Peacock Spider 1 (Maratus volans)

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thank you Tehkella. This was my first ever video. I simply wanted to show this spider to the world and keep it authentic. I was aware of the sound "problem" because it was the way I filmed it, but I did not want to alter it or "pollute" it with music. Showing this spider in action, for the first time, was more important to me than worrying about editing details. I am glad I didn't know about any "editing rules" because I could experiment with the footage in such a wonderfully naive and free way

[@lilRadRidinHood]

After 9 years I see how much you have taught us all and learned about things yourself, like how to personally direct your reply to a commenter. We as a species are ALWAYS being educated! Thanks for these astonishing videos!

[@amyjt35]

And you did an excellent job at showing the peacock spider in action! I’ve seen several videos of them in the past 5 years, but this is in the top 3 and definitely a favorite!

[@Macakiux]

All jumping spiders are cute, but the ones in this video play in the puppies and kittens league of cuteness.

[@unapersonanorrmal9710]

Vaya, vaya. Imagínate mi sorpresa siendo un nuevo amante de las arañas viéndote por aquí. Saludos desde Argentina, tus videos son joyas.

[@ShinogamiLealaii]

One of the few Australian spiders I don't mind watching, because its actually more cute than terrifying haha. Wonderful camera work Peacockspiderman, that was excellent and I can imagine very difficult to have done, congrats!

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks for your comment. It is tricky to film them, and it is always nice to see this appreciated

[@sarahrandall2152]

these little spiders symbolize all that is wonderful and beautiful in this world...their existence is a gift to everyone...thank you Jurgen Otto for reminding us that it is often the tiny and obscure discoveries that bring the most joy and wonder...you are as amazing as your spiders.

[@beatrizdearaujo8328]

Very beautiful work and this spider is absolutely adorable!

[@nerfwalljumper12]

All i can think every time they raise their tails...."TOUCHDOWWWNNN!!!!

[@clayslay1554]

Lol.

[@clayslay1554]

They'd probably be better referees than the actual refs! 😂

[@Camphreneas]

nerfwalljumper12 *legs

[@AspiePickerr]

Outstanding work on the research, videography and commentary Jurgen, stunning spiders too.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Aspie Pickerr Thanks

[@kevinestrada4725]

+Peacockspiderman You're making a remarkable contribution to science! Thank's for this great opportunity, a window to our mother nature and it's incredible creatures.

[@dianehuff4192]

I assumed you, "spiderMAN" and the guy in this video were 2 different people, which confused me. That's what I get for viewing them from back to front. LOL.

[@RandomCoconutz]

I'm actually petrified of small and medium skinny spiders, but I love jumping spiders and peacock spiders. It's so amazing!

[@lolsa123]

imagine it about 10times lager :P flee!!!

[@PJBovio]

Peacockspiderman, you've done it AGAIN!! ASTOUNDING, OUTSTANDING filming of these fascinated, gorgeous and totally heart-twisting creatures!!!! THANKS AGAIN A MILLION TIMES FOR SHARING!!

[@chillynites1]

Thanks for the repeats and different angles of photography, really enjoyed seeing the slight variences... I, for one, am very glad you put in all the 'footage' that you did.

[@wedmunds]

His peacock gets all the peachicks.

[@SoraShadowdancer]

I was a little worried about having to watch this video for my Ecology class, because spiders give me the willies, but I actually spent most of this video laughing at the male spiders. "Hey, hey! Look at me, look at me!!" ;) I didn't find them scary. Their fuzzy little mouth pieces were actually kind of cute. Question about the end though: If the females disapprove of the male's mating dance will they attack them and eat them? O.o Is that what I saw there? Other than energy, what is the benefit to the females from eating the males?

[@Peacockspiderman]

If the female does not want to mate, which happens in the majority of cases she will simply move away or signal the male that she is not interested by raising her abdomen and wiggling it. The males sometimes then lose interest but sometimes they persist. Yes, females are capable of eating males, and I have shown that in the clip, but how often that actually happens I don't. Almost certainly females do not judge the males by their performance and mate with those they like and eat the ones they don't. That is something that got started by the BBC show Life Story, unfortunately. Females only mate once, and if such a virgin female comes across a male, she will almost certainly mate with him if the conditions are right. If females eat males then these females have mated already and have developing eggs in their body. If they then are also hungry then a male that is careless can become a victim. It is also a myth that the female eats the male after they mate, I have not once observed that.

