Photograph by Robert L. Curry
Did you know that there are more than 40,000 species of spiders, but only one species is known to be vegetarian? The jumping spider is named Bagheera kiplingi after the character of Bagheera the panther in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.
Bagheera kiplingi lives in Mexico and Costa Rica and eats the buds that grow on acacia plants. Ferocious acacia ants live in the acacia's hollow thorns and defend the plants from intruders such as Bagheera kiplingi. The spider must leap from thorn to thorn to collect its food while avoiding the ants, according to Christopher Meehan the biologist who led the study. "It is utterly surreal to see a spider use such effective hunting strategies to hunt a plant," he added.
Read more about this plant-loving spider on National Geographic News.
Put together puzzles featuring spiders on National Geographic Kids.
Watch a video of a jumping spider on National Geographic Kids.
Well, what do you know? Hopefully if it is vegetarian it will not bite anything besides plants! The spider from the close-up view of the camera looks kind of cute...
Well my Current Event in geogorfie is gonna be on this now and this is telling people that SPIDER ARE NOT EVIL MAN EATING THINGS NOT E-V-I-L and besides this is sorta cool i mean 40,000 species of spiders and only 1 thats right 1 is vegitarion but news is sorta dry
No comment what is that thing in its mouth that orange thingy?!?!?!?! .......... it weird gross like a thorn sticking out of it X_X gross...
that is so cool!!! i love spiders and never even heard of that kind of spider!!peace out:)
no comment fishslayer but i totally disagree with you i mean ok now this news is really really dry i mean VEGITAIN SPIDER?????? i am sure to get a 50% on my current event but its due friday...................... :V
Some people find spiders cute.I don't know how cause I don't but that dosen't mean they are evil.Most people judge spiders by the way they look all creepy and sometimes hairy.Yes I find them creepy but not evil.They help you by eating the flies in your house duh!
I really like spiders but I have never heard of a Bagheera Kiplingi. I cant believe it is a vegetarian. I guess I learned something new today. how did youfigure out this information. Its very interesting news. Thanks!
Yeah, what is that orange thing in its mouth?
That is so coo!!!l Spiders are awsome!!