# AnyOne know how to care for a jumping spider?



## MarkTwain (Feb 21, 2014)

I always wanted one pet but I have a few concerns. I haven't seen a lot about them online. Like how long do they live? I saw the temp. and how to house and feed them but the life expectancy I am not sure of and can they live together. I am really interested in getting a couple but I dont want to purchasethem with out knowing exactly what to expect and the website I am going to order from doesn't say much


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## JeromeTabuzo (Feb 21, 2014)

Never keep them together!! they will eat each other , i hav a few spiders here which i used to catch , and yea they loved pinhead crickets , small mealworm , and lobster roach nymphs, they build web homes around their container.i kept mine in bare bottom tank with a small cave for them to hide in , just remove the insect debris after they have eaten up their prey , they do well on 20 degree celsius (well it depends on the specie of the spider).Theyre pretty cool pets . you can add a few plants or soil in its habitat. To feed just drop the insect on its cage and it will get it on its own , remove any uneaten prey every 24 hours to avoid injuries on your spider. You can keep them critter keeper. hope i helped!


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## Smokehound714 (Feb 21, 2014)

Some, like Phidippus and Habronattus can live up to three-and-a-half years.  (if well cared for, fed infrequently, and given access to clean water daily)

  like jeromeetabuzo said, they are not communal and will kill each other.  Females will fight savagely, especially over prime molting sites.

  A jumper's natural instinct is to make its nest as high as possible, which is why they will spin retreats on the lid if not given access to a hide.  A simple section of cardboard roll makes a good hide, that will generally keep them from making their nest on the lid, but not always.


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## MarkTwain (Feb 21, 2014)

yes Bro a great deal I'm going to order a couple to see how they manage

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I'd just glue a hide on the side of the tank mid point to the top I'm going to try to replicate the conditions the live in


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## JeromeTabuzo (Feb 21, 2014)

btw they can have several meals per day so that's why it isnt a good idea to mix them together , i had once 4 daring jumping spider in one cage , i ended up with one spider and saw lots of debris of the other spider


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## RzezniksRunAway (Feb 21, 2014)

Smokehound714 said:


> A jumper's natural instinct is to make its nest as high as possible, which is why they will spin retreats on the lid if not given access to a hide.  A simple section of cardboard roll makes a good hide, that will generally keep them from making their nest on the lid, but not always.


Generally, unless you have a bullheaded female who refuses to utilize any object you give her and insists on webbing the lid onto her container at every opportunity. 



I love my jumpers, they're easily my favorite invert right now, and possibly my favorite pet that I currently have. Endlessly entertaining, and so freaking adorable. I like giant pickle jars for mine, as long as they're quality glass. I just cut the lid with a dremel, sanded it and glued screen to it. A bit of dirt at the bottom, a few random dried weeds from our garden and a clipping of pothos. I feed crickets and dubia nymphs. I feed the dubia's off of tongs so they don't burrow into the bottom, and it's super cute how they'll stalk it, and then gently take it off of the tongs.

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## Spepper (Feb 21, 2014)

I have a giant plastic jar I got from Walmart that held a bunch of cheese puff-ball things in it.  It's probably way more than its inhabitant will need but hey, in the wild they have the whole world.   I don't put any substrate in my jumper jars because they can actually suffocate on dust particles.  I learned that the hard way.


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## RzezniksRunAway (Feb 21, 2014)

I don't like the sound of that Spepper.  What kind of substrate was it? I keep mine kind of damp, but not so much that I get mold. I also have some fairly well adjusted jumpers that don't freak out when I clean the insides of their containers. 

I have a few of those cheese-puff type plastic containers laying around waiting for summer... so I can fill them with more jumpers. They are a really nice size for them. It's about the size of the pickle jars I have them in, but not as heavy.


