Our Fortress Is Burning

Reblog to give your moots a lil snack

i am losing my mind over discovering that there's a species of jumping spider (Pellenes nigrociliatus) that builds nests in empty snail shells and makes little silk webbing curtains to close off the entrance

They're not just nesting in empty snail shells (or alternatively, rolled-up leaves) but will also haul them up into vegetation to protect their eggs from the temperature extremes prevalent on ground level.

I read that they suspend the shells to keep them safe from ants, but that also makes sense! They use the shells not just for their eggs, but as shelter when molting and overwintering! Up to 6 jumping spiders have been observed overwintering in a single shell together, which is unusual since they're not normally social animals.