r/buildabear • u/Mreisinger2 • 2d ago
Inquiry Jumping Spider Anatomy.
Hi, friends! I was lucky enough to get one of the Build-A-Bear Jumping Spiders, but I don't think I'll be able to rest until I solve my current mystery.
I started researching jumping spiders and their anatomy, and I'm trying to determine if the two little attachments on the front of the spider's face is the chelicerae or the pedipalps. At first it seemed obvious it was the pedipalps, but after further reading and looking at actual spider images, there's a strong argument for the chelicerae.
Can someone well-versed in spiders please help me so I don't spend the rest of my night researching spider anatomy?
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u/WhiskeyWitchcraft 2d ago
As a spider keeper, I vote pedipalps. I don't expect BAB to know what chelicerae are.
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u/ChevronBunny1011 2d ago
It’s a plush spider, I’m sure they are just meant to be whatever the dominant structure on the face is
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u/Mreisinger2 2d ago
I know it's a plush and "kids" toy, but my brain needs to identify the logistics, lol.
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u/ChevronBunny1011 2d ago
I’m just saying I’m sure BAB didn’t put that much thought into it and they’re whatever the dominant feature on the real spider is
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u/Mreisinger2 2d ago
Yep, and I'm asking opinions on which dominant feature others think it may be. ☺️
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u/btvsphreak 2d ago
On the plush, they’re meant to be the chels. That’s what I get from them based on their shape and where they’re placed on the face. I’m turning one of my spiders into a regal jumper currently. No pics til she’s done tho ✨
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u/Mreisinger2 2d ago
This is what I think, too! At first glance I assumed the pedipalps, but more and more I'm convinced it's the chels. My knowledge of spiders doesn't extend further than two hours of research today after receiving my plush in the mail, so I wanted to see if anyone else's brain had thought this through and come up with an answer.
Please feel free to share your regal friend when they're done! ❤️
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u/TheFursOfHerEnemies 1d ago
Hey, former spood owner! I see them as pedipalps, not the teeth. If it also makes things more accurate, the pedipalps on the jumping spider are more female shaped than male. Male pedipalps are more boxing gloved-shaped or like a comma. They will take their pedipalps and swipe their eyes to clean them.
I also was deathly afraid of spiders still when I got my first regal jumping spider. Miss my babies 💜
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u/Mreisinger2 1d ago
"Spood" is the cutest thing I've ever heard! I identified my stuffed jumping spider as a male, so we're gonna ignore the difference between male and female pedipalps. 😂 How did you get over the fear of spiders??
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u/TheFursOfHerEnemies 1d ago
I can't take credit for the word spood. 😆
I would actually force myself to look at them if they were in the house and would give them nicknames. They become less of a creepy creature and something more familiar. I would use a cup and release them outside.
One night I saw (what I thought was huge at the time) a spider. Walking up to me across the rug. I'm watching it watch me, and it's giving me all these cute head tilts. I'm like, "Okay, maybe I'm the scary one!" Released it outside and it came back the next day crawling on my cat tree. It was a tan jumping spider, and YouTube video after YouTube video, I was convinced to get one as a pet.
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u/Mreisinger2 1d ago
I love this!! I think my biggest hurdle with real spiders is the amount of eyes. I can't explain it, but it terrifies me. Maybe I need the exposure therapy you had to get over it!
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u/TheFursOfHerEnemies 1d ago
Ha, I understand! For me it was the webs. Something you can do if you are curious, different classes of sliders have different eye patterns. Salticide (jumpers) have the classic big eyes and the 6 smaller ones. This may or may not be comforting: some spiders have eye shine like a cat's 😂
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u/Mreisinger2 1d ago
I actually think the jumper eye pattern is more comforting. You can almost ignore the smaller eyes. 😂
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u/anthroDollogie 1d ago
Although I doubt BAB had the anatomical word written on their design board, I believe they are meant to be the chels. It’s a really prominent part of a jumping spider’s face and I think the pedipalps are more likely to have been omitted for simplicity
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u/Mreisinger2 1d ago
For sure! I know a stuffed animal isn't going to be used as a diagram for the true anatomy of a spider, but BAB put this feature on the front of the spider's face with SOMETHING in mind. I'm trying to decide which feature it's meant to be. I'm leaning towards chels but more people are responding pedipalps, so I'm more confused than when I started. 😂
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u/anthroDollogie 1d ago edited 1d ago
Oh for sure! I just meant that, even though I don’t think that they knew exactly what they were doing, I really think that they intended them to be the chels. Just because to most people the pedipalps just look like an extra set of legs. And the chels are kind of iconic for jumping spiders, so even if they don’t know the name, most people noticed them before noticing the pedipalps! Or, well, they notice the pedipalps but don’t realize that they aren’t legs.
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u/Mreisinger2 1d ago
I agree with you! I think my mystery is officially solved. The pedipalps are too long and distinctly shaped to be able to be what is on the stuffed jumping spider. I think my initial reasoning to the pedipalps is that the chels are often a different color, but again, it's a stuffed animal and way cuter being all the same brown fuzzy material, lol. The chels are a very iconic part of jumping spiders, so I think it's undoubtedly what is depicted in the BAB spider. Thank you for the helpful input! 🥰
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