Jumper May have Damaged Spinnerets

[Lil Paws]

I tried feeding my Audax and Regal small crickets yesterday (they had been delivered on Friday). The Audax (true to his common name) joyfully hunted down the crickets. The Regal is not interested in hunting. She seems to have trouble making silk. She did not make herself a silk sac yet, and when she's moving about I see her spinnerets moving while she lowers them to the ground, but nothing comes out.

I've moved her into our heated room (which also gets better lighting) and put a dead cricket in (she wasn't interested) and some fruit flies. Right now she appears to be trying to hunt the fruit flies, but I'm a little worried about her. Since she doesn't feel comfortable jumping (probably because she can't make a good anchor point) that seems like it would hinder her abilities.

She's supposed to be a juvenile so I'm hoping she will molt one more time and her spinnerets will regenerate. Is there anything I can do to help her in the meantime?

 

[The Snark]

Sounds like you have it covered. Safe, comfy and suitable food then wait it out for the molt.

 

[Lil Paws]

She seems to be doing well (fingers crossed). The small cricket in her setup is missing, her abdomen seems a little bigger, and yesterday she pooped. She seems to have a bit more energy since I put her in the heated room, too. I'm going to leave her there for now until she molts and (hopefully) regenerates her spinnerets.

Today she came out. I don't handle my tarantulas as they do not seem to be interested in it, and I don't want to risk injuring them, but this little Regal seemed to want to explore. She didn't even want to go back into her setup—though she settled right down once we put her back.

Hoping she continues to perk up.

 

[Wolfspidurguy]

She seems to be doing well (fingers crossed). The small cricket in her setup is missing, her abdomen seems a little bigger, and yesterday she pooped. She seems to have a bit more energy since I put her in the heated room, too. I'm going to leave her there for now until she molts and (hopefully) regenerates her spinnerets.

Today she came out. I don't handle my tarantulas as they do not seem to be interested in it, and I don't want to risk injuring them, but this little Regal seemed to want to explore. She didn't even want to go back into her setup—though she settled right down once we put her back.

Hoping she continues to perk up.

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I've actually had a problem with jumpers kinda like this which is responsible for a good chunk of my failed attempts at keeping jumpers and is just generally very annoying and saddening and that's when they can't climb vertical surfaces... like at all. One time I caught a phidipus audix and I was unbelievably happy because I had been wanting one for ages, but when I got home set up its enclosure and introduced into its enclosure it couldn't climb the sides of its enclosure. I refused to give up on it so I got some mesh with holes big enough so it could grip on to them and lined the inside of its enclosure with it and still... nothing. couldn't do it. I'm still baffled to this day because I found it on a wall and this exact problem has happened way too many times to call it just a wired thing and move on

 

[Lil Paws]

I've actually had a problem with jumpers kinda like this which is responsible for a good chunk of my failed attempts at keeping jumpers and is just generally very annoying and saddening and that's when they can't climb vertical surfaces... like at all. One time I caught a phidipus audix and I was unbelievably happy because I had been wanting one for ages, but when I got home set up its enclosure and introduced into its enclosure it couldn't climb the sides of its enclosure. I refused to give up on it so I got some mesh with holes big enough so it could grip on to them and lined the inside of its enclosure with it and still... nothing. couldn't do it. I'm still baffled to this day because I found it on a wall and this exact problem has happened way too many times to call it just a wired thing and move on

Do you think they could have been elderly? That would explain why you had trouble with keeping them. They may have naturally been at the end of their lives. I've heard jumpers often lose climbing abilities on smooth surfaces as they reach the end of their lives. A lot of folks who keep them change their setups to something that allows them to climb on a gentle incline instead of having to go straight up and down...kind of a "Jumping Spider Retirement home."

Another thought is maybe they get exposed to a chemical around where you live if you have neighbors who spray—or have you tried collecting away from your home? Strangely, the places we've found them most plentiful lately seem to be on playgrounds. I think they like hanging out in the sun, and last year we found a couple taking care of stinkbugs. It was hilarious to watch, because the stinkbugs were so much bigger than them, and yet they were proudly hoisting them around.

