After pitching my tent at the camping ground in Chet Khot-Pong Kon Sao Nature Study Centre in Kaeng Khoi, Saraburi province, I walked to the nearest faucet to wash my hands and ran into this big "ant".
Curious at its unusual size, I took a close look at the fellow. Hmm... this guy had not just six legs, but eight. And look at the face and the eyes! It's not even an insect!
He's one of those ant-mimicking jumping spiders which have evolved to physically resemble an ant, with a slim body and a narrow waist. While walking, he even raised his front pair of legs to imitate an ant's antennae.
Why would a spider want to pretend it's an ant?
Well, most animals do not want to mess with ants. They may be tiny but their bites and the formic acid they spray can inflict nasty pain. Not to mention they can call for help from an entire army. Ant mimicry is adopted not just by certain spiders but also by other animals for a range of reasons from safety to fooling prey.
Next time you see a large ant in the forest, don't forget to check whether it's a poser or not.
When travelling, it's not unusual to run into many faces. While many just flash by, others linger on not just in your memory but also in your memory cards. It might be a person, an animal or even a nonliving thing.
If you have taken a picture of such a face with a story you wish to share, a face with the eyes looking directly at the camera signifying that the shot was made not against their will, feel free to email the photo and a brief text to pongpetm@bangkokpost.co.th. By the way, the minimum file size is 2MB.