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## Spepper (Feb 21, 2014)

It was pine shavings.  Unfortunately I didn't know that pine was bad at the time (when I was new to true spiders) and the jar was quite small.  I messed up a lot with that little guy.  He was a Thiodina hespera male.  When I first caught him he was very lively (everything a jumper should be) but after a while he just seemed to lose his "pep" and so I asked here on Arachnoboards and someone said that jumpers don't only breathe through book lungs like most spiders, they also breathe through a trachea.  But he never died under my care (yes I know, you're saying "whaaat?  You tell me this horror story just to give me a happy ending?!") because as there were no air holes in the lid I didn't screw it on all the way and he escaped.  Dampening the substrate might keep the danger of dust particles down though, but that's my story. :/


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## Smokehound714 (Feb 21, 2014)

the bigger the enclosure, the better, with jumpers.    A big container will actually allow for more natural behavior, you can make a nice elaborate display, too.


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## RzezniksRunAway (Feb 21, 2014)

Ah, I would assume with pine shavings in a small enclosure it was more than likely the phenols and aromatic hydrocarbons in the wood, kiln dried or not, that caused the issues. I stopped using any sort of pine or cedar when I had my pet rats because their respiratory systems are sensitive to begin with, and I just kept with it. Phenols are caustic and cause respiratory damage and elevated/abnormal enzymes in small mammals, so I would assume that would most likely translate to inverts, except ones that evolved to eat those kind of plants. 

 I was worried you were going to say that it was coco fiber or something of the sort.


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## Spepper (Feb 21, 2014)

Ha, not coco fiber.   Like I said I messed up a lot.  I also find no substrate to make clean-up easier but I guess that part is personal preference.


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## Salticstance (Feb 23, 2014)

The container is one aspect of spider care. I agree that a larger container will allow your spider to be more active. Most species of Phidippus like to hang out at the top of the container, so a design that doesn't tear the sac each time you open it is important.  What you feed it and how often are important too. That depends on the size, sex, and level of maturity. You need to be aware of their behavior if you plan on allowing a male and female to mate. There are many aspects that you should be aware of when rearing Phidippus. They are not difficult to care for, but if you know what to expect, then you and the spider will be happier. That's why I include a care sheet that covers all aspects of your spider's life with every order.


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## EXOPET (Feb 28, 2014)

Generic Jumping spider caresheet

Enclosure;
The enclosure depends entirely on the adult size of the spider but as a general rule 8” cubed for smaller (up to 1cm body length) species such as Hyllus semicupreus or Plexippus paykulli and 12” cubed for the larger species such as Hyllus giganteus, Hyllus diardii or Phidippus species.

The enclosure should be as ‘entertaining’ as possible for the occupants, these are highly intelligent invertebrates which have an I.Q. comparable to that of the average dog. Décor should include bark, various vines / branches and leaves, along with moss and maybe some rocky outcrops. A bare and spartan tank will reduce the lifespan of the spider due to stress. Live plants can be used, but take care not to include any species that are poisonous as the livefoods may nibble on them and potentially poison the spider. These are communal species to varying degrees, although the genus Portia are generally regarded as solitary due to them being specialist spider eaters.
Specifics;
The vast majority of species available are rainforest species which require high humidity, the American species prefer humidity in the region of 75% ambient humidity with temperatures of around 23 to 28 degrees celcius. Examples of these species include Phidippus regius and Phidippus otiosus.
South East Asian species like it more humid, in the region of 80% to 100% ambient humidity, but require far more airflow than their American counterparts, this is a direct result of them evolving to live in rainforests with large open areas, increasing the amount of air movement within them.
As a generalisation, all species of salticid require excellent ventilation ideally with vents at the top and bottom of the enclosure, preferably on opposite sides at least and ideally top and bottom on both sides.
Drier climate species such as Phidippus audax or platycryptus undatus will do perfectly well with ambient humidity of around 50%

Feeding;
DO NOT FEED CRICKETS OR COCKROACHES TO JUMPING SPIDERS
I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure you do not feed nocturnal species such as crickets and cockroaches to jumping spiders.
Jumping spiders are a day active species which will settle down in a retreat as the light levels draw in, crickets and cockroaches especially will hide until it is dark and will eventually find and probably eat the spider whilst it is sleeping (personal experience).
Ideal food sources depend on the level of décor, personally I recommend flies as the best food source as they have no biting mouthparts and are highly active so the spider is more likely to encounter them. Fruit flies for young and smaller species are ideal, larger species will readily take greenbottle and bluebottle flies, these flies should be fed with beetle jelly or fruitfly culture mediums. Hopper locusts can also be used, but as they are not very active, they will not be as readily encountered. I have also found that a bowl used to feed two or 3 mealworms WILL be used, the spider will eagerly await the bowl being re filled when hungry also, so it will wait by the bowl. Feed your spiders two or three times a week while active.
Water;
Firstly, bug gel is for invertebrates with chewing mouthparts, no spider can use bug gel as it cannot process the gel, your spider will slowly dehydrate and die.
Jumping spiders love to drink water droplets, a very light misting of the enclosure will allow the spider to drink, also by keeping the substrate moist they will drink from that. 

