Phidippus audax alternatives?

[hisk]

So every summer, a bold jumping spider hangs out just underneath the mirror of my car - don't ask me why they keep picking there, I have no idea.

I'm pretty fond of my little neighbors. They're oddly engaging for spiders, which I've never liked much until I started observing them. Seeing these guys got me wondering, are there species that exhibit a similar "boldness" that are slightly larger and easier to observe in an enclosure?

Does anyone have any suggestions for ones I could research?

 

[pannaking22]

Others in the genus Phidippus tend to show the same behaviors and P. regius is the largest US species. Hyllus show up in the US hobby from time to time and would be similar too.

 

[Wolfspidurguy]

So every summer, a bold jumping spider hangs out just underneath the mirror of my car - don't ask me why they keep picking there, I have no idea.

I'm pretty fond of my little neighbors. They're oddly engaging for spiders, which I've never liked much until I started observing them. Seeing these guys got me wondering, are there species that exhibit a similar "boldness" that are slightly larger and easier to observe in an enclosure?

Does anyone have any suggestions for ones I could research?

hi i hate to be the bearer of bad news but are you new to the hobby because if you are i wouldn't recommend keeping jumpers. id they there more of an intermediate spider. me personally i killed 3 or 4 trying to perfect how to keep them and the only one ive successfully kept didnt live very long and i have no idea why. but if you are experienced or dont think im right phiddipus regus ive heard are pretty hearty i dont know if they have that same boldness. if you really like phiddipus audix that much id say just get one there actauly not too hard to observe in captivity.

 

[Lil Paws]

hi i hate to be the bearer of bad news but are you new to the hobby because if you are i wouldn't recommend keeping jumpers. id they there more of an intermediate spider. me personally i killed 3 or 4 trying to perfect how to keep them and the only one ive successfully kept didnt live very long and i have no idea why. but if you are experienced or dont think im right phiddipus regus ive heard are pretty hearty i dont know if they have that same boldness. if you really like phiddipus audix that much id say just get one there actauly not too hard to observe in captivity.

Okay, I'm new at keeping jumpers, but there's a couple great jumper husbandry and appreciation groups on Facebook. I've been in contact with a number of keepers, and I've learned jumpers aren't really that much more difficult than tarantulas. However, taking in wild caught ones can be tricky depending on the species, age, and personality of the individual you keep—as well as other factors—like if the spider came in contact with outside dangers (parasites, pesticides, disease, etc...)

The key to keeping healthy, happy jumpers is to make sure they have good ventilation, space is supposed to be good as stimulation and exercise is supposed to also help them live longer, mist them every day to every other day, and make sure to get them young—preferably captive-bred.

They live 1-3 years so if you get a wild-caught there's the risk of ending up with a jumper who is at the end of its lifespan. Also you risk ending up with a pregnant female, and if you can't take the time to care for the babies you have to be very mindful of what to do with her eggsac(s). Removing it/them can cause the females to stress out and die.

P. Audax can be a nice size when they are full-grown and they are supposed to have nice personalities, but if you want larger P. Reguis are supposed to be wonderful. Both of those are supposed to do very well in captivity (and I'm getting one of each very soon). They seem to enjoy interacting with humans—though like tarantulas, each jumper can have a different personality. Some may want to hop on your hand, and some are very skittish. A number of jumper keepers say keeping captive-bred can make a bit of a difference. They are very intelligent spiders—comparable with social species of mammals.

Here is a website that offers really helpful advice: http://www.mypetjumpingspider.com/getting-started/

 

[Smokehound714]

Paraphidippus basalis is a big one from AZ, but im unsure just how large they get- some say they exceed audax and match regius

 

[pandabacon]

hi i hate to be the bearer of bad news but are you new to the hobby because if you are i wouldn't recommend keeping jumpers. id they there more of an intermediate spider. me personally i killed 3 or 4 trying to perfect how to keep them and the only one ive successfully kept didnt live very long and i have no idea why. but if you are experienced or dont think im right phiddipus regus ive heard are pretty hearty i dont know if they have that same boldness. if you really like phiddipus audix that much id say just get one there actauly not too hard to observe in captivity.

I honestly don't agree with anything you just posted. You must be doing something very wrong. Jumpers are some of the hardiest spiders especially if they are native to your area and easiest pets to keep in general. In good conditions in captivity they can live over 2 years easily. Literally all they need is a clean enclosure, good airflow, some sunlight and a day night cycle, some water and any common live insect for food. I literally have 3 Jumpers right now that are healthy and doing fine and I do very little to care for them other than feed and water them often and move them to the sunlight and back at night. I also keep their enclosures clear of dead food.