They say that brown house spiders are some of the most feared creatures in the world. With their long, spindly legs and large, bulbous bodies, they certainly look intimidating.
Brown house spiders can and typically jump. While they are technically capable of jumping, they usually only do so when they’re threatened or feel like they’re in danger.
Otherwise, they prefer to stay close to the ground where they feel more secure.
So, if you see a brown house spider in your home, there’s no need to panic. Just leave it alone and it will probably stay put.
How Often Do Brown House Spiders Jump?
A brown house spider may not be the most dangerous type of spider in your home, but it can still give you an unpleasant surprise. This is especially when this little arachnid, suddenly decided to show off its jumping prowess in front of you.
It’s a familiar scene: you’re minding your own business, going about your daily routine when suddenly a small spider jumps out at you from nowhere.
For many of us, this can be a startle. But often do these spiders jump?
Brown house spiders will jump if they feel threatened and if they feel the need to escape from a predator. Contrary to popular belief, spiders do not jump to attack their prey.
Jumping will enable them to escape quickly and hopefully to safety. However, these spiders are not aggressive and will only jump when they feel like they have no other choice.
Jumping is also an easy way for them to cover more ground and can also be an effective hunting strategy.
When a spider jumps, it can cover a large distance very quickly, which makes it harder for prey to escape.
In addition, the element of surprise can give the spider an advantage when attacking its prey. So the next time a spider jumps out at you, remember that it’s just trying to make a meal!
How Do Brown House Spiders Jump?
As stated earlier, a brown house spider is capable of jumping. However, they don’t just jump around because it’s fun or thrilling for them.
The reason behind this is pretty simple It is a common conclusion that if this type of spider can jump more than 6 feet their body length, then it must have strong muscles inside those slim legs.
However, Brown house spiders are not like grasshoppers, they do not have special leg muscles that can help them whenever they jump.
The brown house spider uses a lot of effort and energy every time they jump. This is because this type of spider doesn’t have extensor muscles that are needed to be able to jump. So how do brown house spiders jump?
The first thing to know about spiders jumping is that they don’t need much to get going.
A spider’s legs are made up of two joints, called the coxa and the trochanter, which connect to the body at a point called the coxal socket.
A spider’s leg is attached to the body by a joint called the femur, and it has two more joints before it reaches its final destination: the tibia and the tarsus.
The femur is the longest part of a spider’s leg. It’s made up of three sections, each of which is connected to the body at the coxa socket. The first section is called the trochanter, followed by the coxa, and finally the femur.
Instead of using leg muscles, they launched themselves by suddenly changing the blood flow in their body. When they feel the need to jump, their brain will send a message to their abdomen. This message will cause the spider’s heart to beat rapidly and at the same time, it will push all the blood in its body towards its legs.
With all that extra blood in its legs, it causes them to become filled with fluid and makes them rigid.
When this happens, the spider will then extend its legs outwards as far as possible and then release them. This action is what propels the spider into the air and allows it to jump several feet in a single bound.
The Difference Between a Jumping Spider and a Brown House Spider
There are many different types of spiders, that you can see creeping inside your house. The brown house spider and the jumping spider are the two most common types of house spiders.
These two house spiders are also confusing to the untrained eyes. While it is true that both of these spiders can jump, they do so in different ways.
The main difference between the two is their ability in jumping. The jumping spider is known for its powerful jumps, while the brown house spider is known for its ability to cover large distances with a single jump.
Here are some key differences between these two types of spiders:
- The jumping spider has special leg muscles that help it to jump, while the brown house spider does not have these muscles.
- The jumping spider can jump several times its body length, while the brown house spider can only jump a few feet.
- The jumping spider uses its jumps to catch prey, while the brown house spider uses its jumps to escape predators or to cover large distances quickly.
- Jumping spiders are active during the day, brown house spiders are nocturnal by nature.
- Jumping spiders hunt their prey, while brown house spiders build webs to catch theirs.
- Brown house spiders will eat just about anything they can catch in their web, including other brown house spiders.
Final Thoughts
Do brown house spiders jump? The answer is yes, but not as often as you might think. Brown house spiders will jump if they feel threatened and if they feel the need to escape from a predator.
Jumping will enable them to escape quickly and hopefully to safety. However, these spiders are not aggressive and will only jump when they feel like they have no other choice. So the next time a spider jumps out at you, remember that it’s just trying to make a meal!