[@wioi]

Peacockspiderman the females actually do judge the males by their performance, if the male does something wrong and don't go away fast he becomes a victim. Also after mating if the male does not go away fast enough the female would kill him and eat him, that's not a myth that is a fact.

[@VARIOUShorses]

@@wioi I'm sorry if you also happen to be an expert and just sound like you aren't, but correcting a guy who has literally named more individual species of Peacock Spiders than most will even see in their lives makes you sound totally obnoxious. If Otto - one of the leading figures in Peacock Spider research in Australia says something based on his own observation and you just dismiss it with your 'facts' you'd better have a damn scientific dissertation to back you up rather than an interpretation of a few nature documentaries which I suspect is the actual source of your 'facts'.

[@sueanoimm]

Did he just...got eaten? because his dance wasn't impressive to the female?

[@Peacockspiderman]

Yes, he got eaten

[@sueanoimm]

Peacockspiderman Wow! amazing nature. XD thanks for the answer. XD

[@TheLivingHeiromartyr]

This is very normal in arachnid and insect mating. Many species of spider and scorpion engage in this activity, the female eating the male after mating. In other spiders, often the male will distract the female and impregnate her whilst distracted (nasty right?) but in mating the male has to leave a part of his body behind and will usually die a few hours later. Female spiders also die after laying their egg sacks. You'll probably be aware of how mantises do this as well. There are also types of fish (particularly deep sea fish such as angler fish) where the male is 20 or so times smaller than the female, and mates by biting onto her and fusing with her body. Now I'm not a zoologist so I can't say, but I reckon this whole process of the male dying and often being eaten or absorbed by the female is to compensate for the physical stress that the female will undergo during gestation. It will be particularly hard for a gestating female spider to catch prey, so having a large meal at the onset will probably help greatly.

[@valaha]

TheLivingHeiromartyr wow... Then this is kamikaze-sex.

[@taleandclawrock2606]

Your beautiful films are standout wildlife films. I cannot thank you enough for the incredible patience, sensitive observations and wonderful images of the natural world you have shared, teaching the world about these exquisite spiders. Thousands of peoples views of nature have been changed for the better as a result. Conservation is immeasurably helped by this kind of work, capturing the interest of many , increasing human awareness of the tiny wonders that share the landscapes we traverse.

[@TheoryTheory2222]

congrats on being one of the fist if not the fist to document this kind of behaviour and so in depth too, very educational!

[@spiritofshiloh]

That peacock spider is adorable :)

[@mothwaltz4163]

its q cutie

[@brianeversham2985]

Absolutely stunning video, and congratulations on filming it all in the wild. Your comments about males being eaten reminds me of the situation in praying mantises. I've seen the southern European Mantis religiosa mating in the field several times, and have discussed with French entomologists who have watched it dozens of times, and never has the female eaten the male. But this is common behaviour in captivity. I wonder how much filmed behaviour is an artefact of the animals being kept in small containers. All the more important then, for researchers to study behaviour in nature. Thanks again for sharing, and for including a helpful and detailed commentary.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Brian Eversham You are absolutely right. Some males are likely eaten by the female, in particular at the end of the season when they die anyway and probably are in pretty bad state and are no longer alert enough. But I think it gets totally exaggerated and it is more likely to happen in captivity.

[@quinceanerajones9212]

One of the coolest things I have ever seen, goes to show how intelligence runs rich in creatures without verbal communication.

[@tidusbautista6066]

Incredible! I'm amazed at how good the footage is considering how small they are. Canon is awesome. I liked your narration too.

[@beatriceshapiro6717]

Just watched four of your peacock spider videos. They're really, really well done! Great photography, great music, great editing and what amazing little creatures! Thank you for sharing!

[@BarbaraDelGiudice]

Wow Amazing! This spider dances very similar to some or the Birds of Paradise! Wow. We need to respect our little insect friends more!

