# Jumping Spider dead or dying



## TheTyro (Sep 1, 2009)

When spiders die, do they still react to touch and move a little bit for a while after? 

I've had this female Phidippus Audax for about two months but I never saw her eat. She always had crickets and water available. I offered her moths, ants, flies, caterpillars, etc but none seemed to interest her. In the time I've had her though, her abdomen has never looked shrunk and I saw some dead crickets in the cage, so I assumed she had fed at least once or twice but never saw her actually attacking. The other crickets happily ate the dead cricket so I couldn't see if it was a spider kill.

I took her outside today in a little container, she sat in the sun for a few minutes then hid under a leaf. I brought her back in the house and she wandered around the cage as usual. About three hours ago I noticed her sort of hanging on the side of her cage as normal but was less " fixed" on the webbing as I normally see, so I scooped her out and she was extremely sluggish, not even trying to right herself when at an angle. 

Then she stopped trying at all, and wasn't moving. I thought she was dead. She was laying there sort of limp looking, not moving when I brushed her little hairs ( normally doesn't like that at all) so I thought she was definitely dead.

But then about 20 minutes later when I breathed on her, she raised her arms slightly and held them up, she still reacts slightly and raises her abdomen and forelegs a bit quickly...but then just lays.

Is she dead? Or is her body just twitching or something?


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## Widowman10 (Sep 1, 2009)

doesn't sound too good. probably on her way out if she's a full-grown adult. i would just keep offering small prey items and always make sure there's plenty of access to water. there might just be nothing you can do at this point. critters do get old and die. it is a her, right (i know you said she, but...)?


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## TheTyro (Sep 1, 2009)

Yep, she's full grown ( I have a picture of her uploaded in my gallery thingy) and I tried giving her water, but no reaction. I don't want to drown her either so I am going to try using like, a q tip, but I'm scared if moving her much.  She seems dead, except that she moves a little when touched. I feel bad doing even lightly touching her to check but I don't want to assume too soon. I already miss her though. I loved how she would look at me and go on her merry way. *sniff* she is/was a good spider. I hope she had many children!

( some I might possibly have with me >_>)


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## Widowman10 (Sep 1, 2009)

looks like a big fatty from your picture...


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## TheTyro (Sep 1, 2009)

She was! She died a little while after I posted last. I want to try preserving her. 

Thank you for the help


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## Widowman10 (Sep 1, 2009)

with a spider that small, you may want to try freeze-drying her. once she's dead, position her how you would like her preserved, then stick her in the freezer for a few months. that should do the trick nicely.


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## Irene B. Smithi (Sep 1, 2009)

There's a neat post in the scorpion thread about preserving little critters!!!  It was a while ago, if I run across it, I edit it in to this reply....

Edit:  here's the post I mentioned!!!


http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=158204





TheTyro said:


> She was! She died a little while after I posted last. I want to try preserving her.
> 
> Thank you for the help


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## Widowman10 (Sep 1, 2009)

i don't like using alcohol/liquids because most tend to discolor over time for one, and for two, you can't do much hands on stuff. harder to see than if it was freeze dried or simply set out to harden.


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## TheTyro (Sep 3, 2009)

I put her in the freezer for now, my boyfriends mom and sister were not too pleased about it either! :? haha. I think if I dont hear back from the guy who does the resin stuff soon i may preserve her like Orchid's link suggests. Thanks a bunch for going out of your way to help me!


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