By definition, jumping spiders are any spider from the family Salticidae, and some of their distinguishing characteristics are four large eyes on the front of their "faces" and cat-like hunting maneuvers. It is believed that jumping spiders can see very well, and from personal experience I believe they can. They are always very alert to their surroundings, looking in every direction to see what's going on around them.
Don't worry, the thought of a spider that can track your every move might be alarming to you, but they aren't very big at all. Some of the biggest species get to a little over 3/4", but they are the minority. Most jumping spiders fall far short of that.
Now, what do these interesting little spiders eat? Bugs, of course! I have observed them take down prey items over twice their size, which is always amazing. When hunting, jumping spiders flatten themselves to the surface they are on and creep forward slowly. When they get within a couple inches to half an inch of their prey, they glue a strand of web onto the ground (in case they miss and end up dangling somewhere,) and jump! Yes, jumping spiders can jump. :) Then they latch onto the prey until it stops struggling.
Don't worry, the thought of a spider that can track your every move might be alarming to you, but they aren't very big at all. Some of the biggest species get to a little over 3/4", but they are the minority. Most jumping spiders fall far short of that.
Now, what do these interesting little spiders eat? Bugs, of course! I have observed them take down prey items over twice their size, which is always amazing. When hunting, jumping spiders flatten themselves to the surface they are on and creep forward slowly. When they get within a couple inches to half an inch of their prey, they glue a strand of web onto the ground (in case they miss and end up dangling somewhere,) and jump! Yes, jumping spiders can jump. :) Then they latch onto the prey until it stops struggling.
In addition to being masterful hunters, each of them has their own unique, quirky personality, something not often found amongst other spider-kind. Some will only take on prey much smaller than themselves, some will take on large prey, some love to explore and some are more of the homebody type. How do I know this? I keep jumping spiders as pets, but that in itself is a whole 'nother topic for the future. :)
Another thing that some people might find peculiar about them is that they don't really spin webs. Not cobwebs, anyway. They do spin a sort of "cocoon" to rest in, something I call their tent, in addition to the anchoring I mentioned above when hunting, but that's about it. Their tents may be rather white and thick if the spider inside is going to lay eggs there, or is about to molt (shed their skin) so that they can grow.
This post could not even be considered to scratch the surface of the jumping spider world, since the entire Salticidae family is made up of about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders. I hope you'll stick around to learn more about these fascinating crawlies in the future. :)
Another thing that some people might find peculiar about them is that they don't really spin webs. Not cobwebs, anyway. They do spin a sort of "cocoon" to rest in, something I call their tent, in addition to the anchoring I mentioned above when hunting, but that's about it. Their tents may be rather white and thick if the spider inside is going to lay eggs there, or is about to molt (shed their skin) so that they can grow.
This post could not even be considered to scratch the surface of the jumping spider world, since the entire Salticidae family is made up of about 5,000 described species, making it the largest family of spiders. I hope you'll stick around to learn more about these fascinating crawlies in the future. :)