The jumping spider from the family of Salticidae, make up around 13% of all spider groups with over 5,000 different species around the world.

Wherever you live you have probably come across a jumping spider at some time or another.



Where they are Found?

Jumping spiders have adapted to enable them to survive in almost every type of habitat apart from extremely cold areas. Worldwide they live anywhere from tropical and temperate forests, desserts and scrub lands to mountains or near the sea. These spiders are not averse to coming into houses and you may find them on window sills or walking up walls, as well as in gardens among rocks, stones and on trees or plants.

Physical Aspects

This is quite a sturdy, squat looking spider which can grow to reach an average size of around half an inch. Their lifespan is typically between two and three years. Due to the enormous variety of their species they come in all manner of colors from blacks and browns, orange, red and even black and white striped which incidentally, are called Zebra Spiders.

Possibly the most apparent feature of a jumping spider are its eyes. As with all spiders it has eight eyes distributed around its body. However, four of them are prominently at the front of their head with the two middle front eyes being overly large in comparison. And they have exceptional vision, with up to four layers of receptor cells creating a focused image on their retina allowing them to observe their prey well before it spots them.

They have an advanced ability to crawl on any surface, even something shiny such as a mirror. This is thanks to the thousands of tiny hairs on the ends of their legs which are split many times to create even finer hairs called setules. There may be more than 600,000 of these hairs per spider enabling them to walk over or stick with ease to different surfaces.

Personality

Rather than scuttle away in the manner of most spiders when approached by a human, the jumping spider will often stop and turn to inspect you. It may even raise its front legs or jump on you. This is seen as being part of its inquisitive nature rather than an act of aggression.

How they Jump

The jumping spider is unique among its peers in the arachnid world with its ability to jump. It doesn't have enlarged leg muscles as you might expect. Instead they jump by altering the blood pressure in their legs which provides them with a greater leg extension.

They're extremely adept at jumping from a standing start in any direction and can jump more than 50 times the length of its own body. Before jumping, they first attach a tether of web to whatever surface they're standing on which acts as an anchor should it miss its target and fall.

How they Survive

Rather than spinning a web to trap their prey, the jumping spider is an active hunter who makes full use of its excellent vision to spot its prey from distances of up to 20 times its own length. Mostly they are carnivorous, eating a wide variety of insects, but some are known to eat pollen and nectar.

They stalk their prey by slowly edging towards a potential food source. Once they've spotted a suitable victim, their superior jumping abilities allow them to spring and grab their unsuspecting prey with its forelegs. This unique ability to jump in many directions not only gives the spider an element of surprise when pouncing on its victim, it also proves useful when escaping from its own predators.

When they’re not on the lookout for food, they will spin a small tent like web where they hide and this also acts as a secure place for protecting an egg sac.

Are they Dangerous?

Jumping spiders aren't dangerous to humans though a bite may on occasion cause redness or irritation around the bite area. Only in rare instances will a bite from a jumping spider result in nausea, headache or a fever.

As with all arachnids, the jumping spider provides a valuable contribution to the biological control of pests. Their well developed eyesight and highly skilled method of jumping has allowed them to adapt and survive in almost any habitat. They are usually harmless to humans but their lack of fear and natural inquisitiveness may even lead to them jumping on us. As such, for anyone with a fear of spiders, it's probably a good thing they are only very tiny.