In Britain we are lucky to have a large variety of spiders to find and enjoy. Although most are known for sitting in a web and waiting for the fly to come to them, this is not always the case. Enter the Zebra Jumping Spider.
Jumping spiders are not uncommon in the North West – they can normally be spotted on warm rocks or brick walls. The most common species is about the size of a grain of rice and is covered in black and white stripes.
It is aptly called the Zebra Jumping Spider. Rather than spinning webs to catch their prey, these hunters rely on two enormous front-facing eyes that give them excellent judging distance and strong back legs to leap on their prey from a distance.
They are the lions of the spider world and their hunting strategy has led them to become the most numerous spider family of them all, being found right across the planet as well as in our back gardens!
Don’t forget…
To learn more about what wildlife services we offer at Nature Talks and Walks, why not explore our ‘About Us‘ section.
You can also leave a comment below or email a picture and you could be featured in our future blogs! You can email us at:
Hello
I was sitting in the lounge last night when a large spider jumped from the fireplace onto my chair. I don’t like spiders and was scared. It was a large spider with longs legs. I have had a look on line and I can’t see anything similar that is supposed
to jump. Any ideas? Should I be worried?
Thanks Pat
P S I lie in Pembrokeshire
Hi Pat, it depends on how big this spider was. Generally British spiders are nothing to worry about, despite their unpredictable movements. Did you get a picture of said spider?