Spider shedding its exoskeleton

IanClark

IanClark

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Unfolded my bike cover this evening to put over my bike and spotted in very quickly fading light what looked like a mutant spider. Upon closer inspection it was a rather large spider shedding it's skin. It had been hidden in the folds of the cover.

Not wanting to disturb it, I took a few quick shots and gently folder it back over. Doesn't look like it's going to rain tonight so the bike can wait.

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IMG5909.jpg


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Small Crop of #2
IMG5906B.jpg
 
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Oh god, that's both amazing and skin crawlingly terrifying to see!
 
An excellent set, of something I doubt many people have witnessed.
I've found lots of empties in the past, but never caught the buggers actually stripping off.

BTW, Shouldn't this post have a NSFW:Nudity warning. ;)
 
Thanks all, it's most certainly an unusual one and also my first time witnessing it. :)

hehe, nudity indeed. :D
 
Tori_T said:
...BTW, Shouldn't this post have a NSFW:Nudity warning. ;)
Click to expand...

or in the "Nude & Glamour" thread.... Images like this makes me want to get another macro lens again.... Jammie sod :LOL:
 
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Hehe, Thanks again.

I've done another crop of one of the shots. You can clearly see two sets of fangs and two sets of eyes (which are just below the spiders new jaws :). It's pretty much the same as the 4th shot only sharper as the 4th was closer mag and less DoF.

IMG5909b.jpg
 
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Great shots Ian, not usually fussed about spiders but these images are making my back tingle!
 
hehe, Cheers Ben :D
 
Cracking shots
 
Cheers :)

EXIF for you. All the same except the first shot which was F11

Camera Maker: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
Lens: 105.0 mm
Image Date: 2011-09-25 19:08:33 +0100
Focal Length: 105.0mm
Aperture: f/10.0
Exposure Time: 0.0063 s (1/160)
ISO equiv: 100
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
White Balance: Manual
Flash Fired: Yes (enforced)
Orientation: Normal
Color Space: sRGB
GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined
 
Super, great find. I kept a tarantula for nine years and was never lucky enough to catch it shedding. :bang:

Nice one mate (y)
 
Thanks again everyone for your comments. Made all the better knowing people appreciate what they're seeing is something they've not seen before or were unaware of. I certainly wasn't aware spiders shed their outer skins until a few years back.

They're particularly vulnerable during this process due to the lack of mobility and that their new "shell" is very soft and they have to wait for it to harden.
 
petersmart said:
Incredible pictures - I didn't even know they did that!.............
Click to expand...

:plus1:

i keep a tank of freshwater tropical shrimp which shed their skins

really weird as the empty shuck is complete, right down the the fragile legs
 
CREEPY!! but thannks, I like others didn't realise they did it, keep looking at the pics in that horror movie style of I don't want to look, but can't help myself:D
 
hehe, cheers guys. :)
 
Hahah, Daniel, you've probably seen them quite a lot, they're the really fast spiders that run across your living room floor or are suddenly seen on the wall about 12 inches from your head.

They're totally harmless but still rather frightening nonetheless :D.

Cheers though, and IAN too :D
 
The detail in these photos is incredible!
Brilliantly if not very scarily done!!! (y)
 
These are amazing shots (y); thank you so much for sharing.

I couldn't help think how the poor creature must have been frightened to half-death; as it sheds its' old skin, trapped in its' own evolution, here comes this mega-mouth human! id it really know you weren't going to eat / stomp it?
 
Yes I guess that moment in it slife was a particularly tense moment however it was safely covered back over to complete its process.

lol @ Samijo :)

Cheers :)
 
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