[@InspireFPV]

but... spiders are arachnids :o

[@amcglockton2]

This was actually adorable

[@Peacockspiderman]

good to hear

[@bobbsiesox7975]

Amazing photography, very good

[@wapogipofrog88]

You sir are amazing and thank YOU for taking your time to film this. This is magnificent. I love Maratus spp. and now I finally get to see what I've only been able to read about. I hope one day to get to see them in person but that's something else altogether. =) Thank you once again. Keep up the marvelous work.

[@apetek12]

I genuinely enjoyed this video, then after reading the description i appreciated it even more. You are a swell guy.

[@navyhusky2020]

WOTCH UR BACK M8

[@leahp3992]

Fantastic! I really like their expressive personality. It is like they are shouting and waving to be seen from afar. :3 I've always liked the jumping spiders, maybe it is their larger eyes on their heads or the speed they can move at. I grew up in USA, so I've only seen grey jumping spiders. Thank you for sharing your video.

[@Peacockspiderman]

You are welcome, you have a lot of interesting jumpers in the US, much larger and very cute

[@wawa1196]

*clap* *clap* *clap* HEY GIRL! *clap* *clap* HEY! *clap* *pulls out bright * sign* HEY GIRL DTF? *clap* *wave* *wave* *clap* OH SHIT BITCH IS HUNGRY! *runs away*

[@fitbullaussie9002]

LOL

[@dogleghobag]

Absolutely incredible, and adorable, thank you so much for devoting your life to this so I could enjoy this footage!!

[@judesjewels7831]

Thank you, THANK you for sharing with us! I've seen photos of the Peacock spiders a few years back and watched a documentary where a species of jumping spider danced to attract a female. But it was a plain coloured spider. Your video is fantastic! I so enjoyed it and had me smiling throughout except when one poor male was eaten. But then, I guess, the gravid female needs all the calories she can get. I'll be back to watch this one over and over (and your other videos too). It's that good. I love spiders and insects - in fact, all animals - and always get a boost when I can watch or interact with any. Probably gives me a shot of dopamine. :)

[@Peacockspiderman]

JudesJewels Thanks for your long comment, much appreciated. I hope you get time to watch the other 11 videos

[@judesjewels7831]

Peacockspiderman No fear. I'll make time to watch your other videos! Spiders ate fascinating creatures and I enjoy watching those in my area, especially jumping spiders. They show great iinterest in watching us too.

[@nik4456]

Oh man, I was legitimately sad when the female ate the male. :-(

[@liwkaosmaek9874]

Same :'(

[@ChimpFromSpace]

It's amazing how such a small creature, with such a small brain, is capable of such complex, almost mammalian behavior.

[@theglumslum7942]

ChimpFromSpace What I find most interesting is how they know from birth that they should do this behavior to find mates. How beavers know how to build dams, and bird how to build nests, Spiders know they can build webs.

[@Hevva67]

I just thought that, like how do they know.. Di spiders have a language? Are they taught from birth, I doubt it.. It just seems like inbuilt knowledge..

[@mihajlostasuk5801]

+Hevva67 I guess it's instictual, genetically passed down.

[@lilRadRidinHood]

@@theglumslum7942 Butterflies that migrate over 3000 miles and never have done it before are the most amazing to me, but the list of runners-up is monumental!

[@clarkflavor]

Those colors and designs, wow!

[@Leighh133]

I loved it! I'm not a fan of spiders, but love the wonder of nature. Your filming was close up and beautifully focused, giving me a truly educational experience, and how lovely that its a little Aussie! Congratulations!

[@NicholasMacAdam]

I think you did a remarkable job capturing this footage, im glad i got to see such a unique thing.

[@FeelsFlows]

So much similarity to the human process. I feel the flows here mates. Cheers! Beautiful Spiders indeed.

[@123halofreak]

Are these poisonous? 'Cos even if they are, they're still adorable.

[@Sodylin]

Poison is digested. Venom is injected.

[@villelehtinen4210]

Sodylin And not a single fuck is given.

[@codywilcox4040]

Ville Lehtinen I gave a fuck.

