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Jumping spiders are very notorious, stealthy hunters and they have evolved some very effective mechanisms to protect themselves from predation. One such, is to mimic ants. Ant mimicry, or myrmecomorphy, is a phenomenon in which arthropods develop morphological resemblance to ants, either as a means of safeguarding themselves from predators or as an easier way of feeding on the ants. Different kinds of ants, hence, different kinds of mimicry among jumping spiders....

The forests of central India, namely, Tadoba, Bandhavgarh and the likes, are very popular and well established destinations for tiger lovers. The reason probably is bifold. One being the relatively higher density of tigers, resulting in a better chance of sighting one in the wild in comparison to many other parks in India. The other, in my opinion, is the feeling of exclusivity that one gets on the safaris and also the safari’s, relatively longer duration....

My previous post was on one of the most powerful predators in the world of arthropods, the Jumping Spiders. This one is about another family of arthropods, that are as much, if not more, notorious of hunters, as the jumpers. They are the Mantises. Mantis, more popularly known as the Praying Mantis ( owing to the way it’s front pair of legs are held, raised up, as if in a position of prayer ) also relies on powerful vision and stealth for hunting and has the necessary equipment for getting the job done....

In nature, the predator-prey dynamics is always wonderful to witness, be it a tiger bringing down a sambar or a gaur, a pack of wild dogs chasing down their prey, on a smaller scale, a jumping spider stealthily stalking its prey, or a snake, snapping up its prey with its lightning fast strike. All these are true adrenaline pumping moments. Moments which get etched in the viewer’s mind and stay on for a long time to come....

Southern Flying Lizard, more commonly known as the Draco, are amazing reptiles found across the Western Ghats and other hill forests of southern India. They have this unique ability to glide from tree to tree , something akin to flying, thus getting their name. They are most commonly seen climbing up on tree trunks amidst something like the arecanut plantations. A Draco’s day begins just as the light of morning sun starts streaming in through the canopy....