Okay, let us admit that spiders are annoyingly horrible, and they kind of freak us out. Do you agree?
Just in case you are not an avid spider lover, you will probably agree with us. Still, out of curiosity and that unquenchable thirst for knowledge, we decided to write about this creature that freak us out.
Just to keep things interesting, we decided to pick up the ‘Jumping Spiders’ for this particular list of facts.
So, let us embark on a journey to the gloomy world of hideous spiders and find out 20 interesting jumping spider facts.
Interesting Jumping Spider Facts: 1-5
1. Spiders have eight legs and we know that but did you know that the jumping spiders have 8 eyes? Yes! These creatures have 4 pairs of eyes and they use all of them!
2. Jumping spiders are fairly slow movers but when they see any threat or when they are out hunting, they can jump very high, which is why they are known as jumping spiders.
3. So, how high do they jump? Most of them can actually jump 50 times their own body length, giving them the much-needed element of surprise while hunting.
4. They don’t have muscular legs but they are still capable of agile jumps. How is that possible?
They actually have an internal hydraulic system that is very well-developed. This system alters the body’s fluid pressure and extends their legs, allowing them to jump high.
5. Going back to their eyes, jumping spiders have two pairs of large eyes on the front of their head.
Two medium-sized eyes sit on the rear or back of their head and the final two eyes are tiny eyes that can be found on two sides of their heads.
Interesting Jumping Spider Facts: 6-10
6. Scientists think that jumping spiders have colored vision and that their vision is comparable to that of humans.
7. Jumping spiders don’t have prominent spines covering their legs.
8. The four hind legs of these jumping spiders are smaller compared to the four front legs.
Despite the fact that the hind legs are smaller, they rely more on their hind legs while jumping.
9. These spiders aren’t really big in size. They range anywhere between 1 and 22 mm.
10. They are daytime active hunters and can be found in a variety of habitats with the majority of the species being found in tropical forests.
Mountainous regions, intertidal zones, deserts, scrub lands, and temperate forests are other places where these jumping spiders can be found.
One species, in particular, known as the Euophrys omnisuperstes has been found on the slopes of the Himalayas.
Interesting Jumping Spider Facts: 11-15
11. There are nearly 5000 different species of jumping spiders and together the family is known as Salticidae.
Salticidae is the largest spider family making up 13% of all known species.
12. Jumping spiders have a very well-developed breathing system.
Both the tracheal system and book lungs are developed and they use both systems for breathing.
This is known as bimodal breathing.
13. While hunting the jumping spiders administer a very fast-acting venom into their prey through a bite, giving very little to no time to their prey for reacting.
They are often found to kill prey larger than their own size.
14. Jumping spiders are mostly carnivores but there are certain species that depend mainly on plant matter. One such known species is the Bagheera kiplingi.
15. For reproduction, they use visual courtships. These courtship displays are pretty complex. The physical appearance of males is pretty different from that of females.
Males often have bizarre modifications on their bodies such as front leg fringes, iridescent or colored hair, plumose hairs, etc.
During courtship dance, males make use of these body modifications to perform zigzag, vibrational, or sideling movements.
Interesting Jumping Spider Facts: 16-20
16. The usual lifespan of jumping spiders is 1 year but in colder regions where they need to stay dormant for months, they may live for more than 1 year.
17. Jumping spiders hatch from eggs. Hatchlings look similar to adults but are just smaller in size.
Hatchlings molt (shed their entire skin) at least 5 to 6 times before they become fully-grown adults.
18. Jumping spiders usually do not use their silk for catching prey. They will rather stalk and then pounce on their prey.
19. Instead of using their silk to weave a web, they will use it as safety lines while jumping and hunting.
They also build pup tents with their silk. These tents act as shelters during bad weather and during the winter months.
They also store egg cases inside these tents.
20. Jumping spiders have the habit of leaving continuous silk trails. They will also impregnate the silk trail with pheromones.
This helps them in navigation and also in reproductive communication.