[@garyjohnmaidman7822]

Poisonous is not the same as venomous. All true spiders are venomous, one of the distinguishing features of true spiders, as opposed to whipscorpions or solifuges. Just because they kill their prey with venom though, doesn't mean they are dangerous to humans, only a fraction of the many species of spiders pose any threat to humans.

[@UndefeatedUndisputed]

They are so small, they can't bite through the skin

[@CascadianPatriotII]

For spiders, these little guys sure are cute.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I did enjoy making it and seeing all the positive responses now

[@RImAPhan]

Much appreciation to whoever shot this video. So much hard work. :D Amazing little guy. :D

[@dickvanfreedman]

Now I'm all hot and bothered.

[@ErikaVargasTV]

salad fingers lol

[@aaronritchie6426]

Erika Vargas Just a general British phrase luv.

[@lilRadRidinHood]

@@ErikaVargasTV Explain that term please?

[@DaveMeowington]

How the fuck did i end up here???

[@Endeva09]

So, just like humans then, you spend fucking ages looking for women, then 3 show up at the same time, then when you think you've pulled a bunch of other guys turn up, so then you have to do a bit of dancing and if you that still hasnt worked at this point then you just take your shirt off wave it around in the air and lie down kicking your legs because you have run out of options

[@NicoleLeoni]

hahaha sing out loud what youve just written, and they´d be all over you hehehe best comment!

[@bradleyswann8792]

The difference being, female spiders will attempt to kill you if you aren't attractive to them...

[@lorrainefingal7574]

Beautiful!! I have never heard about the peacock spider before until I read an article on the website of NBC news this morning. You have done an amazing job by filming this. I believe that the wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask. Cheers from The Netherlands.

[@lvl9001Troll]

THIS IS AMAZING WELL DONE FILMING EDITING AND NARRATING THIS!

[@NuttyXD]

"h-hello? anyone? hi? HI? OH MYGODHI HELLOHELLO HEY HEY HEYHEYHI HELLOHELLO HELLO HAIHAIHAIHAI HEYYYY!!! HEEYYYYYY!! HEYHEYHEYHEHEYHHEYHEYEYHEYEHAIHIHIHHEHERRHHHNNohshitgottarun"

[@karenwhite8247]

These spiders are remarkable.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Karen White I agree

[@JanusChan]

"Look at me look at me!" \oOOo/

[@fearghal10]

This is remarkable, I've never seen such good amateur nature filming, at first I thought you had just renarated professional footage - well done!

[@colettebrunel5103]

he's so cute! :D

[@hannahcrean367]

It's so cute :3

[@nsanamarezust1711]

he looks like an old navy man with long white beard :D

[@OxenForens]

Thank you to share this amazing dance and show many spider back patterns. The stroboscopic effect of its up legs are impressive.

[@DeonelKumara]

This is amazing man! Thank you for capturing this !!!

[@Zavtar]

We humans are more a threat to spiders than they are to us ! Remember Human race would quickly reach extinction if our eight-legged friends came to disappear. Thumbs-up to spread the knowledge and save them :)

[@LizShort0314]

Okay I hate spiders (yes I know they are an important part of the ecosystem). This video made these spiders cute as hell!!

[@31Dignity]

Male spiders twerking.

What an exiting video and well done! Observing this courtship behavior and taking a movie gives quite some satisfaction and belong to something what we call a moment of glory! Rüdiger

[@ghipszky]

Jurgen, thank you so much for bringing this little dude to my eyes, So cute.

[@ForestTiefling]

Lieber Jürgen, falls dein deutsch noch nicht so eingerostet ist: Danke für deine Arbeit! Ich bin Masterstudentin in Bio, die lange mit sich kämpfen musste, um weiter zu machen. Vor kurzem wurde mir nun ein Abschlussthema mit Springspinnen angeboten (Kognition und Lernen), beim jetzigen Einarbeiten stolperte ich über Deine Videos. Auch wenn es eine leider weniger auffällige Spezies ist, mit der ich arbeiten werde, bin ich dank deiner "amazing fellows" jetzt richtig Feuer und Flamme! :)

[@drubber007]

Amazing. Jumping spiders are the one of the most beautiful, intelligent and coolest creatures.

