Let's explore!
Meet a jumping spider, up close
Jumping spiders are tiny, fuzzy and full of surprises. Tap any number on the spood, or press Start to go through every part.
Part 1 of 11
Big front eyes
A jumping spider's two big front eyes are its best eyes. They see sharp details and colors, a bit like a pair of tiny telescopes.
Inside each eye is a long tube. The spood can move the back of that tube to look around without turning its head!
Fun fact: Sometimes their big eyes seem to flicker from light to dark. That's the inside of the eye moving to look at something!
Part 2 of 11
Side eyes
Next to the big eyes are two smaller side eyes. They are motion detectors! When something moves nearby, these eyes notice it first, and the spood turns to take a closer look with its big front eyes.
Fun fact: That's why your spood turns to watch you when you walk past its enclosure.
Part 3 of 11
Back eyes
On top of the head, toward the back, are four more eyes: two tiny ones, plus two that look out to the sides and behind. Add them all up and a spood has 8 eyes!
Fun fact: With all eight eyes working together, a jumping spider can see almost all the way around itself without moving.
Part 4 of 11
Jaws and fangs
Below the eyes are the chelicerae (say it: kuh-LISS-er-ee), the spood's jaws. At the tip of each one is a tiny fang that helps it catch and eat its food. Jumping spiders are gentle and very rarely bite people.
Fun fact: Regal jumping spiders often have shiny green, blue, or magenta chelicerae that sparkle like gems!
Part 5 of 11
Pedipalps
These little arms next to the jaws are called pedipalps (PED-ih-palps). Spoods use them to hold their food and to touch and taste the things around them.
Fun fact: Grown-up boy spiders have bigger, rounder pedipalp tips that look a bit like tiny boxing gloves!
Part 6 of 11
Legs
Jumping spiders have 8 legs. The front legs are great for grabbing and waving, and the back legs do the jumping.
Spoods don't have big jumping muscles in their legs. Instead, they quickly push fluid into their back legs to straighten them, which launches them into the air!
Fun fact: A jumping spider can leap many times its own body length. For you, that would be like jumping the length of a school bus!
Part 7 of 11
Feet
Each foot has fuzzy tufts made of tiny hairs, and each of those hairs splits into even tinier hairs that grip almost any surface.
Fun fact: That's how spoods can walk straight up glass and even hang upside down from the top of their enclosure!
Part 8 of 11
Hairs
Spoods are covered in soft-looking hairs. Some special hairs are super sensitive and can feel the tiniest puff of air or vibration.
Fun fact: Scientists have found that jumping spiders may even 'hear' sounds using these special hairs!
Part 9 of 11
Head and body
The front part of the body is called the cephalothorax (sef-uh-low-THOR-ax). It holds the brain, the eyes, the mouth and the stomach, and all eight legs attach here.
Fun fact: For their size, jumping spiders have pretty big brains. Some can even plan a sneaky route to reach their food!
Part 10 of 11
Abdomen
The round back part is the abdomen. It holds the heart, the silk-making glands and special breathing parts called book lungs, which are stacked like the pages of a tiny book.
Fun fact: A nice plump abdomen usually means a happy, well-fed spood.
Part 11 of 11
Spinnerets
At the very end of the abdomen are the spinnerets, tiny nozzles that make silk. Jumping spiders don't build webs to catch food. They use silk to make cozy hammocks for sleeping and molting.
Fun fact: Before a spood jumps, it often attaches a silk safety line, like a bungee cord!
All done!You're a spood expert!
You explored every part of a jumping spider. Ready to meet some real ones?
