Jumping spiders from the family Salticidae we will easily recognize in nature by the characteristically angular front part of the cephalothorax, which bears four large forward-facing eyes. Most jumping spiders are small, but they are therefore much more active on warm sunny days. They jump incredibly well, both when hunting and when fleeing from predators, hence the name of the family. Before the spider scurries away, it attaches a silken thread to the ground, which serves as a safety line in case of an unsuccessful landing. However, jumping is not exclusively a property of this family, as during hunting and moving from leaf to leaf, representatives of some other families also jump.
Jumping spiders have well-developed eyes and vision. They rely on this sense when searching for food. They stalk prey and at the right moment they leap onto it with blinding speed. Good eyesight is also useful to them in reproduction, when males perform rhythmic wedding dances, with which they try to prepare the female for mating. A fertilized female spins a silken egg sac, in which she guards the eggs. The young spiders leave their mother's care not long after hatching and set off on their own.
In Europe, about 75 species of jumping spiders have been discovered, which achieve the greatest diversity of shapes and colors in the warm regions of the Earth. Worldwide, about 4,000 species of this family are known.
