the.com/jumping spider
the eight-eyed bouncer that turns its head like it's judging you, because it is
means A small, big-eyed spider of the family Salticidae that hunts by stalking and pouncing on prey rather than spinning webs to catch it.
from A plain English compound: 'jumping' for the pounce and 'spider' from Old English 'spīþra,' itself from a root meaning 'to spin' (a cousin of 'spin' and 'spinster') — an ironic name for a creature that leaps instead of weaving. The scientific family name Salticidae comes from Latin 'saltus,' a leap or bound, the same root that gives us 'somersault' and 'saltarello.'
- sharpest eyes
- Best vision of any spider their size
- silk safety line
- Tethers itself before leaping, never trusts the jump
- hydraulic legs
- Pumps body fluid to launch, no leg muscles
- flirty dance
- Males wave legs in choreographed courtship routines
- REM sleep
- They may dream, twitching while hanging asleep
phidippus regius — regal jumping spider, largest jumping spider species in north america with 22mm body length
portia labiata — white-spotted jumping spider that hunts other spiders, found in australia and southeast asia
saitis barbipes — peacock jumping spider native to australia, performs elaborate courtship dances with iridescent displays