[@martinsamuelson]

Does the female attack if she's not happy with the show? Thanks for an amazing video!

[@touli84]

For a non-professional video, it is impressive! Concise, informative and definitely extremely interesting! Very well done.

[@leananshae]

I love the little jumping spiders -- they're so engaging -- but I never knew there was such a gorgeous species as this! What lovely little critters!

[@Peacockspiderman]

If you haven't done so watch the other videos for some variety. Also, here is my photo collection, there are many species I photographed but haven't made any videos yet www.flickr.com/photos/59431731@N05/collections/72157627420960710/

[@leananshae]

Terrific! Thanks!

[@markerbuoy]

Wow! My son sent me the link to your amazing video. Absolutely fascinating - good work and thank you.

[@MarioMadrona]

Thanks for such a remarkable video. Really impressed here and you have full support to continue delighting us!

[@zoofoid]

amazing camera work capturing a very small fast arachnid, well done Jurgen.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks you, in particular for not objecting to my narration. If I had a choice I would get David Attenborough to narrate my footage

[@cmataira]

Thank you for lovely work! So enjoyed all your videos and sent them to many friends and posted on Facebook.

[@Peacockspiderman]

That is a remarkable comment ! So far I heard a lot of negatives about the short sequences, it is refreshing to hear that somebody appreciates it. It is very hard to throw out scenes. You start perhaps with an hour of footage and then have to cut it down to 3 mins, throwing away more and more as you go along.

[@moetheguy]

I love peacocks spiders🕷️ so much. This is so cool.😺😺😺

[@milesnagopaleen]

Excellent video and what an achievement to film this in the wild!

[@ingmo9]

Absolutely amazing and wonderful! Im full of admiration for you and your film.One of the most fantastic things to see! Congratulations!!!!!

[@rscjrmnza]

beautiful!!! it's only in aussie?

[@SquidandCatAdventures]

This video is beautiful. How did you get this footage? Are you filming multiple courtship attempts and splicing them together? Did you have to place the different females and the male into the "scene"? Or did you actually find them in the forest, and then just filmed what happened?

[@Wyvernaut]

Wow, this is amazing work! Thank you for sharing this!

[@Peacockspiderman]

Wyvernaut Thanks for your comment

[@terrydoyle1141]

Very, very cool pictures and narration! Fascinating and reason enough to work hard to preserve this and all the amazing life on earth. Even spiders.

[@matthewpsyllos8278]

great job mate, you're dedication to natural beauty really shows through this sensational video. Thank you for doing this, and please make more videos if you can

[@ANTINUTZI]

@Peacockspiderman- Most honoured by your kind reply:))) I once encountered a female JS atop my outdoor grill, and for a lark, made a fist with my right hand, fingers down. I alternately waggled up & down my curled-down fore-and-middle fingers=pedipalps display, and she seemed all eyes. I then extended my thumb and pinky & alternately semaphored them up and down=leg display. She seemed mesmerised. 2 or 3 run-throughs of this, and she turned around & raised her abdomen! I've always wondered ...

[@gaspboigasp]

Mate, you TRULY need to be recognised for identifying and capturing this amazing mating dance on camera! Octavius Pickard-Cambridge may have discovered it, but you've brought it to public attention just how incredible this little guy ACTUALLY is. I've ALWAYS loved jumping spiders and thought they were cute, but this is just SPECTACULAR! The Wiki page AT LEAST needs to be updated.

[@joseramoncastello]

Amazing work Jurgen! Well done.

[@TwoUpGamingPals]

Nice job, these are some pretty cool critters. So the females will try to eat the males if the courtship fails? Do they also eat the male after mating?

[@EPSTomcat11]

Nice commentary :-) did you give them names?

[@ElleDeas]

Very Nice and interesting! Thank you for sharing this with us! Are they really so easy to spot with the naked eye you can just find and film them? Crazy and remarkable. :3

[@yoshyoka]

This was a gorgeous footing. Even more so if I have to think about the patience you need just to take a well focused picture of these creatures. You must have the patience of a saint! :D

[@LisaODavis]

Absolutely beautiful! I LOVE cute, seemingly intelligent Jumping Spiders, and if you haven't heard the sounds that the males make for the females in mating dances, look it up, it is incredible! Thanks for the video!

