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Jumping SpidersIf you're not able to get out to see a bit nature then don't worry. It's most likely a bit of nature will wander in to see you. And chances are that bit of nature will include a jumping spider. |
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Jumping spiders include some of the most colourful and decorative spiders in the world |
Jumping spiders are one of the most common types of spider, and some of the prettiest too. There are literally thousands of different jumping spider species, and they are bundled into the family Salticidae. You can find them all over the world, and that can't be a bad thing: they eat a lot of insect pests, including mosquitoes. Most of the jumping spiders you will find are small. The ones I find are usually only about 4 to 8 millimetres long. Watch them for any length of time and there's a good chance you'll see why they call them jumping spiders. Because they really do jump. |
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If a jumping spider isn't jumping then perhaps the easiest way to recognise it is by looking at its eyes. Yes, seriously. Even some of the smaller jumpers have eyes big enough to notice without a magnifying glass. Because they have excellent eyesight (for a spider) they will often turn around to face you and that's when you'll see what I'm talking about. The two pictures above show those prominent eyes. |
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Left: A jumping spider feeding on a winged insect Below: Seen directly front-on, this jumper's eyes are clearly visible. You can also see the fangs in this photo
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HuntersJumping spiders don't hang around in a web all day. They go hunting for food. They will crawl slowly up to their prey and then jump onto it. These spiders can jump many times their body length and catch prey much bigger than themselves. |
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CuriousOne of the fun things about these spiders is their 'curiosity'. Now, I've got to be careful here. Before you can truly say an animal is curious it has to show some thinking ability, a desire to learn. And we're talking about spiders here, not Einstein. But they do seem to consistently investigate moving things, looking for food. One of my favourite jumping spider photos (shown below) was made possible because of that. I was standing next to a small tree with my camera, photographing hover flies. I wasn't even looking for spiders, and this handsome creature crawled out of its hiding place to get a better look at me. If that spider had been less inquisitive I would never have seen it and would have missed the shot. You'll notice that while I'm looking at it through my lens, the spider is also watching my camera and me. |
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This jumping spider gives the impression of being as interested in me as I was of it |
Are they dangerous?No. I don't know of any jumping spiders which I'd call dangerous. I've even heard of some people keeping them as pets. However I suggest caution when handling all types of spiders — partly because we're constantly learning about and even discovering new species. There is also the Northern Green Jumping Spider (Mopsus mormon), which can make some people sick if it bites them. And it's possible for some people to be allergic to different things and that might include spider venom. All types of spiders' fangs could also carry bacteria which might do you no good if it gets under your skin. But the main reason why I treat jumping spiders with care is because I don't want to injure the spider. |
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This little guy was peering down on me from a ceiling in Northern Queensland. I don't know what type of jumping spider it was |
I've had countless jumping spiders jump onto me while I'm taking photos and they don't worry me. But those same cute little furry spiders would be pretty frightening if they were as big as us, because they seem to be tireless hunter-killer machines to their insect prey. When they wander into my room I like to think of them as my personal soldiers in the war against mosquitoes.
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