Jumping spider advice

[Wiggs]

Hello everybody! I'm a complete newbie in keeping any type of invertebrate, and I would like to avoid making any mistakes that might harm them. I would much appreciate any guidance from all the experts on this forum. Thanks in advance.

So... I found an itty-bitty little jumping spider on my bathroom window screen one recent morning. I am a bit familiar with jumpers, and that they are kept as pets. I would like to catch this little fellow and keep it in a nice acrylic container and feed it properly, and in general, provide a nice habitat for its next couple of years.

I purchased an enclosure (round, 6" diameter, 12" tall) designed for jumpers. From what I understand, because of the tiny size of this spider, it should be fed wingless Drosophila Melanogaster going forward until it grows large enough to consume larger prey. Since I will only be feeding one jumper, I don't need a large amount of these fruit flies. But it seems impossible to find them in small quantities when I look online.

I'm now wondering if my trying to keep this tiny spider as a pet is a wise decision. Would I be better off purchasing a jumper that is more advanced in its growth stage? A larger jumper would be less fragile and be easier to view and interact with also. And even if I purchased a larger jumper, I would still need to figure out how to keep food for it.

Any help you folks can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

 

[katamari]

Welcome! It's great that you're interested in taking care of a jumper - they are awesome little dudes!

Starting with a very small jumper can be tricky if you don't have a reliable source for feeders, and wild caught jumpers can be picky eaters.

Keeping a larger, captive bred jumper (Bold, Regal, etc) is probably an easier way to get started if you're concerned about getting in over your head. Not trying to dissuade you from the spood you found (caring for small jumpers isn't *hard*) but if you're already considering a larger, captive bred jumper that might be the way to go. Perhaps keep your wild caught one for a couple weeks and see how it goes? You can always release it if it seems like it's struggling or not eating well.

Do you know what species of jumper you have? Pics of the spood and enclosure would be fantastic.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I keep some wild caught jumpers, we don't get any big jumpers over here. I feed them with anything small enough I find around the shed or garden. I don't have or use any sort of pesticide, and that is what it would be eating anyway living around here. I keep them to breed then when the females have a sac I leave the enclosure open out in my shed to let things progress naturally.

 

[Motherofspiders112707]

Honestly, it’s completely up to you. I’ve noticed that wild caught jumpers tend to be harder to feed. I had four at one point and only one was a good, consistent eater until a few weeks before she died, and I only had her for three months. My captive bred jumper, Sombra, was a male though and his eating habits were terrible until he started nearing the end of his life. The jumper I have currently, a red-back jumping spider, is still fairly small but she’s a fantastic eater and is the first of my jumpers to moly more then once.

I like both captive and wild caught jumpers, but I think captive is easier when you’re just starting out. But like I said, it’s completely up to you!

 

[regalpaws]

The only thing I would say that hasn't been mentioned is, you may want to find a smaller enclosure if you decide to keep your WC jumper. They will have a harder time finding the food, especially if you're feeding fruit flies.
A 16 oz deli with good ventilation would be a better choice, until it gets bigger.
Good luck, and welcome!