Breeding;
Breeding salticids is easy, very easy. They are a highly visual species and this is immediately apparent during courtship, which begins with much arm waving and abdomen vibrating from the males, once the female reciprocates, the male will immediately respond by climbing on top of the female and turning her abdomen round to insert his charged palps into her. Egg laying can be as little as 2 weeks later but up to about six weeks. The South East Asian species tend to have smaller clutches (up to 35) with larger jumperlings that develop in around 2 to 4 weeks from egg to emergence from the eggsac. The American species tend to have large clutches of between 50 and 150 eggs which develop more slowly and emerge after 4 to 6 weeks. Mating occurs in early afternoon and seems to be triggered by natural sunlight / high light levels. UV light is non essential, but would be more effective in inducing breeding than an incandescent bulb or standard fluorescent tube.
Examples of species currently in culture;
South East Asian;
Hyllus diardii
Hyllus giganteus
Hyllus semicupreus
Hyllus keratodes
Pancorius magnus
Plexippus petersi
Plexippus paykulli (Pantropical)

American;
Phidippus regius
Phidippus whitmani
Phidippus otiosus
Phippus audax
Platycryptus undatus

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## Smokehound714 (Feb 28, 2014)

Im not understanding why you say not to feed jumpers crickets or roaches..  Heck, i feed my jumpers bigger, badder prey than that, haha.  I give my largest females whole schistocerca nitens adults.  spoiled spiders 

  IQ equal to that of a dog?  Communal?  The only communal jumpers are bagheera.  

  While they're very intelligent spiders, they still lack the advanced cognitive function of a canid.  

  A bare tank is fine.  If it's big, it will make the spider happy.  lots of running and jumping room.   I use simple minimalist setups using only a bare tank, and a hide.  All you need is a bare enclosure with a few twigs and a hide.  I advise against substrate, except for certain species like Phidippus nikites and apacheanus, which prefer sandy habitats, and are commonly found on the ground.  They do better if placed by a window, so they can see outside.  this seems to reduce stress a bit.  

  Light makes no difference.  It's entirely up to the female whether or not breeding will occur.  She will take a receptive pose to signal her readiness.  They will also feign reception to lure males into their chelicerae..

  Most of my successful pairings are in dim rooms with only fluorescent lighting.  As for breeding being very easy, i also have to disagree with that.  As I said above, it's up to the female.  If she doesnt like him, he's toast.  I had a beautiful large male with exaggerated white patches, and she wanted nothing to do with him, preferring the blacker males with less patterning.

  Phidippus can easily make over 200 eggs in a single clutch with optimum food and water.  The larger the spider, the larger and more numerous her eggs.


  For ventilation, cross-venting is the best way to keep air fresh.  top venting only allows air to escape through the top, while side venting pulls in fresh air from below, this will also prevent air stagnation, which can kill jumping spiders.   As for egg-laying, at normal room temperature, mine went from egg to 2i in two weeks.  


  Jumpers are extremely cannibalistic with bagheera being an exception.

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## pannaking22 (Feb 28, 2014)

In terms of enclosures and decorations, I think it's up to what the owner wants to do. I keep my jumpers much like Smokehound does and they do fine. I even had a wild-caught MM _Phidippus_ spp. (can't remember what he was for the life of me) that lasted for a good 8 months after I found him. 

