Scared of spiders? Some former arachnophobes now are keeping jumping spiders as pets

"For Emily Hess, it was a Phidippus regius named Gretel. Hayden Shea's first was caught by her boyfriend's dad. Sunday Costell ordered her first one off eBay. Those spiders were the gateway bugs into the booming community of jumping spider pet owners. And thanks to social media videos of their head-tilting, leg waggling antics, these web-slingers are in high demand."

"These could-be pests have made the leap to hugely popular pets, particularly with women, sellers say, noting some women get interested as they try to overcome their fear of spiders, while others are simply enchanted by their unexpected cuteness. As a result, breeders are being flooded with requests online as videos rack up millions of views. "There's a lot of demand. I don't even post mine anymore. I just wait. I just go based on the DMs on my Instagram," said Shea, a breeder in St. Cloud, Fla."

"There are thousands of different types of jumping spiders in the world, with 300 in the U.S. alone, according to the Bohart Museum of Entomology. They can jump up to a height of 40 times their body size, which is usually smaller than a penny. Phidippus regius, commonly known as the regal jumping spider, is the largest type found in North America. They live in trees, which means they usually hang out at the top of their enclosures. And if you lose one in the house, you should look up."

"The spiders come in a variety of colors, peachy oranges, inky blacks and white (which has been in high demand lately because they are rarer). And they shed their exoskeletons. "They could change drastically over their molts," said breeder Shea. "It's really interesting. Like I've had some that are white and they go completely dark.""

Jumping spiders have become sought-after pets as social media videos showcasing their head-tilting and leg-waggling behaviors attract viewers. Many new owners are women, some overcoming spider fear and others captivated by perceived cuteness. Breeders report dramatic increases in demand and sales, with inquiries arriving through direct messages and viral posts. There are thousands of species worldwide, about 300 in the U.S., and Phidippus regius is the largest North American species. Jumping spiders can leap many times their body length, display diverse colors, often inhabit the tops of enclosures, and can change appearance across molts.

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