Ceuta served as a staging area for the Umayyad Caliphate’s entry onto the European continent in 711. The city, lying on the opposite shore of Gibraltar, was a strategic point in controlling the shipping routes passing in and out of the Mediterranean Sea. Ceuta was captured by Portugal in 1415, and ceded to Spain in 1668.
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Pisaura mirabilis - Spider cannibalism is common and especially during the breeding season when males risk being eating by the female. The male nursery web spider employs two tactics to insure survival. He will offer a gift in the form of an insect wrapped in silk not only to attract, but also to distract his partner in not making him the next meal. During mating, the male may also feign death, thanatois, another ploy in not becoming a victim. Thanatois is used by many animals for defensive and offensive purposes or during the reproduction cycle.
