Category Hunting

Frog-fishers are bizarre-looking creatures. They hook their prey with an extended part of their own body that acts as bait. The strange extension of their body, known as lure, resembles a small group of dangling worms, which can regenerate if bitten off. When the fish spots its victim, it begins wiggling its lure. The unsuspecting victim, taking the lure for a meal, comes close to the mouth of the fish. Once the prey – usually a crustacean or fish – is within range, it stands little chance of survival. The frog-fish sucks in its live meal by opening its huge mouth and pulling in the prey in milliseconds. In fact, the fish has possibly the quickest movement in the world. For additional help, the fish has camouflage pattern and fin-feet to move on the sea floor. With all these “weapons”, the frog-fish can be seen as the most formidable predator.

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The bolas spider constructs an ingenious “bolas”. A bolas is a type of ancient south-American throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords. It was used to capture animals by entangling their legs. The bolas spider spins its bolas with a sticky glob of silk at the end of another silken thread. At night, it holds its weapon with one of its legs, ready to fling. Female bolas spiders use a different trick. They mimic the chemical signal of a female moth, and lure male moth suitors. When the predator senses the wing vibrations of an approaching moth, it produces a bolas, and throws its “lasso” to capture its meal.

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The beautifully-marked margay is a small wild cat native to Central and South America. It lives in primary, deciduous evergreen forest and hunts alone at night. Until the 1990s, margays were hunted illegally for their skin, which resulted in their population decreasing drastically. Margay reportedly uses an incredible mimicry tactic to attract prey in the Amazon jungle. Because the cat is so elusive, scientists have not been able to photograph the creature snaring its prey. So far, what scientists know comes from the stories told by locals. A group of researchers working in Brazil reported that a margay (Leopardus wiedii) makes calls to resemble the sound of a pied tamarind (monkey) baby. The margay would pounce on the parents when they come down looking for the baby.

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Net-casting spiders have long legs and large eyes. They use their silk to weave a stamp-sized net, with which they enclose victims with a lightning-quick movement. The spider sets its trap meticulously: first it leaves white-faeces on the ground as target points. Then with its net held between its front legs; it hangs on a thread, lying in wait. When an unsuspecting creature crosses its trap, the spider stretches its net quickly and traps the victim. It then bits the trapped prey and wraps it up ready to eat. The spiders’ huge eyes help them to see well in low light, and have earned them the alternative name “ogre-faced spiders”.

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