help! i found a spider in my shower razor and i want to give her a better life!!

[purrusaurus]

okay sorry, maybe a lengthy post for this website, im super new here. and im glad i didn't need to shave today bc what i THINK is a baby false widow of some kind (not actually sure, if anyone can ID - i'm in southern alberta, the second image was another spider that looked just like her on my bathroom wall when i got out, and rehomed to my backyard) had apparently made an impressive tangle of web around the bottom of my razor and that shelf of my shower rack.

i'm very scared of spiders, but they're extremely fascinating to me and she's so small, and watching her work on her web while i showered was actually a lot of fun. so once i got out i tried to make her a new home with a bark shelter at the same angle my razor was at, lol. it's also got a few curly leaves and some other ground litter to hide in. when i tried to gently move her into the huge upgrade from her current living situation, she darted up and hid in the nook of the handle, so i put it upside down in the jar and set it down on a table so i can sit and wait for her to come out without disturbing her.



she is still in there. i put her in there at 4pm, and it's now 11— after six hours of waiting for her to be brave, i had to make dinner so i put my razor all the way in and taped the (pinhole perforated) lid on top. not ideal, because now i might break whatever web she makes overnight when i take my razor back out (i do need it back), but at least i tried??


however, i suppose this gives me more time to find care tips! ultimately i'll just release her if i can't meet her needs, but i really would like to try!!
what can i feed a baby spider like this that i could catch in my backyard? will ants, moths and/or isopods work? would she eat something that's already dead if i put it in there? how often should i feed her? am i missing anything?
from what i've seen online so far, she should be happy with anything that's about the same size as her as long as it's dropped into her web, but Google isn't very trustworthy anymore and i mostly got links for exterminators. i have been scared of arachnids for a very long time, but i would really like an opportunity to observe and care for a happy growing spider behind glass where she can't get to me, hehe. (and then let her go later when she gets too big and scares me.)

 

[zsiciarz]

That is not a baby, but most likely a subadult male. I can't ID the species from these photos, but the "swollen" pedipalps are obvious. He won't grow much more and after one more molt he will have only one thing on his mind. I appreciate the effort you took to provide an enclosure, but IMHO the best course of action would be to release him in the yard. Put the razor on the ground overnight and he should walk out.

 

[The Snark]

Philosophically speaking, depending on personal life style choices, persuasion and inclinations, it may have had the end all be all life in that shower. ............

 

[purrusaurus]

That is not a baby, but most likely a subadult male. I can't ID the species from these photos, but the "swollen" pedipalps are obvious. He won't grow much more and after one more molt he will have only one thing on his mind. I appreciate the effort you took to provide an enclosure, but IMHO the best course of action would be to release him in the yard. Put the razor on the ground overnight and he should walk out.

oh wow, i can't believe the adults are really that teeny!! i'll be heeding your suggestion and placing the open jar and razor outside this morning to give him the day to vacate, i can't see any new webbing or signs that he came out of my razor and onto the bark at all, so he might honestly be happier outside anyway. and i definitely want to make sure he's gone before i have to shave again, lol. maybe someday i can move some other house spider in here to observe, since at least now i have the space constructed! thank you for the response!! :]

 

[8littlelegs]

oh wow, i can't believe the adults are really that teeny!! i'll be heeding your suggestion and placing the open jar and razor outside this morning to give him the day to vacate, i can't see any new webbing or signs that he came out of my razor and onto the bark at all, so he might honestly be happier outside anyway. and i definitely want to make sure he's gone before i have to shave again, lol. maybe someday i can move some other house spider in here to observe, since at least now i have the space constructed! thank you for the response!! :]

You are such a sweetheart!!! "I want to give him a better life!"
Thanks for not squishing him ♡