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| Not a speck of dust on him, shining colours. |
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| He's missing a leg and two half legs, at least. |
I saw him last night, roaming placidly around the bathroom; he looked duller then. Today, the first thing I saw was the flash of brick red. And he was panicking; I don't think I've ever seen a harvestman run as fast as he was before.
I caught up with him when he paused for breath on the bathtub surround.
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| With the one remaining long leg stretched out. |
I wonder: does he run faster with shorter legs? Do those long, wobbly legs slow down his brothers?
I've noticed harvestmen with shorter legs like this....I always assumed they were just the opposite gender. The ones with longer legs will also have distinct mandibles.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that one you have there could still walk straight after the spin cycle.
Did a bit more research...I've been looking at different species, not different genders. In my 5 minutes of research, it appears females are larger. I haven't been able to determine whether the mandibles (I'm sure this isn't the correct term) have anything to do with their gender.
ReplyDeleteDifferent species; that is what I understood, too.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about this critter is that I saw him the night before, in the vicinity of the laundry hamper, and he (she?) had really long legs, like the only surviving one in the bottom pic. And he walked slowly, even when I chased him out of the way, bouncing as he went. Fresh out of the wash, he ran like a spider, very fast, very smooth.
I didn't think of the spin cycle; poor critter must have been so dizzy!
Wow! Poor thing. But imagine if it reproduces: in several generations you might have a population of semiaquatic harvestmen! :-D
ReplyDeleteJodi, wouldn't be a stretch. Any critter living on this We(s)t Coast is semi-semiaquatic already!
ReplyDeleteIt's raining out there. Will rain tomorrow, the next day, and the next. Probably the next, too. The woodbugs and slugs are in heaven. The harvestmen are on the London Pride, developing gills.
ReplyDelete