--- title: See the Peacock Spider Mating Dance on Nat Geo description: Nat Geo Wild Animal Dance Battles showcases the mating dance of peacock spiders canonical: https://time.com/4166693/peacock-spider-mating-dance-nat-geo/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-04T21:37:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:46.243Z og:title: See the Peacock Spider Mating Dance on Nat Geo og:description: Nat Geo Wild Animal Dance Battles showcases the mating dance of peacock spiders og:url: https://time.com/4166693/peacock-spider-mating-dance-nat-geo/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: See the Peacock Spider Mating Dance on Nat Geo twitter:description: Nat Geo Wild Animal Dance Battles showcases the mating dance of peacock spiders twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Watch This Mesmerizing Mating Dance of the Peacock Spider ## Video: A 100-Year-Old Sex Therapist on Having Good Sex, Then and Now [Watch (HLS stream): A 100-Year-Old Sex Therapist on Having Good Sex, Then and Now](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uJFYIrvP.m3u8) (3:13)  _Published 2014-08-20. A practicing sex therapist in New York City, Dr. Shirley Zussman has witnessed everything from the legalization of the contraceptive birth control pill to the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s to the rise of internet porn in the new millenium._  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Jan 4, 2016 9:37 PM UTC  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Jan 4, 2016 9:37 PM UTC The latest sneak peak at an upcoming episode of _Destination Wild_ on Nat Geo Wild is particularly colorful. The approximately three-minute clip explains the elaborate mating ritual of the male peacock spider. The fun starts at one minute and 30 seconds, when he pats the leaf litter repeatedly as if he is playing bongos, hoping the vibrations will get the attention of a female. If she comes towards him, he sticks his rainbow abdomen straight up into the air and gradually inches towards her as his third legs stick out from his sides. In this case, however, the female wiggles her backside at him, presumably signaling that she is not impressed. Sorry, single male humans: No word on whether this ritual works on female humans. [This episode](http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/destination-wild/) on various animals’ mating rituals _—_ entitled “Dirty Dancing” _—_ will air Jan. 10 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 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