Nature is everywhere if you only look. I took a brief walk in the city park at lunch. This spider was hanging out on the garden gate next to the museum. A baby spider was rappeling down from the lock on a strand of silk. The spider here was perhaps the doting mama.
Jumping spiders (Family Salticidae) are easily distinguished from other spiders by their four big eyes on the face and four smaller eyes on top of the head. Around the world there are probably more than 5000 species of jumping spiders.
I leaned in close for a better look. Instead of trying to hide, the spider turned to look directly up at me. I could see its eyes and furry whiskers. It appeared as interested in me as I was in it. Our eyes locked. Here is what I saw. I had never felt "seen" by a spider before. I felt disoriented as if the tiny world of the spider had suddenly expanded and I had shrunk to the spider's size. It seemed some sort of communication passed between us.
The spider's behavior made sense when I later learned that jumping spiders have much better eyesight than other spiders and most, if not all, insects. Jumping spiders' large pair of eyes in the center front give them excellent color vision and a high degree of resolution. Even more amazing, the shape of their retinae indicates they may have telephoto vision. I was looking at a hunter with some high tech equipment!
Jumping spiders can spot and stalk insects from long distances. Their excellent vision is also an important part of their 'interspecies' communication, particularly in courtship. Males dance before females, displaying contrasting or brightly colored markings on their bodies.
The caption for the photo of one jumping spider that I found on the 'web' said that it lived in the space between the photographer's gate and fence post in his back yard. And here was "my" spider frequenting the same "habitat." Imagine all the humans who walk through this gate, oblivious to the ferocious sentry on watch!
When I returned to my office and sat down at my desk, a baby jumping spider about a third the size of mom appeared in my lap. It must have hitched a ride on my pants' leg while I was transfixed by its parent's gaze. Somehow even a spider baby is cute. I attempted to slide it onto a post-it note but it sprang onto my thumb. I released the baby out of my window to fall onto the grass below. It had traveled in my car with me and was now several blocks away from the park. Happy hunting, little spidey!
cool!
ReplyDeleteYour spider appears to be holding onto something. Was it eating or do you think it was guarding an egg sack. Probably eating but I can't tell. Nice article. Of all the spiders I love these the best because, they seem to have a personality. Squirrel
ReplyDeleteGood question, Squirrel. It does appear to be holding something now that I've looked at photos of other similar spiders. IT may have been some baby spiders. Because whatever it was looked like part of the spiders body--more whiskery stuff.
ReplyDeleteI have always liked hunting spiders better than web weavers. Maybe because their movement is "less creepy." I have one behind the sheetrock at my desk who ventures out occasionally. A very nice description of what human interaction with other species can be.
ReplyDelete