Fun Jumping Spider Facts For Kids

Named after their jumping attributes, the jumping spider (family salticidae) is a member of one of the largest families of spiders with over 6000 known species of jumping spiders. The members of this family are found in a number of color tones ranging from black, brown to tan, or gray, tinged with shades of pale white, blue,  gray, green, red, or yellow markings. The body hair in jumping spiders is vibrantly colored, dense, and iridescent.  The front legs of these organisms are usually thicker and longer compared to the other present on their body. Unlike other spiders, they do not catch small insects using webs but instead, ambush them by jumping on top of them. As a matter of fact, these spiders can jump as high as 50 times their body length.

In contrast to general spiders, jumping spiders have no affiliation to knitting webs for hunting purposes. Proud possessors of long, jumping legs, these spiders knit their webs mostly for protection and shelter or for anchoring themselves while jumping. Read along to learn some interesting jumping spider facts. This article also contains fun jumping spider facts for kids. After, do check out our other articles on six eyed sand spider and mud dauber wasp.

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What type of animal is a jumping spider?

The jumping spider is a member of the family of spiders called Salticidae. These organisms are popularly known for their eye patterns. They possess four pairs of eyes. The family salticidae comprises of around 6000 described species under 600 known genera, the Salticidae constitutes the largest family of spiders.

What class of animal does a jumping spider belong to?

The jumping spider belongs to Class Arachnid. This is a class that includes invertebrate organisms that possess jointed- appendages and a large number of members belonging to this class have about eight or more legs. The name of this class has derived from the myth of Arachne.

How many jumping spiders are there in the world?

Constituting one of the largest families of spiders with over 6000 species of discovered and described organisms, the jumping spiders are a huge family of web-spinning charmers but there is no exact number for them.

Where does a jumping spider live?

Jumping spiders are found in wide habitats such as Asia, parts of America, and the United Kingdom.

What is a jumping spider's habitat?

With a family of more than 4000 members, the jumping spider is distributed over a wide range of geographical regions such as mountainous regions, scrubland, temperate forest, deserts, intertidal zones. However, the highest concentration of these organisms is found in the terrains of tropical forests.

Who do jumping spiders live with?

These spiders can be found living with their owners as a pet mostly in Florida or United States. Their natural habitat is found in forests and deserts.

How long does a jumping spider live?

The average lifespan of jumping spider is about one year. Spiders usually have a shorter lifespan, and some spiders may live more than two years.

How do they reproduce?

Jumping spiders have a unique and interesting mating pattern. These organisms are morphologically and anatomically characterized for special courting and breeding procedures. However, the traits for courting are comparatively more developed in males than females. In contrast to female jumping spiders, the male possesses vibrant colors, plumose hair, fringes on front legs, and hair of coruscating quality. Jumping spiders use a combination of visual, auditory, and anatomical attributes for the courtship dance. In fact, a wide range of variation in sensory reception (visual and auditory) is seen amongst the species of this family.  A number of males of the family even project amplified sounds (similar to drum rolls or buzz) to attract female attention. The play of colors and vibrational, zigzag movement is exercised by males to attract female jumping spiders for mating.  After the courtship games, if disposed to mating, the females assume a passive crouching stance. Following this, the male partner  extends his legs to touch the female, and in case of no rejection, proceeds to mount her from the rear and inseminate with his palps. The jumping spiders have an average gestation period of about 22 days to a month.

What is their conservation status?

There is no specific categorization given to jumping spiders on the basis on its conservation status. Therefore, it is safe to say that, with about 6000 species the population of jumping spiders is quite stable.

What do jumping spider look like?

These organisms, like most of the members of the spider family, possess multiple limbs or jointed-appendages. One of the distinctive features of this jumping spider is the presence of about eight sets of eyes. The eyes in jumping spiders are arranged in a unique manner giving them a fascinating appearance.  A pair of enormous, circular, and forward-facing eyes that imparts them alien-like looks are located in the center of their face. In contrast, the sets of eyes are distributed along the dorsal part of the structure formed by the fusion head and thorax.

How cute are they?

Jumping spiders could be seen as cute. With their peculiar shades and tones, these are splendid inhabitants of nature to behold.

