Meet the spiders that look and smell like bird poop: A strange trick for survival and hunting

Bird-dropping spiders might sound like a joke, but they represent one of the most fascinating and unusual survival strategies in the natural world. Found mainly in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, these tiny crab spiders from the genus Phrynarachne have evolved to look almost exactly like bird poop, complete with the lumpy texture, irregular colouring, and even the foul smell. This unusual disguise helps them blend seamlessly into their surroundings, avoid predators, and lure insects that come too close. A recent scientific study published in ZooKeys has revealed two newly discovered species in the Philippines and Borneo, highlighting the vast amount still to be learned about these expertly camouflaged creatures. Their bizarre appearance may be off-putting, but it is a clever evolutio