New Opadometa spider discovered in Palawan

One of the most unique and beautiful spider in Palawan is the rare metallic blue spider of the genus Opadometa. Opadometa is a genus of spiders in the family Tetragnathidae and is separated from other Leucauge spiders by its pear-shaped abdomen and its distinctive fourth pair of legs. In addition to the rows of curved hairs, this leg also has a thick brush of spines. Palawan is rich in Araneae, but this is the only large blue spider seen in Palawan.

We did some research and found out that this blue spider is a species that has not yet been described. This blue spider is not among the four documented Opadometa species and the described eight subspecies. The closest spider I found on the internet is the newly discovered Opadometa sarawakensis, another unique spider found in Malaysia.

We found the webs during the day with the spider mostly at the hub and sometimes at the web margin. The web is large, usually over a meter in diameter and placed horizontally two to three meters from the ground. The entire web is suspended by several long strands of silk, some over two meters long and attached to nearby branches and leaves. This Opadometa species has a habit of falling down and playing dead on the ground when disturbed or felt threatened; a behavior called Thanatosis or a process by which an animal feigns death in order to evade unwelcome attention.

This spider is a lowland species that lives in shaded forest from sea level to around 350 meters above sea level. The same elevation currently threatened by illegal logging, slash and burn farming and conversion of forest to agricultural land. The forest of Palawan is declining every year. This unique blue spider may be in danger of being extinct due to its fast declining habitat. I don’t think that it can adapt easily on the grasslands because all webs we found are suspended above small patches of clearing under tall trees and away from direct sunlight. The loss of forest cover will surely have a very strong impact on this forest dwelling species. It is alarming that this species might perish before it has been officially described.

Palawan Spitting Cobra

The Palawan Spitting Cobra (Naja sumatrana miolepis) is a spitting cobra that can be found in Palawan. This species is a medium sized, ground dwelling venomous snake. The scales are smooth and unlike some of the most beautiful cobras in Asia, this species has no impressive hood marks. The head is elliptical and depressed, the eyes are medium in size with round pupils, the snout is rounded and the nostrils are large. Juveniles tend to be of different colour than the adult. They can grow up to around 1.5 meters, but spitting cobras over a meter in length are seldom seen and photographed in Palawan . Palawan Spitting Cobra hood mark It can be seen resting during the day under heavy thickets of grass, stacks of woods and cavities under rocks or soil. Abandoned mice dens are favorite hideouts in grasslands, farms and rice fields. Although it usually hunts for food at night, this species can be seen moving around on the forest floor at sporadic times during the day. Locals a

Two-lined Coral Snake

The Two-lined Coral Snake ( Calliophis bilineatus ) is a small, brightly colored venomous snake of the family Elapidae. It is endemic to Palawan and several of its smaller islands adjacent to mainland. This snake occurs on a wide range of elevation from second growth forest in sea level to mossy forests high up in the mountains where it is largely active during the day. I have been doing night spotting and photography for many years, but I have not seen one during nighttime. This snake spend most of its time burrowed underground, under stacks of woods and leaf piles or cavities under rocks. It has a unique defense behavior compared to other venomous snakes in Palawan. It usually flees when threatened, but when cornered, it will flip on its back and play dead. Other technique to fool attackers is by hiding its head while raising and flicking its red tails. The predator usually finds the colorful moving tail an irresistible target and would go for it, leaving the true

Nepenthes philippinensis

A Pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant which have a modified prey-trapping leaves that features a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. There are several endemic tropical pitcher plants growing in Palawan, the most common is the Nepenthes philippinensis . This species has long, scrambling vines and are often climbers, accessing the canopy of their habitats using tendrils that stretches out and twines around any suitable support. It produces more pitchers and flowers on a single plant compared to all known species of nepenthes in Palawan. There are several color variants, but the lower pitchers are usually reddish and the upper pitchers or traps are green or yellowish. This lowland species is widespread in Palawan and can be found thriving in soils with low nutrient availability and high concentrations of heavy metals like nickel and chromium. Like all carnivorous plants, this pitcher plant can grow in locations where the soil is too poor in mine

Schultz’s Pit Viper - A spectacular venomous snake endemic to Palawan

I have heard it said that Palawan has more snakes in the wild than anywhere else in the country. Maybe true, but there are species of snakes commonly seen in other places that are scarce in Palawan rainforest. We have enough vipers in the wild though. Trimeresurus schultzei Griffin 1909 commonly known as the Schultz’s Pit Viper is one of the most spectacular snakes that can be found here. This snake is endemic to Palawan and its surrounding small islands. Schultz’s Pit Viper The Schultz’s Pit Viper is primarily arboreal species. They’re capable, but rarely navigate and hunt on the ground. They’re slow and less camouflaged on the ground and therefore more vulnerable on the forest floor. Using its prehensile tail to hold onto branches , it prefers to perch on trees where its green color acts as camouflage while waiting for prey. It is an ambush hunting snake relying on its camouflage to catch food. The heat-sensing loreal pits are used to locate warm-bl

Palawan Water Monitor

The Palawan Water Monitor, Varanus palawanensis Koch, Gaulke & Böhme 2010, is a species of monitor lizard commonly found in Palawan. This species is semi-aquatic and inhabits a variety of natural habitats from coastal forest, mangroves, rural areas as well as secondary and primary forests. It is commonly found in the lowland, but also present at elevations above 1000 masl although rarely seen. The Palawan Water Monitor population is more copious in the mangroves, wetlands and riparian forest compared to old-growth forest habitats in the mountains. Palawan Water Monitor This water monitor is carnivorous and not known to feed on fruits in the wild. It is one of the most efficient predators in Palawan and is intelligent and skillful hunter in both land and water. The dark color blends well on the forest floor and it helps when stalking for preys. It is known to use its tail to stun preys, but the water monitor’s primary weapon when hunting for food is

Palawan Mangrove Snake

The Boiga dendrophila multicincta (Boulenger, 1896) is a large colubrid snake endemic to Palawan. It prefers humid habitats and always seen in woody areas close to bodies of water. This snake primarily occurs in lowland forests, mostly mangrove and riverine habitats, but is also found near mountain streams in the foothills up to old growth forest above 1000 masl. It is commonly seen resting on tree branches overhanging on bodies of water during the day and on the ground hunting for food at night. With its long body, this snake can move swiftly on trees and is also an adept swimmer. It is known to prey on birds and other small arboreal animals, but it seems to spend more time hunting on the ground where food is abundant. Palawan Mangrove Snake The Palawan Mangrove Snake, also called Palawan Yellow-ringed Cat Snake is mildly venomous. But despite being considered not life-threatening to humans, locals fear this snake for its unpredictable and irritable behavior. They look

Palawan Wild Frontier

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