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yaaqov wrote (edited )

Jumping spiders are the fucking best. I think they’re my favorite animal.

Did y’all know that jumping spiders are probably the most intelligent (by human standards) of any arthropod? There’s a genus of jumping spiders endemic to Africa—Portia—that has evolved to hunt other spiders. Portias are able to figure out, by trial and error, new hunting techniques, in order to target other species that may be challenging or dangerous in unexpected ways, and they can remember what they learned and apply them to novel situations. They also can plan out complicated routes to their prey that may take an hour to complete, even if those routes involve losing sight of their target as they navigate three-dimensional space. Also they’re quite social with eachother, and can recognize and remember other specific individuals of the same species!

(Also, jumping spiders dance.)

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