into the nest interior.

I surmised that they work on the nest exterior and other tasks in the cool early morning and as the temperatures rise they retreat to the safety and comfort of the nest interior.

– by Linda Louw, Earth-Touch field crew © Earth-Touch

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