Scientists say that if you see a spider lying still, your instinct might be to smash it.
German researchers discovered that jumping spiders may fall asleep in REM cycles. This is a deep dream-like state with rapid eye movement and fast eye movements.
“They have little bursts of activity throughout the night that reoccur pretty regularly, and the durations are also very regular,” behavioral ecologist Daniela Roessler, the report’s author, CBS News.
Jumping spiders were observed while taking 8-legged naps with night vision cameras, but unfortunately that doesn’t let us know what they were dreaming about.
“So, I personally do think that they’re experiencing visual dreams, but it will be very difficult to prove that scientifically,” Roessler said.
Jamie Mitchell, senior keeper for invertebrates at London Zoo, had an idea about what the arthropods may be dreaming of while asleep.
“I would imagine they’re going to be dreaming about flies, probably,” Mitchell said.