Jumping spider
🕷️ Overview
Jumping spiders belong to the family Salticidae, the largest family of spiders, with over 6,000 species worldwide. They are famous for their excellent vision, vivid coloration, and incredible jumping ability — used for both hunting and avoiding danger.
🔍 Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Size | Typically 3–15 mm in body length |
| Eyes | 8 eyes; 4 large front eyes, especially the central pair for sharp vision |
| Color | Varies widely; often iridescent, metallic, or striped |
| Legs | Short and strong; adapted for jumping |
| Body Shape | Compact, with a large head and muscular forelegs |
🌎 Habitat
- Found worldwide, most diverse in tropical and temperate regions.
- Common in gardens, forests, grasslands, and homes.
- Unlike web-building spiders, they roam during the day and are active hunters.
🧠 Behavior
- Excellent vision (best among spiders) — can detect prey, mates, and threats with precision.
- Uses silk as a safety line when jumping (not to catch prey).
- Known for complex courtship dances by males, often involving visual signals and vibrations.
- Generally non-aggressive to humans and not dangerous.
🍽️ Diet & Hunting
- Active diurnal hunters.
- Prey on insects, other spiders, and occasionally small vertebrates (for larger species).
- Approach prey stealthily and leap to catch it with pinpoint accuracy.
- Use their silk line to stabilize or recover if a jump fails.
💡 Interesting Facts
- Some jumping spiders (like Portia) show problem-solving skills and tactical hunting behavior.
- The species Phidippus audax (bold jumping spider) is a common North American type, easily recognized by its metallic green or blue chelicerae.
- Many have UV-sensitive vision and perceive a wider color range than humans.
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