# questions on Phidippus audax



## Gillian (Nov 16, 2002)

Hi all,
     I have a few questions on these little cuties. They are in great abundance around my yard, and in the spring and summer, I catch them, and take care of them inside. However, I have timed this, and it always runs the same. They live for 3-5 months, tops.
   Is this normal, or could I be doing something wrong?

Peace,
Gillian


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## Code Monkey (Nov 16, 2002)

In a recent thread in the 'Other Arachnids' forum, Alex S put their captive lifespan at a max of 5-6 months, so if you're getting 3-5 consistently for that species it's probably all the longer they live.


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## Gillian (Nov 16, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Code Monkey _
> *In a recent thread in the 'Other Arachnids' forum, Alex S put their captive lifespan at a max of 5-6 months, so if you're getting 3-5 consistently for that species it's probably all the longer they live. *


tHANKS cm,
   So, they have basically, a little more than a season of life, like a "daddy longlegs". I thought it was something remiss in my care; so, I stopped catching them, thinking I was killing them 

Peace,
Gillian


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## Alex S. (Nov 17, 2002)

Yeah, I kept a juvinile once that lived just a little over 5 months, at least in my experience.

Alex S.


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## Gillian (Nov 17, 2002)

Alex,
    Good..Like I told CM, I thought I was doing something wrong. Amazing little spiders. Very personable, and the hunting display is so cute. Although, one thing has a higher degree of "cuteness". I placed a smallish 2 week old crick in one of my phidippus' terrariums, and I guess it scared him. He stood on tiptoes, and held his crablike front appedages up.=D 
   Any hints on care?

Peace,
Gillian


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## Alex S. (Nov 17, 2002)

*Salticidae*

Hey Gillian, yeah, salticids definetely seem to have their own personalities. They are very intelegent spiders. I agree with you, it is pretty funny when they get into their little defensive postures  . As for care, a medium-size glass jar works great. Of course you will need to poke many, very small holes in the lid. I always put a small piece of vertical cork-bark in the enclosure as well as small fake plants with large leaves. Peat/potting soil mix works good for substrate. I feed the specimen around 3 to 5 small crickets a week and occasionally mist once a week. The spider will drink the drops from the mist, so there is no need for a small water dish. Hope that helped 

Alex S.


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## Gillian (Nov 17, 2002)

Alex,
   Yes, you did help. You suggested a few things I wasn't doing, so I'll add those, next time I find one.

Peace,
Gillian


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## Tarantula Lover (Nov 17, 2002)

*hey Gillian*

i just caught myself a Phidippus audax, what can i feed it, it is really small, well pretty big, i need info!!

               James


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## Gillian (Nov 17, 2002)

Ok,
    It needs to be in a weel-ventilated container, with some opportunity to climb. How big is it, compared to your? I fed mine very small 2 week old crickets, and misted the sides of the container for water for it to drink. However, they only live about 5-6 months, tops.


Peace,
Gillian


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## Gillian (Nov 17, 2002)

Jeez! Do I need more coffee, or less?! 


Ok. Strike some of the above. It should be well ventilated, instead of weel ventilated, and yours, instead of your.

Peace,
Gillian 

I are an Evelyn Wood Speed Typist...


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## bness2 (Nov 18, 2002)

*Re: hey Gillian*



> _Originally posted by Tarantula Lover _
> *i just caught myself a Phidippus audax, what can i feed it, it is really small, well pretty big, i need info!!
> 
> James *


I feed mine 2-3 week old crickets and moths.  I would bet he could even catch larger crickets, but since I have an abundance of that size, that's what he gets.

Bryan


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## Joy (Nov 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Code Monkey _
> *In a recent thread in the 'Other Arachnids' forum, Alex S put their captive lifespan at a max of 5-6 months, so if you're getting 3-5 consistently for that species it's probably all the longer they live. *


I imagine that's accurate for adult specimens.  I have some P. regius who hatched last summer that are still alive and well.  I'm very curious to see how much longer they will live.  Some of them recently made eggsacs (presumably infertile, as they haven't been mated) and since their mother died soon after they emerged from the eggsac, I suspect their life cycle may be nearly complete.

Joy


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## Tarantula Lover (Nov 18, 2002)

*hey*

it is really small, and thanks guys!!

                 James


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## Alex S. (Nov 18, 2002)

*Salticid Feeding*

I would simply suggest using pinhead crickets or flightless fruit flies. You wont have to worry about speed or the size of the prey as salticids have no problems at all in those areas.

Alex S.


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## ZergFront (May 28, 2009)

*Yay!*

I didn't know so many of u kept jumpers!  

 I have a female of a different Phidippus that's on her second egg sac. Probably because I wouldn't let her go hungry guarding the first. I kept sticking a fly or silverfish inside her nest with the tweezers until she bit down and didn't let it go, so she thought she was eating a threat to her eggs. X-D


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## Fyreflye (May 29, 2009)

I've had my P. audax named 'Parker' since this last november, when i found him on the back of my couch.  He had his adult molt soon after, so it's been...just over 6 months now.  I hate to think that his lifespan is coming to a close!  Say it isn't so!


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## Tapahtyn (May 29, 2009)

Code Monkey said:


> In a recent thread in the 'Other Arachnids' forum, Alex S put their captive lifespan at a max of 5-6 months, so if you're getting 3-5 consistently for that species it's probably all the longer they live.


