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July 10, 2007

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** WARNING! ** Not for the squeamish!

As soon as it happened I could just imagine somebody yelling out, "Fight Fight", as the crowd gathers around something reminiscent of a high school flag pole fight.

At the law office one day an individual found a female Giant Crab Spider scrambling around on her desk, going through her documents. Being a law office, with sensitive and confidential material around, one might speculate that it could have been a plant, or a "bug". (Sorry I had to throw that in there somewhere.)

But in the moral ideals of saving the poor creature, we all decided to let her go outside. However, having some previous experience with these particular spiders, and seeing their fangs, I knew I did not want to give her a chance to express the schizophrenic "IT'S ON!" attitude that these things are known for. No, I got a cup to put her in, with a piece of paper over the top and carefully took her outside. Of course, with my camera on my arm.

I took her out in the parking lot where I lowered the cup and carefully removed the lid and got the camera ready. I got off one shot of it still in the cup, and in a split second, IT WAS ON!!!
The spider came flying out of the cup and went scrambling across the pavement and directly towards my feet. Oh yeah, IT WAS ON, and I was jumping and scampering like a little girl. (But don't worry, I didn't scream like one. It was more of a manly scream.) 

I did manage to get off one blurry shot of her as I was trying to get away from it. When, all of the sudden, a Greater Earless lizard came from out of nowhere, bounded off of the rocks next to the driveway, ran out into the open and dove onto the spider. I was in shock, as was several others from in the office that had also came out to witness the release of the spider. But were now more like the onlookers at the flag pole fight.
After a split second of battle, with a quick snatch and flip motion the spider was thrown into the air and landed about a foot away. Like a motorcycle rider slamming into the side of a SUV, the spider just laid there for just a moment, seemingly trying to collect it's thoughts. But I would be more inclined to believe that it was just playing dead, hoping that the assailant would break off the attack. After a brief pause, the lizard then dove onto the spider again, grabbed a leg, and with a quick jerk, flipped the spider and ripped the leg off. The spider tumbled again, but this time tried to flee. The lizard came around and in again and grabbed and flipped and ripped another leg off. Within a short amount of time the lizard systematically ripped each and every leg off of the spider, leaving the helpless spider lying on it's back on the pavement without any legs at all.
As I took picture after picture of the event, and I got in as close as I could the lizard seemed to be disinterested and unconcerned about my presence, but more focused on it's kill. Since it happed so quickly, and the damage was already done, there was nothing I could do to save the spider, and the best thing I could see was to let nature take it's course and allow the lizard to finish the job. Besides, I had to do a quick evaluation. "Lizard?, Spider?, Lizard?, Spider?" Yeah, I know what your thinking, I hate spiders more also.

 But sadly I watched for a moment, at the spider lying there, legless, helpless, and no matter how aggressive it was or how sharp or large it's fangs were, there was nothing it could do. It had lost, and the lizard was more aggressive and a more formidable opponent. The laws of nature, "Kill or be killed", "Feast or famine". It happens.
 And when we try to intervene with nature, whether good intent or not, nature continues to remind us that it will do what it wants. 

Did I save a spider by releasing it outside? "no".
Did I save a lizard by providing it with a long awaited meal? "perhaps".

But the humorous side to this story is that, every day since that fight, that same lizard has been hanging around at the front door of the office.

Apparently looking for handouts.

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