April 01, 2001Animals/Wildlife Blog Archives |
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The amazing jumping spiderCan you imagine what it's like to have eight eyes and the ability to jump fifty times your height in distance? If so, then you might have an idea of what it's like to be a jumping spider. Jumping spiders belong to the Family Salticidae, a diverse group spiders that includes more than 5000 species. Jumping spiders have eight eyes, four on the front of the head and four on the top anterior part of the head. They also have well-developed jumping skills, enabling them to leap up to fifty times their body length.
[p]Together, acute eyesight and powerful leaping ability, enable jumping spiders to be extremely effective hunters. In fact, they behave in a similar manner to cats, by first spotting and stalking prey from a distance and then, using their powerful jumping skills to catch prey off-guard and pounce in for the capture. Yet there the similarity to felines ends. Their prey consists of other spiders and insects. Before pouncing on the prey, they attach a silk thread which serves as an anchor line, enabling them to climb back to safety if a target is missed.
[p]Jumping spiders inhabit fields, woodlands, meadows, grasslands, and can even be found indoors on occasion. They do not spin webs but do create simple silk shelters in crevaces where they hide.
[p]Jumping spiders are charming creatures, when approached the will turn and look at you. If you move, they often follow you with their gaze, changing body angle to always keep you well within the sight range of one of their eight eyes.
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