Since BugShot 2011 concluded, I’ve seen a surge in the number of jumping spider photos appearing online. This is probably because Thomas Shahan, one of the best jumping spider photographers in the world, was one of the instructors and everyone wanted to try their hand at his techniques when they got home. (He takes his photos with cheap, old camera equipment he picks up at garage sales by the way!) Today I’m jumping on the jumping spider bandwagon myself and give you my best photo of these little, terribly charismatic spiders:
Hello!
I clearly have a long way to go. :)
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The Dragonfly Woman 
Jumping Spiders are amazing creatures. I love watching them move around. I wonder what the ones that live in buildings hunt? There just doesn’t seem enough prey to go around to feed all of the spiders.
I like the wild ones, though. We have these guys around here:
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/regal_spider03.htm
Really impressive when you run into them.
Nice! I have not spent nearly as much time checking out the jumping spiders in Arizona, but I intend to start next summer. Even before I got over my fear of spiders, I loved the jumpers! They’re just so cute, and the way they interact with people seems so uncharacteristic of spiders that you have to appreciate them.
I think it’s because the shorter, closely-held legs make them seem cousin to animals we’re more familiar with, rather than the spindly, creeping legs found on “scary” spiders.
That could certainly be a factor! They definitely move in a less spidery way than most spiders.