“One of the more fascinating creatures to specialize in urban camouflage is the North American Manhole Spider. This rather sizable arachnid digs a hole in the ground and then lies down in it, leaving only its back exposed and at ground level.

“As you can see, in this position it is virtually indistinguishable from an actual manhole, down to the word SEWER across its back.

“Sensitive to above ground vibrations, it lays perfectly still until an appropriately sized bit of prey happens by–a small child, perhaps, or a puppy. Then, it strikes.

“It’s only in recent years that manhole spiders have become a serious menace. For one thing, it took a great deal of time for the spiders to adapt to where SEWER was the word appearing across its back. Generations of the beasts boasting ‘SEVRE’ or ‘REWWS’ on their backs were not very successful predators, except in portions of the country suffering from severe illiteracy.

“When a collector illegally brought the European variety to these shores, some did escape…, yes, but some public messages warning people to stay away from any manhole that said FOGNA and the threat was negated.

“Still, with this more succesful version of the predator now becoming more common, it’s usually best to prod any manhole you encounter with a long stick before approaching for recreational purposes.

“Coming up next: what is this creature attached to the underside of this FedEx truck? Why, it’s a Scandanavian Muffler Remora. Meet this cute and cuddly beast when we return after these messages.”