Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Hi

  • In this forest, near Sydney, in southeastern Australia

  • lives one of the most remarkable spiders on the planet

  • it's called Peacock Spider.

  • It's not a big, furry tarantula.

  • It's a tiny little jumping spider.

  • Here is one on my hand.

  • This is the male.

  • He's only 4mm long

  • but extremely beautifully coloured.

  • And during the mating season, between September and November,

  • he performs an extraordinary courtship dance to impress the female.

  • Here it comes.

  • Here is a male.

  • He's looking around.

  • He's trying to find a female.

  • He advertises his presence.

  • This female is watching carefully.

  • And this one as well.

  • Another female arrives on the scene.

  • The males are getting excited.

  • And the females too.

  • At this stage, the male often vibrates his abdomen.

  • Carefully and courageously he makes his move.

  • To get the female's attention he often waves his legs.

  • But wait, there's more.

  • The male expands a pair of colorful flaps and raises two legs.

  • Then he dances in front of the female, quickly shaking his legs.

  • Sometimes he stops, just vibrating his abdomen.

  • Bad luck, this female is not interested in mating. Perhaps, she's already mated.

  • The males pack up.

  • And they better get away quickly.

  • Watch your back, mate! Too late.

  • Will this male fare any better?

  • He's trying hard.

  • The male is following the female underneath a branch.

  • Now both get what they want.

Hi

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it