Mud Lobster & Crab Spider

Hmm... the title actually rhymes!

Anyway, thought I'll highlight 2 interesting animals we saw at the Chek Jawa area after our public walk last Sunday at CJ boardwalk.

Ria had commented that she wanted to take some photos of the blue spotted mudskipper, and thus after we said goodbye to our wonderful visitors, we went back to the boardwalk again.

And just as I was on all fours trying to get a good shot of a giant mudskkiper, I heard July making some weird noises. Wondering what was it that he saw, I went over.

And as I looked down, I saw this:



It's a mud lobster! We rarely see mud lobsters on the surface, as most of the time, they were happily hiding underground, feed on the organic matter in the rich mangrove mud. It was said that they sometimes come out in the evening, especially after a rainstorm.

This was the second time I saw a mud lobster, or so I think. The first time I saw one, it was going back into its burrow and I didn't managed to observe it carefully, so I couldn't really say for sure if I've seen a mud lobster or just a vinegar crab or whatever.

But this time round, it's definitely a mud lobster! It wasn't really moving much as I was taking the photos, but just after I switched off my camera, it turned around, showing its whole body, and went back into the burrow! By the time I quickly switched on my camera again, I could only see the bubbles...

Another interesting animal we saw was this:



It's a crab spider, so-called because their first pair of legs look like the pincers of a crab. It is otherwise also known as a flower spider sometimes since it is usually found on flowers. These spiders use camouflage and their ability to keep still both for protection and to catch their prey, which are usually insects visiting the flowers to find food such as nectar or pollen.

So with these few special finds and all the other interesting stuff we saw during the walk, I have to say that despite the rain, it was still certainly a spectacular day! :)