A daddy long-legs spider (Smeringopus floridbad) in a house in Bloemfontein with its prey, a juvenile Cape Gecko (Pachydactylus capensis). (Photo: Nicolette Josling)

Michael Bates of the Herpetology Department and co-author Nicolette Josling recently published an article in  African Journal of Ecology (DOI:10.1111/aje.12835) documenting a remarkable case of a daddy long-legs spider

Image: Jumping spider with large median eyes – © Thomas Shahan 2012

On the sensory structures of #arachnids, both shared and unique

Get to know more about how these fascinating creatures perceive their environment

Eyes and Photoreceptors

For organisms to survive in their environment, some sort of way is needed to gather information from the environment so that the individual organism can adjust its behaviour accordingly.  The use of chemical signals and mechanical force is generally thought to be the oldest forms of sensory inputs used by organisms.

A new chameleon from Madagascar and discussion of Free State species.

A contender for the title of the world’s smallest reptile species has recently been described: the minute chameleon 𝐵𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑎 𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑎 was found in late 2012 in northern Madagascar, though the official publication describing the new species was published in January 2021.

Researchers in Germany have discovered that the Namib Web-Footed Gecko – a species of lizard endemic to the Namib Desert and therefore found in arid areas of Angola, Namibia and South Africa – fluoresces bright neon green stripes down their sides and around their eyes under UV light.

PHOTO: Olduvai Gorge in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania (photo credit: worldatlas.com)

Olduvai Gorge is a rich and diverse archaeological site found in the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania. It is situated in the Great Rift Valley, an ancient geographical fracture caused by the separation of two tectonic plates and runs through Ethiopia, Kenya, and into the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania.