Habitat

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Portia spiders are found in the rainforests or similar moist conditions extending from Australia up to Sri Lanka, and inhabit many of the Pacific islands. Some species are also found in the rainforests of Africa.

Diet

Portia spider's diet consists mainly of other spiders, a practice known as araneophagy. This is a highly unusual practice, and only happens due to the Portia spiders highly developed hunting strategies. Portia spiders will also feed on other insects if necessary. They eat a spider their own size or larger every 2-3 days.

Locomotion

Portia spiders generally move by walking on all of its jointed appendages (besides the pedipalps and spinnerets), although they are capable of jumping. Although the main method of locomotion for portia spiders is walking, they can jump 10-40 times their own height!

Hydraulic Fluid System

Because spiders in general lack the musculature (and efficient circulatory system to support it) to jump like mammals and insects like grasshoppers, jumping spiders have developed a sophisticated hydraulic system that allows them to rapidly change blood pressure in their legs, propelling them upwards in proportionately large leaps. Their small size makes this change in internal blood pressure even more effective at shooting them skywards.