Page 49 - The Miracle in the Spider

The Characteristics of the Jumping Spider 49

Flawless Jumping
In contrast to many species of spider which spin webs and wait, the
jumping spider prefers to attack its prey itself by—as the name suggests—
jumping on its prey. The spider is so expert at doing this that it can catch
a flying insect from more than half a metre away.
The spider can use this amazing technique thanks to the power of
hydraulic pressure in its eight legs. At the end of the attack, it suddenly
descends on its prey and digs its strong fangs into it. The leap usually

takes place between plants in overgrown areas. To do this successfully the
spider has to calculate the appropriate angle, together with the victim's
speed and direction.
Even more interesting is how the spider manages to avoid being
killed after it catches its prey. The spider risks death, because in order to
catch its prey, it naturally has to hurl itself into the air. So it could crash
back to the ground from this distance (generally from the top of a tree).
But the spider avoids this hazard by tethering itself by the thread it spins

Jumping spiders have been created powerful enough to hunt creatures larger than
themselves.