How do they communicate?

Jumping spiders are adept at using visual, auditory, and vocal senses to navigate their surroundings and particularly during courtship and mating. The anatomy of these spiders also contributes to their communication abilities such as the hair present on their legs which bends in response to vibrations.

How big is a jumping spider?

The average length of a jumping spider generally ranges between 0.04–0.98 in.  Hyllus Giganteus which is the largest jumping spider is between 0.71–0.98 in.

How fast can jumping spiders move?

These spiders are known for their jumping capacity as they jump twice the size of their length. They can be really quick, and they are meant to leave a trail behind as they jump.

How much does a jumping spider weigh?

The exact weight of these organisms is around 0.00004 oz.

What are their male and female names of the species?

No distinctive names are given to the male and female members of this species. The males are called male jumping spiders while the females are called female jumping spiders.

What would you call a baby jumping spider?

The baby of jumping spring, like the baby spider of any other spider, is called spiderlings.

What do they eat?

Jumping spiders are carnivores, mostly insectivorous; that is, organisms that feed on insects. These organisms prey on insects such as flies, mosquitoes, small crickets, as well as other invertebrates.

Are they harmful?

No, jumping spiders are not harmful. Mostly these organisms tend to stay in isolation and are usually calm. A jumping spider bite can be a little bit painful. However, they may bite in defense or when continuously provoked. Nonetheless, their sting causes no harm, as it's not poisonous.

Would they make a good pet?

In the wake of their unique and fascinating looks, gentle yet interactive temperament, and smart intellect, the jumping spider prove to be quite enjoyable pets. Consisting of a wide range of species, the jumping spiders come in varying temperaments as well; they may be skittish, calm, agile, or shy. Despite the variation, these spiders, in general, do make wonderful pets.

Did you know...

Proving true to their names, the jumping spider actually do jump. However, these organisms possess no special structures designed particularly for this function. Acting mainly on the principle of a catapult, these spiders launch themselves on their prey by a coordinated action of their leg and blood circulation.

Peacock spiders are popularly known as the dancing star of its family. These members of Salticidae are known to stomp and tap (to pursue a potential mating partner) by flapping around vibrantly colored fan-like extensions.

Besides dancing stars, the Salticidae family has impressive mimic artists for members as well. Myrmarachne melanocephala, also known as the ace of disguise are spiders adept at mimicking ants, in order to provide camouflage and safeguard themselves from predators as well as prey.

Unique features of the jumping spider

Jumping spiders possess a number of distinctive features, and one of them is the pattern of their eyes. These spiders have eight sets of eyes, with two large ones located in the center, while the others are located along the cephalothorax. This anatomical structure and arrangement of eyes impart exceptional visual sense to these organisms. Besides visionary receptions, the jumping spiders are well equipped with jumping skills. The action of blood circulation in their limbs facilitates the jump in these organisms. When these aim to jump, the muscle in the legs contract and through hydraulics, the blood circulation intensifies, pushing the legs to their full extent, sending the spider soaring.

Different types of jumping spider

Jumping spiders include a number of variants and hybrids categories under them.

The Phidippus regius (Regal jumping spider) is commonly found in fields, trees, or the walls of buildings, these spiders are the natives of eastern North America. These knitters can be distinguished from the group of other spiders for their iridescent chelicerae and large sizes. While the female of this group comes in gray tones to vivid shades of oranges, the male Phidippus Regius possesses a black basal body with a peculiar pattern of spots and stripes in white.

The zebra jumping spider, scientifically known as Salticus scenicus, are the common residents of suburban and urban regions of the United Kingdom. Following the path of its family, these members of Salticidae family prey by jumping instead of setting web traps. The bite of zebra jumping spider is quite lethal. These spiders are named after the presence of zebra-like stripes on their anatomy.  

The tan jumping spider (Platycryptus undatus) has a prominent tinge of orange here and there. Prominently known for their friendly and curious temperament around humans, these spiders are good pet options, particularly for spider lovers. However, they may prove defensive under threatening circumstances.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including yellow-sac spider, or orb-weaver spider.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Jumping spider coloring pages.