Salticidae - meet amazing Jumping Spiders!

"Seeing a spider isn't a problem. It becomes a problem when it disappears"

Where the name comes from?

• Jumping spiders are fairly slow movers but when they see any threat or when they are out for hunting, they can jump very high, which is why they are known as jumping spiders.
• Most of them can actually jump 50 times their own body length, giving them the much needed element of surprise while hunting.
• There are more than 4,000 known species of jumping spiders in the world, including the zebra spider, the most common in the UK.

Habitat

They are daytime active hunters and can be found in a variety of habitats:

• Tropical forests
• Intertidal zones
• Deserts
• Scrub lands
• Mountains ... even on the slopes of Himalayas

Vision

• Jumping spiders have 8 eyes! They give the spider a near 360-degree view of the world.
• Scientists think that the jumping spiders have colored vision and that their vision is comparable to that of the humans.

Size

• These spiders aren’t really big in size. They range anywhere between 1 and 22 mm.

Hunting

• 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.
• Jumping spiders usually do not use their silk for catching prey. They will rather stalk and then pounce on their prey.
• They will use silk as safety lines while jumping and hunting. They also build pup tents with their silk. These tents act as shelters during bad weathers and during winter months. They also store egg cases inside these tents.

Diet

• Jumping spiders are mostly carnivores but there are certain species that depend mainly on plant matter.
• Bagheera Kiplingi is the world's first vegetarian spider, aptly named for the friendly panther in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book

Lifespan

• 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.

Reproduction

• For reproduction, they use visual courtships. These courtship displays are pretty complex. The physical appearance of males are pretty different to that of the 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.
• 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.

Jumping Spiders as pets

• Create a safe environment. Jumping spiders can thrive in a variety of environments. In order to make sure they have room to jump, try to choose a container that is at least a cubic foot in size. Glass or plastic terrariums work well.
• Feed your spider. It will be fine if you give it an insect every 2-3 days. Mist the sides of the cage with a spray bottle of water every few days.
• Interact with your spider. They will follow your finger if you gently trace it along the walls of the container. It will help you keep them active.

Special Thank You to Michael Doe for his amazing images and videos used for this presentation