[ad_1]
A viral photo making the rounds on Twitter has brought to light the existence of a bizarre creature found in the rainforests of Ecuador – and even arachnophobes might feel conflicted about this one.
The Bunny Harvestman boasts eight spindly yellow legs, not unlike the many other members of its family.
But, it also has what appears to be the head of a black dog, with glowing yellow eyes, grafted on top.
Its newfound fame has sparked debates online about whether the strange arachnid should be considered adorable or creepy, and sent many social media users checking to be sure it isn’t simply a Photoshop ruse.
The Bunny Harvestman boasts eight spindly yellow legs, not unlike many other members of its family. But, it also has what appears to be the head of a black dog, with glowing yellow eyes, grafted on top
Photographer Andreas Kay documented the unusual species of harvestman (also known as daddy long legs) in the Amazon rainforest back in 2017.
While its scientific name is Metagryne bicolumnata, the tiny arachnid has come to be known as the bunny harvestman because of its appearance.
And despite its somewhat intimidating looks, it’s completely harmless.
The close-up photos create the impression that the bunny harvestman is quite large, but in actuality, it’s not even as big as a human fingernail.
It also lacks venom glands.
Photographer Andreas Kay documented the unusual species of harvestman (also known as daddy long legs) in the Amazon rainforest back in 2017
Its newfound fame has sparked debates online about whether the strange arachnid should be considered adorable or creepy, and sent many social media users checking to be sure it isn’t simply a Photoshop ruse
Given its contrasting features and cartoonish face, though, the internet just can’t get enough of this arachnid.
‘This is a real photo of an actual living arachnid, a cousin of spiders, called the bunny harvestman,’ science writer Ferris Jabr tweeted alongside one of Kay’s photos last week, sparking widespread interest.
‘But clearly it should be called The Grim,’ Jabr added, in a nod to an ominous dog symbol from the Harry Potter series.
It’s unclear what purpose its mismatched features play exactly, but experts suspect it’s a defense mechanism.
While its scientific name is Metagryne bicolumnata, the tiny arachnid has come to be known as the bunny harvestman because of its appearance. And despite its somewhat intimidating looks, it’s completely harmless
The yellow ‘eyes’ seen just below the arachnid’s bunny-like ‘ears’ aren’t actually eyes at all, but deceptive eye-spots.
The harvestman’s real eyes can be seen below these dots, as tiny black pinpricks.
‘Maybe the eye spots and ear-like protuberances are meant to fool predators into thinking the creature is larger than it really is,’ Kay wrote in a blog post about the discovery last year.
In any case, even scientists agree it’s unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The close-up photos create the impression that the bunny harvestman is quite large, but in actuality, it’s not even as big as a human fingernail
[ad_2]
Source link
