The Spiders in Your House - The Zebra Jumper

A close look at Salticus scenicus, the Zebra jumping spider. I look into how they'll behave in your home, plus the stuff about jumping spiders in general that is hard to believe, but true nonetheless.

Unless otherwise credited, all photos and videos herein are my own.

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References

Chen A, Kim K, Shamble PS (2021). Rapid mid-jump production of high-performance silk by jumping spiders. Current Biology 31(21): R1422-R1423

Dill LM (1975). Predatory behavior of the zebra spider, Salticus scenicus (Araneae: Salticidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology 53(9):1284-1289.

Foelix R (2011). Biology of Spiders. Oxford University Press, New York, NY

Hill DE (2006). Targeted jumps by salticid spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Phidippus). Version 9: 1-28.

Hill DE (2007). Use of location (relative direction and distance) information by jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Phidippus) during movement toward prey and other sighted objectives. Peckhamia 83(1):1-103.
Hill DE (2016). Jumping spiders in outer space (Araneae: Salticidae). Peckhamia 146:1-7

Jacques AR, Dill LM (1980). Zebra Spiders May Use Uncorrelated Asymmetries to Settle Contests. The American Naturalist 116(6):899-901

Land MF (1985). The Morphology and Optics of Spider Eyes. Neurobiology of Arachnids: 53-78.

McKeown N, Vetter R, Hendrickson R (2014). Verified spider bites in Oregon (USA) with the intent to assess hobo spider venom toxicity. Toxicon 84:51-55.

Okuyama T (2007). Prey of two species of jumping spiders in the field. Applied Entomology and Zoology 42(4):663-668.

Rose S (2022). Spiders of North America. Princeton University Press.

Rößler DC, Kim K, De Agro M, Jordan A, Galizia CG, Shamble PS (2022). Regularly occurring bouts of retinal movements suggest an REM sleep-like state in jumping spiders. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119(33):e2204754119

Roscoe DT, Walker G (1991). The adhesion of spiders to smooth surfaces. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 8(7):224-226.

Russell F (1970). Bite by the spider Phidippus formosus: case history. Toxicon 8:193-194.

Vetter R, unpublished data.

Wolff RJ (1986). Scavenging by Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist 19(2):121-122.

[lefi_is_here]

Nothing better than waking up to 30 minutes of quality spider content

[funwithmadness]

I have to add my story. I was watching one of these on my ceiling and was about to squash it when it pounced on a gnat which was also on the ceiling. What was amazing about it is that the spider, since it was on the ceiling, was upside down. It still managed to land on the ceiling, obviously defying gravity. Clearly, it was using its drag line to cause itself to pendulum back up. Regardless, its incredible gymnastics, and the fact it tagged the gnat, earned it the right to keep surviving in my house.

[jahmocha]

My favorite fact was that little baby spiders were observed (probably) having little baby spider dreams 🥹 Thinking about such a tiny creature having a brain that can dream makes me tear up in wonder and awe. It's the fact that we share something in common, despite all our differences...

[southofheck]

I’m somewhat arachnophobic, but jumping spiders have been my gateway into working on fixing that. They are like cartoon versions of spiders, they are so adorable.

I’ve seen ‘em in person, and the way they skitter around and observe their surroundings is so unusual for spiders. They are so expressive and mobile and that helps a lot with making them less scary and unknown.

I went from dreading spiders to wishing I saw a few jumpers and weavers more often. They are really fascinating creatures and I’ve always wanted to study them more.

[transarminarlert]

a year ago my dad caught a zebra jumper and gave it to me to keep as a pet. I named her penny and she was the sweetest spider I’ve ever had! she was missing two legs when we first found her and she died around two months later (she was probably very old.) rest in peace, penny :(

[Desert_Rose_]

These little guys are just out here, sleeping in their little sleeping bags and having dreams 🥺❤

[CG-xbkh]

I once witnessed a yellow sac spider crawl on to a shelf upon which was a small action figure with very large eyes; the spider leapt back, froze, then scurried away, clearly terrified by the figure's appearance.

Love this channel and the great work you do!

[BornRemaining]

YES! Thank you so much for an extensive look at a familiar jumping spider!

It's not just their eyes that are cute, you know. They have stubby little legs, adorably quizzical bodylanguage and they're so fuzzy. Have you ever seen the videos of jumping spiders playing with laser pointers like they're kittens?

I've interacted with a lot of jumping spiders who got over being afraid of me very quickly and just became curious and agreeable to allowing me to handle them. I generally don't like spiders to be on me, but jumping spiders are just too sweet and wouldn't bite me.

[ReallyGoodBadBoy]

Jumping Spiders were the beginning of the end of my prejudice and phobia of spiders. The first spiders that I picked up bare handed and interacted with. They are really cool and amazing little creatures. I have had a few that I moved into my plant potters, and would feed small meal worms too. I really grew to appreciate and live more symbiotically with arachnids because of the Jumping Spider.

[RedGyl]

Just so you know, we love your "These are the spiders in your house" jingle. My 5-year-old puts it on repeat.

[Myuska]

I am completely blown away by the fact that these cuties have REM! I'm not a big spider fan but ever since living in Japan in an old apartment jumping with all types of jumping spiders, I've definitely come to appreciate their curious personalities. Still, my experiences with the huntsman spider will forever keep me from completely overcoming my arachnophobia. Just no :( Either way, I appreciate your informative videos. They help me try to appreciate the fascinating physiology of these creatures we share our homes with. :)

[el_spaghetto]

I met a twin-flagged jumping spider (Anasaitis canosa) in my house the other day. I hadn't seen one since I was very young, so it made me happy to know they are still an extant species in my area. Their cuteness is already undeniable, but to think that these little goofballs might be out here having _dreams?..._ I think it's safe to say that my arachnophobia is pretty much cured at this point.

[murphala]

I had one on my back porch the other day and stared at it for 10 minutes. I knew it was a jumper, but didn’t know a bunch about it. Thanks for this timely info! I’m off to go hunt one on my porch again!

[yvaskhmir]

I've never liked spiders in my life.
But recently, one spider started living on the other side of my window and I somehow became obsessed when the little guys after it crawled into my room and, whilst trying to get it back out, I could observe a bit of it's behaviour.
I'm only starting my spider knowledge journey, but I'M LOVING IT so far!
This channel is a great source for my spider needs and I'll definitely check out more videos.

My arachnophobic friends are getting increasingly scared of me, which is an added bonus.

[thebower]

These are my absolute favourite spiders. Cute as a button. Their eyes look like a little pair of headlights and my heart melts when they look up at me. They give off a friendly vibe and they feel like a little pet.

[josephpk]

These little guys are hilarious! Their vision is amazing, they're super fast, and they are very curious - can't help but play with them when I find them. I'm in BC, Canada, and see them all the time.

[rockingbalboa]

I absolutely love Salticidae. They are so curious and you can almost see that curiosity with how they look about themselves. Especially when curious giants are watching them scoot around.

[billwilson]

My favorite spiders. I always find them on the walls of our house.

doesnt surprise me that they might have REM sleep, since larger jumping spiders that are kept as pets sometimes display personalities and moods according to their owners.

[shaindaman]

“Constantly on the move looking around for something to snack on” Me too, Little Jumping Spider, me too

[zizimugen]

I wish more people understood how sweet and wonderful jumping spiders are. They’re harmless to humans, and they hunt the things you’d rather not see. They’re so smart and curious, they’re the spiders to get people to lose their arachnophobia.