Up close with an Australian icon. The Redback Spider (Latrodectus hasselti), feared by early settlers, was historically responsible for 12 deaths . An antivenom has been available since 1956, and there have been no deaths directly due to redback bites since its introduction. The female spider, as seen in this shot, is much larger then its male counterpart and has the distinctive red stripe on its abdomen. The female 'digests' the male during a successful mating process, which seems to be unique to Latrodectus hasselti. Females reach around 1 cm in size while males are 3-4 mm when mature. Shot was taken with a 100mm macro lens. NSW, Australia
Last light catches the new winter coats of some rocky mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) as they cross the track descending down from snowbird pass. Winter is fast approaching the high alpine region and the mighty Robson glacier can be seen below in the distance. The mountain goats are not a member of the genus Capra that includes all other goats, rather they are a member of the antelope family, and should be more correctly referred to as a goat-antelope. Mt Robnson Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator) flying high above an angry ocean at Muriwai Beach, North Island, New Zealand.
