Reasons Why Spiders Can Jump
WouterThere are many reasons why spiders can jump. Some spiders use hydraulic pressure and others use muscles to get their legs moving. They also can use their eyes to track prey.
Jumping spiders are active hunters, using their eyesight to track the movement of their prey. They feed on grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles. The venom they inject into their victims helps them to subdue them. They leave a silk line behind when they jump. This allows them to move smoothly and accurately while they are in the air.
Jumping spiders have great vision and can see different color wavelengths. They can see different shades of green and blue, and can also see ultraviolet light.
Jumping spiders have a large outer lens and a smaller inner lens that magnifies the image that is projected onto the retina. Depending on the species, they may have greater color vision than humans.
To jump, spiders need to have a lot of energy. When they jump, their muscles are contracted and the blood volume in the cephalothorax decreases. This reduces the pressure on the tibia-metarsus and femur-patella joint.
Salticid spiders attach a silk line to the substrate before jumping. They then use this as a safety line in case they miss their landing. The silk line is used to control speed and directional stability in flight.
When they land, spiders usually overshoot the edge of the landing platform. This may be due to reduced precision in control. In certain situations, they can climb back up the safety line.
