# Spiders and frogs



## doncoyote (Apr 20, 2005)

> You might be surprised to learn that microhylids in Peru, India, Sri Lanka and perhaps elsewhere have developed close relationships with large spiders. One of the first published discussions of this phenomenon was produced by Crocraft & Hambler (1989). Noting a close association between individuals of the Dotted humming frog Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata and the burrowing theraphosid tarantula Xenesthis immanis in southeastern Peru (but read on), they suggested that the spider - well capable of killing and eating a frog of this size - used chemical cues to recognise the frogs. Young spiders have sometimes been observed to grab the frogs, examine them with their mouthparts, and then release them unharmed.


Complete post here.


----------



## Phyllobates (Dec 12, 2008)

Now _that's_ interesting. Thanks for posting this.


----------



## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

I like this excerpt from the link you provided:



> More recently, Karunarathna & Amarasinghe (2009) reported close relationships between the microhyline Ramanella nagaoi and the theraphosids Poecilotheria ornata and P. cf. subfusca in Sri Lanka. The frog and the tarantulas shared tree holes, and a number also contained eggs and/or juveniles of the spider, or eggs and/or juveniles of the frog, or eggs and/or juveniles of both 'partner' species. Karunarathna & Amarasinghe also cite a very obscure published report by G. Miller from 2003 where a South American microhylid (this time the Bolivian bleating frog Hamptophryne boliviana) was observed in close association with the theraphosid Xenesthis immanis. Unlike Kaloula and Ramanella (which are both microhyline microhylid), Hamptophryne is a gastrophrynine, as is Chiasmocleis. For the significance of this, read on.


----------