Noooooooooo!!  That makes me sad.  I don't want my little guys to die


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## ZergFront (May 29, 2009)

*awwww...*

Can u get him a mate? I hate to think the poor dude might die a virgin.

 I found my jumpers late April and I have no idea how old they were when I found them, so it kind of sucks knowing that they could either go tomarrow or in the next few months. Least I managed to keep one of them alive to her second egg sac so far. That's kind of a plus.

 That's probably the only downside to jumpers. If they had a much longer lifespan, I would much more prefer a jumper over a T. Only my current house is keeping me from owning a T or a scorp. ^_^

 OMG, if they could make a taratula-sized jumper that would be soooo awesome! I think I'd buy as many as I could spare space and money.


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## jynxxxedangel (May 29, 2009)

Gillian said:


> Ok,
> It needs to be in a weel-ventilated container, with some opportunity to climb. How big is it, compared to your? I fed mine very small 2 week old crickets, and misted the sides of the container for water for it to drink. However, they only live about 5-6 months, tops.
> 
> 
> ...


My eldest female is nearly three years old, folks. She has become quite the hermitess, only emerging from her hide when she gets hungry or thirsty, but she still appears to be quite healthy. 

The fact of the matter is, P. audax can live to be quite old!

Reactions: Like 1


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## ZergFront (May 29, 2009)

*Wow...*

That's awesome jynx. I hope she gave you her strong legacy of babies.  

 I did read some can live about 1-2 years but that was under the best conditions. No way in the wild. What's your big secret? Haha!


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## Matt K (May 29, 2009)

Mine are free roaming in my bug room and seem to live a year or so- not two- and then dissapear.  Right now I have small ones roaming everywhere (this years batch) and maybe 2 or 3 adults...


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## ZergFront (May 30, 2009)

*???*

How do u tell they're the same ones if they're 1 yr and free-roaming? Sorry, I just ask because I can barely tell mine apart unless ones more gravid. hehe!


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## onex1864 (Jun 11, 2010)

i found one on my kitchen sink.I put it in a jar poked lots of holes  in the lid. on one of the other treads about Phidippus audax  i heard that the jar it easier to  clean if u hang it up side down so that all you have to do is wash the lid so i did that in hung the jar from  my bed and i put sticks, rock and leaves in the jar, for  him to climb on becuz he was just sitting  on the lid of the jar i made sure not to block off any of the hole and for water i put some around the lid tonight i going to grab some bugs flying around my pouch light and grab some fly from my window seal. is there any other food i could give him and am i doing any thing wrong


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## onex1864 (Jun 11, 2010)

mine has a heart on the back and the other one i had over the years have have thing i about them that diffent from the rest


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## TheTyro (Jun 11, 2010)

You can probably remove the rock. Just in case the jar falls, the rock won't rattle around and squish the spider. Audax rarely crawl over the ground, they prefer vertical walls by far.


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## ZergFront (Jun 12, 2010)

TheTyro said:


> You can probably remove the rock. Just in case the jar falls, the rock won't rattle around and squish the spider. Audax rarely crawl over the ground, they prefer vertical walls by far.


 They love to climb and unlike lots of spiders they are diurnal. Not only do they hunt in daylight but they actually seem to love sunlight. Mine sometimes bask on a leaf.

 I once had placed a glass vial off-balance. The spider was out and the vial fell and rolled over the baby jumper. Bugger didn't stand a chance...


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## TheTyro (Jun 12, 2010)

ZergFront said:


> They love to climb and unlike lots of spiders they are diurnal. Not only do they hunt in daylight but they actually seem to love sunlight. Mine sometimes bask on a leaf.
> 
> I once had placed a glass vial off-balance. The spider was out and the vial fell and rolled over the baby jumper. Bugger didn't stand a chance...


I think ultraviolet light plays a critical role in their lives, especially with such metallic chelicerae. Whenever I paired my Phids for mating I made sure they had good lighting. Make the man spider more attractive.


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## Malhavoc's (Jun 12, 2010)

Sunshine+house flies=jumping spider in heaven. 

I actualy wonder what they gain from basking in the sun, whenever I hunt these guys you find them alot more in the sun rather then in the shade- infact probably a good 6:1 ratio


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## Balkastalkman (Jun 13, 2010)

I found a female and her eggsack/ cocoon/ house and took it and put it in an extra large deli container (with the eggs attached to some cork bark. The female recognized it was her egg sack and webbed it up more). When will the eggsack hatch?... Does anyone know


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## What (Jun 13, 2010)

You will see the sac visibly get darker as the spiderlings mature inside... No real way to even guesstimate when it will hatch.


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## Motzo (Jun 13, 2010)

I raised my oldest jumper from sling to adult, and she's nearing 2 years and becoming very docile.
She's given me somewhere around 6 eggsacs from a single mate, and she's beginning to lose her ability to climb walls. I put her in a different enclosure and she didn't even bother making a web pouch to hide in. She rarely eats.

I remember reading in a few places that they live up to 2 years in captivity, so I don't expect her to be around much longer.
But they still do live pretty long, and you can switch to the next generation fairly easy if you know how to raise a sling.

And Jynx-- how did you get yours to live so long? That's a pretty darn old audax


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