I really like spiders. I know there are plenty of people out there who think I’m totally crazy, but then I never claimed to be normal! I don’t usually let the spiders live in my house like one of my friends in Australia does, but I don’t kill them if they get in. I just try to gently relocate them outside. I do let them live on my porches and other places around the house. So between that, and the fact that I live in the woods, I see plenty of spiders, and I love to photograph them. One of my all time favorites is the adorable regal jumping spider!

There are many, many species of jumping spiders around the world, so wherever you live, if you go out and look for them, you will probably find some. Jumping spiders tend to be small and kind of shy, so if you are not paying attention, you might not even notice them. They definitely tend to run or jump away when approached by people. Now the first question most people ask is are they poisonous? The answer is yes, but…the amount of venom that they secrete is very small, so they are not at all dangerous to people. Besides, as I said before, they would rather run away. They use their fangs and venom to immobilize their insect prey after they pounce on them.

One of the reasons I like jumping spiders so much is that they have eight eyes! It is really cool to see their eyes up close, and because they have very keen vision (who wouldn’t with eight eyes!), they frequently seem to be looking at you. The eyes are arranged with two large ones in the center of the face, with two smaller ones on either side. There are also two eyes above the first row, and then there are two on the top of the head. They use all these eyes and their amazing vision to stalk their prey, and judge the distances to make a pounce.

Most jumping spiders are kind of fuzzy, and between that and their small size, they are pretty cute! They way they move, and sometimes “dance” just adds to that. The regal jumping spider is no exception. But I also think that they are very pretty. When the male “dances” to attract a mate, he will put his beautiful green fangs in and out. They also will sometimes do that if they are nervous or curious, so it’s not uncommon to see the green “spots” on their heads. I was lucky enough over the summer to encounter one who was just as curious about me as I was about him. He was a very cooperative photographic subject and I got to watch quite a bit of his dancing and jumping antics. It really was one of the most fun and entertaining wildlife experiences I’ve ever had. So keep in mind if you notice one that they are harmless, and they eat many nuisance and disease causing insects. Besides, who can resist that face and those eyes?