Spider Smarts

Phidippus regius jumping spider. Source: Nosferattus, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Research over the last three decades has begun to reveal the diversity and complexity of spider behavior. In addition to complex communication and signaling behavior, spiders demonstrate learning and reversal learning, significant problem-solving skills, and possibly even the ability to count.

I talked with biologist Ximena Nelson, author of the 2024 book The Lives of Spiders, about studying spider smarts in the lab and what she wants people to know about these often-misunderstood arachnids.

Read the Q&A at my Animal Minds blog: Spiders Are Smart, Not Scary.