I think both EXOPET and Smokehound brought up some good keeping info on both ends of the spectrum. Certain aspects are bound to work well, others may only work with certain species. I've always been curious about breeding, since my males have a nasty tendency of not quite being attractive enough for the female to avoid being eaten. I'm going to change things up this summer and see if I can really get the ball rolling on breeding a few species

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## Salticstance (Mar 1, 2014)

Shape and size of the containers are not important. I've never used any substrate in any of my containers. You can put your spiders in a terrarium or a tic tac container. As long as it's clean and dry, the spider will be fine. I do put strips of masking tape in the container going up to the top. The spider will almost always make its sac on the tape and prefers to hang out on the tape as well.  I've never noticed my spiders being depressed, but I'm no spider whisperer.  
Crickets are a staple food source for my spiders. I have had a couple die in the early days when I would just throw a cricket in there and check it a few days later. If the spider isn't interested in eating, the cricket can stress the spider. So now I recommend that if the spider doesn't show an interest in eating, then just take the cricket out. 
Phidippus are found in almost every habitat across North America. Within those habitats are microhabitats that specific species prefer. For instance, there is a place here in Florida where I have found P. regius, P. audax, P. otiosus, P. clarus, and P. pulcherrimus. Same place, different microhabitats as adults. P. audax isn't a desert species. Here in Florida, it is frequently found around water.

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## Belladonna420 (Mar 18, 2014)

Would you mind posting a pic of one of your enclosures, specifically the area where you put the masking tape and how?  I just ordered 2 jumpers from you and I'd like to make them as comfortable as possible.  

Thanks!


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## Smokehound714 (Mar 18, 2014)

They should accept prekilled prey, if you're worried about stress.

 Phidippus species seem much more attracted to specific plants, rather than climates.  Audax, for example, is heavily attracted to roses, apples, cherries, and other rosid species.  Octopunctatus strongly prefers good dense closed sagebrush stands, while traditionally considered a "desert" spider, they're also found right on the coastline less than a mile from the ocean.

   just give them good ventilation and they're fine with room temp.

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## Salticstance (Mar 18, 2014)

*Phidippus enclosure*



Belladonna420 said:


> Would you mind posting a pic of one of your enclosures, specifically the area where you put the masking tape and how?  I just ordered 2 jumpers from you and I'd like to make them as comfortable as possible.
> 
> Thanks!


This is what I like to use. I've had great success with it, but it's by no means the only way of doing it. Smokehound mentioned putting small holes around the container near the bottom in addition to the holes at the top to help the air circulate. That would certainly help the air flow through the container. You can certainly use a container larger than this as well. I've used a lot of parmesan cheese containers with a strip of masking tape, but the clarity of these containers isn't always great.  What you want to be careful with is making the holes too large. When dealing with juvenile Phidippus, you'll want to use a very small drill bit so that they don't escape through the holes. As for the masking tape, use either blue or green painters tape if you have it. Any masking tape is better than none, but they definitely prefer the colored tape. When you put the tape in the container, be sure that it is stuck to the top as well. They usually make their sac either right at the top or near the top of the container.

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## pannaking22 (Mar 19, 2014)

Simple enough. That's interesting how they seem to use the tape. I'm guessing because it's a rougher surface and easier to build the sac there. That's a good idea to have the lid at the bottom. Makes cleaning much easier and less destructive


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## Spepper (Mar 19, 2014)

Alrighty, since this thread seems to have become a jumping spider advice-thread I'll ask my question here. :}

How long after a jumping spider molts does it take for its exoskeleton to harden up?  I have a juvenile of what I believe to be a P. johnsoni, but at capture I thought she was a juvenile P. clarus.  However after she molted her abdomen turned bright red with a black stripe down the middle, much like the P. johnsoni I had before that I actually found on top of the Christmas tree.  It's been 3-4 days, and I know she needs food because after molting her abdomen became teeny, but I don't want to destroy her safe haven which she built under the lid until she doesn't actually need it anymore.


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## Salticstance (Mar 19, 2014)

Spepper said:


> Alrighty, since this thread seems to have become a jumping spider advice-thread I'll ask my question here. :}
> 
> How long after a jumping spider molts does it take for its exoskeleton to harden up?


The next day is fine to force from the sac. It may need some assistance capturing its prey.

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## Spepper (Mar 19, 2014)

Thanks!  I actually saw it finally come out of its tent today, of course after I posted asking help.:sarcasm:  And... "she" is actually a "he".  And _he_ caught a small fly and is feasting as I speak.   Thanks for the advice though!  It will be helpful in the future.


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