We don't have Regals, though, so that is why I bought one. This little one doesn't appear to have problems with climbing (aside from not jumping a lot unless she's nervous). She (I say "she" out of habit as I'm used to female gendering my inverts until I know) doesn't have clear gender traits found in Phidippus Regius, and the place I purchased her from said she was a juvenile. Her pedipalps are small and not super hairy, and you can see her fangs (kind of like a male), but her abdomen is rounded (like a female's), but she does not have female coloration. I've heard females usually present color early so this little one could very well be a boy, but definitely does not have a male look yet. I may know soon the next time she molts. Hopefully, she'll molt soon, and her spinnerets heal.

 

[Wolfspidurguy]

Do you think they could have been elderly? That would explain why you had trouble with keeping them. They may have naturally been at the end of their lives. I've heard jumpers often lose climbing abilities on smooth surfaces as they reach the end of their lives. A lot of folks who keep them change their setups to something that allows them to climb on a gentle incline instead of having to go straight up and down...kind of a "Jumping Spider Retirement home."

ive had this happen too many times for it to be this but i will try the gentle incline thing if you could show me an image example so i can wrap my brain around it.

Another thought is maybe they get exposed to a chemical around where you live if you have neighbors who spray—or have you tried collecting away from your home? Strangely, the places we've found them most plentiful lately seem to be on playgrounds. I think they like hanging out in the sun, and last year we found a couple taking care of stinkbugs. It was hilarious to watch, because the stinkbugs were so much bigger than them, and yet they were proudly hoisting them around.

last time i caught them around my property my parents haddnt sprayed but i dont know about my neighbors, and i caught that phiddipus audix on a stone wall at my school so idk if they sprayed there but it was definitely climbing. as for those jumpers eating stinkbugs... what? i was told spiders just dont eat them because they have a taste they dont like. i actauly got into the spider hobby because i thought 1) it could be cool and 2) i could take care of the stink bugs around the house. stink bugs are becoming a problem around this time of year so if feeding them to jumpers is a thing i could do that would be really awesome but i also thought they dont take down things bigger than themselves. maby you have some kind of X-men jumpers on your hands

 

[Lil Paws]

ive had this happen too many times for it to be this but i will try the gentle incline thing if you could show me an image example so i can wrap my brain around it.

last time i caught them around my property my parents haddnt sprayed but i dont know about my neighbors, and i caught that phiddipus audix on a stone wall at my school so idk if they sprayed there but it was definitely climbing. as for those jumpers eating stinkbugs... what? i was told spiders just dont eat them because they have a taste they dont like. i actauly got into the spider hobby because i thought 1) it could be cool and 2) i could take care of the stink bugs around the house. stink bugs are becoming a problem around this time of year so if feeding them to jumpers is a thing i could do that would be really awesome but i also thought they dont take down things bigger than themselves. maby you have some kind of X-men jumpers on your hands

I wish I had pictures of senior jumper setups, but I've only heard them described. I personally would take cork and make it lean against a side and maybe hot glue or screw it secure.

My daughter took shots of the jumpers eating stinkbugs. This turned out to be in October (it was particularly warm for our fall). I just realized this is probably a big part of what inspired us to get a tarantula.

I wonder if it was because other inverts were already hibernating and food sources may have been low (we had experienced some pretty severe cold snaps in September). It was pretty cool to see nonetheless. I like to show these to friends who freak out about jumping spiders being in their homes to show how beneficial they can be.

 

[Wolfspidurguy]

I wish I had pictures of senior jumper setups, but I've only heard them described. I personally would take cork and make it lean against a side and maybe hot glue or screw it secure.

My daughter took shots of the jumpers eating stinkbugs. This turned out to be in October (it was particularly warm for our fall). I just realized this is probably a big part of what inspired us to get a tarantula.

I wonder if it was because other inverts were already hibernating and food sources may have been low (we had experienced some pretty severe cold snaps in September). It was pretty cool to see nonetheless. I like to show these to friends who freak out about jumping spiders being in their homes to show how beneficial they can be.

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wow ill have to remember that for if i run out of feeders and get desperate