Hairy, headlighted high-jumper. Also hungry.

Laurie found this jumping spider on the curtain pull this morning, and presented it to me in a tiny bead container. He always gives me the nicest things!

I think it's a Phidippus, possibly a male princeps.

Against the light, in the jar. See how hairy he is!

I had to put him in the fridge for a while to get him to sit still; I wanted a shot of all his eyes. There are eight; two in a line along the front, two 'way back on the sides of the head, and two tiny ones, barely visible, half-way back. He likes to keep the front headlight eyes focused on anything unusual in the environment. In this case, that meant my camera. It wasn't easy getting this angle shot; he kept turning to face me, even while he was sluggish from the cold.

"The better to see you with, my dear."

As he raced around the container (a larger one, with a pane of glass on top), trying to keep an eye on me as I turned and angled him towards the light, I saw a flash of blue; fangs! I hadn't seen these, except in photos, so I had to pester him some more. Sorry, Mr. Jumpy.

There are the fangs, barely visible behind the pedipalps. Blue-green, and very shiny.

Another shot with fangs: I call this one, "Bad hair day".

Look for the wicked, red, curved fang tips at the bottom.

Afterwards, it was snowing outside, so I set his container, unlidded, among a group of large-ish house plants behind my favourite reading chair; there will be small bugs there for him, springtails and mites and maybe a woodbug or two.

Ten minutes later, he was gone. I have wasted a good half hour, trying to find him again, without luck. He's well hidden. As long as he doesn't jump out onto my chair (or head!) while I'm reading, it's all good.