[@cesardariogonzalez924]

Excelent filming. I've read the comentaries and the crap you have to wade through. The main point is that spiders are amazing creatures. Keep it up mate.

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks, certainly will keep filming

[@judassson]

Great footage, enjoyed the whole video. Thanks for your effort

[@Peacockspiderman]

Thanks mate. I know it is not as professional as others, but hey, pehaps that is the special thing about it. So far nobody else has made another video about these. Its been on TV in Australia once and also in a couple of shows overseas. With a bit of luck it will be built into a major wildlife documentary soon

[@xCxTxSx]

Amazing video, thanks for showing this wonderful creature Mr Jürgen, Cheers from Colombia.

[@susanrogers8797]

Beautiful! Thank you so much. Great work!

[@Loweredexpectationss]

' the males pack up ' >>>> toooo cute. I love spiders. Thanks for sharing this wonderful little courtship with us ! ( minus the eating part ) xx

[@almelshy]

This is such an amazing creature! I watched your other videos first and I had no idea how small they are! Your footage is absolutely incredible - have you sent any of this to National Geographic or BBC? I'm sure someone like David Attenborough would love it. What an incredible planet will live on!!

[@Shadelassy]

I never thought, I will say "CUTE" seeing a spider! :D Truly a remarkable video footage! Thank you for sharing.

[@JColeeNightLighter]

Very entertaining & educational! Appreciate you posting this.

[@sherberts]

So impressive- both on the peacock and spider and the cameraman. I have no idea how the camera is able to focus on such a tiny, speedy creature with such detail and steadiness, and even track the peacock spider (eg video 7). Makes me want to be a female peacock spider. Gets shows, and just sit there like a queen judging the male outfit, dance, and vibrations.

[@elmarcle]

wow! much more interesting that i first anticipated. thank you very much for recording this fellow nature enthusiast 8-)

[@dsteinmetz1]

Brilliant work. Who would have thought a tiny arthropod could display behavior as complex as that of a bird when it comes to mating? Your work truly captures the significance and wonder of the tiniest creature beyond what humans could ever imagine. Congratulations and thank you.

[@johneburchard5180]

Elaborate visual courtship displays in jumping spiders were described more than 125 years ago by the Peckhams. In view of what has been learned since, I'd bet there are complex vibratory/acoustic signals accompanying the amazing visual displays of peacock spiders. I'd bet there are pheromones involved too. A real multimedia performance . Many viewers may be unaware of the curious way spiders mate. The female genital opening is not at the rear end, but on the underside near the front of the abdomen. The intromittent organs of the male are not at the rear end either, but at the ends of the pedipalps (those short furry appendages that move up and down in front of a jumping spider's face). Sperm are indeed produced in the abdomen but are then deposited onto a small web of silk and from there taken up into the pedipalps before courtship begins. That odd arrangement (actually, quite normal for spiders) accounts for the positions of the male and female jumping spiders during mating. The male approaches the female from the front and crawls over the top of her (thereby somewhat avoiding her fangs). He then turns her abdomen almost 180 degrees, bottom side uppermost, first to one side and then to the other, so he can inseminate her with each of his pedipalps. You can see this clearly in some of the videos. The "tail fans" of a few of the peacock spiders (especially Maratus tasmanicus and M. vespertilio) seem to me to bear a remarkable resemblance to the faces of predatory insects, in particular mantids or possibly predatory wasps. Coincidence? I wonder.

[@Peacockspiderman]

You are absolutely right, there are vibrations involved and also pheromones, some of this is being studied by Maddie Girard. The patterns are indeed intriguing and one has to wonder whether there is significance to this. vespa's back resembling a vasp fact. Certainly a predatory insect would get the attention of a spider. The many "faces" on the spiders' backs are equally intriguing. Anyway, thanks for your nice comment

[@leahere89]

Absolutely fascinating! LOVE this video! Thank you for making this available to the public :)