Clueless

[new2spoods]

Hey, I'm REAL new to the spider world. My daughter became obsessed with spiders about a year ago and after she spent all this time researching how to care for them, we agreed she could buy a jumping spider. He arrived 3 days ago. His enclosure is cute, it has a large plant, cocofibre substrate, a small hide. It's kept at between 25 & 26° and has a nice moist corner. All the things the research I can find online suggested he needs. My problem is, he doesn't seem to do anything. He went for a wander around his enclosure the first day then he climbed back up to the top and has since just gone round the top and stayed there. We've tried feeding him flies and mealworm, doesn't seem interested in either (had to remove them from enclosure) I'm going to try small locusts tomorrow but is this normal? Is there anything we can do to make him a bit more active? Am I doing something wrong? He's a beautiful bold boy and we want him to be happy. Thanks

 

[The Snark]

Patience suggested. It won't starve for a few weeks. Observe.

 

[DaveM]

That does sound normal. You can post photos here if you have concerns about your setup, though it appears fine from your description. Spiders are not like pet dogs that will reliably eat every day. They have slow metabolisms, and life events like molting that will interrupt the already infrequent feeding patterns. It may take a little while for your spider to adjust to new surroundings. Photos would help. It can be a problem if the prey offered are too big for the spider.

 

[kadupul]

Another issue may be that if it's a juvenile, your prey items could be too big and might be scaring them.

 

[The Snark]

Is there anything we can do to make him a bit more active?

Your goal: Health and contentment of the animal. General rule with virtually all spiders: The less active the better. activity shortens their life spans.

That being said, even the largest salticids will capture gnats and similar size prey. Take a container you can put a lid on. Place it open on a counter or shelf somewhere out of the way with a piece of fruit in it. Replace the fruit if it dries out. When you have a swarm of fruit flies on it, cover the container, put it in the spider enclosure and uncover it.
Keeping a fruit fly culture going with two or more containers assures continuous supply of food.

 

[kadupul]

even the largest salticids will capture gnats and similar size prey.

I bred regal jumpers recently and the slings did take them for a very long time, but eventually they stopped and I moved them to mealworms. When I first introduced them to the new food they were very wary. I ended up moving some of the more fickle ones from their larger enclosures into 6 ounce deli cups with maimed prey to get them to finally start taking them.

 

[The Snark]

@kadupul Seems like a sound plan. Getting them to accept sedentary food means less ranging. We have jumpers constantly ranging the walls and porch roofs here. They always come and go over a period of a few weeks. Out in the garbage pile behind the house on a dead papaya trunk there is always 10 or more, usually just sitting there.

Coping with birds considering the jumpers a buffet. Laser and pops.

 

[Isopods others]

Invertebrates are a little like robots in that if they aren't hungry, their environment is fine, they isn't wanting of a mate then they won't really move. For example you can tell how well you've provided for an Isopod by how fast it moves ( faster being worse an environment) this is rather more robotic than say a dog or cat, that move not just for survival so I don't think it's wise to try and make it move if it doesn't on it's own

 

[darkness975]

Hey, I'm REAL new to the spider world. My daughter became obsessed with spiders about a year ago and after she spent all this time researching how to care for them, we agreed she could buy a jumping spider. He arrived 3 days ago. His enclosure is cute, it has a large plant, cocofibre substrate, a small hide. It's kept at between 25 & 26° and has a nice moist corner. All the things the research I can find online suggested he needs. My problem is, he doesn't seem to do anything. He went for a wander around his enclosure the first day then he climbed back up to the top and has since just gone round the top and stayed there. We've tried feeding him flies and mealworm, doesn't seem interested in either (had to remove them from enclosure) I'm going to try small locusts tomorrow but is this normal? Is there anything we can do to make him a bit more active? Am I doing something wrong? He's a beautiful bold boy and we want him to be happy. Thanks

They don't move much and they don't eat daily. It sounds fine.

What's the setup ? Make sure it can drink.