ZooWeird 52

A doggerel series about odd or little-known animals.

Moroccan Flic-Flac Spider: A nocturnal species of huntsman spider native to Morocco. It inhabits the sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert. What’s so intriguing about these critters is their ability to move by means of flic-flac jumps. When provoked or threatened, the spider can escape by doubling its normal walking speed using forward or backward flips similar to the acrobatic flic-flac movements used by gymnasts. No other spider is known to use this unique form of rolling locomotion. It is as a medium-sized huntsman spider. Male bodies are 1.38 to 1.9 cm long; female bodies measure 1.9 to 1.95 mm long. Both sexes are similarly colored white with black scopulae on their ventral legs, and yellow coloring on their dorsal opisthosoma and femora. (All animal info from http://www.strangeanimals.info/2015/04/weird-animals-discovered-in-2014.html#ixzz4W9MiBG3s)

The spider flics—the spider flacs—

Is this just fun? Or sneak attacks?

He says he’s from Morocco, but

I’m not so sure—I’ll tell you what:

He seems he’s not from any place—

So I’ll suggest it’s … Outer Space!

(Link to video of the spider in motion.)