Jumping spider hiding, help needed!

[Sziszi214]

Hi!

Just got a regal jumping spider 3 days ago.

She was exploring the top of her enclosure (only the acrylic, not the actual spider furnitures I put in for her) the first day, just walking from corner to corner. She seemed okay.
She has a small walnut hide I carved and secured hanging from the top of the habitat with a magnet. She didn't go inside at first, just explored the outside of it. The breeder said to buy a bright white strip light for her, which I did, but as soon as I turned it on she seemed terrified and ran inside the walnut hide. She had a few attempts climbing out but as soon as she noticed the light, even on the dimmest setting, she went back in. I didn't have the light for the rest of the day and yesterday as it was cloudy and bright white outside, I thought she'd be better off without it for now.

Since she went inside the walnut hide, she made an impressive web, not too thick and it took her 2 days to spin. Saw her for a brief poop moment yesterday, otherwise she is just staying inside the walnut web and observing the outside world.
She hasn't eaten or drunk anything since she arrived. The breeder said she was fed just before she was posted.

I mist her enclosure every day and today I tried offering her some water on a cotton bud when I saw that she was looking outside from the web, but she didn't care to come out. I am worried about her and wonder why she isn't interested in exploring and water and why she just sits in her little walnut house all day. Is something wrong with her? Stressed from her travel? Did I scare her with that light 2 days ago? Is she preparing to molt? Just shy? She is just chilling in there stressing me out. Please help!

(Photo of the web she made inside the walnut. When she had enough of me today after about 2 hours of me just sitting there and watching her, she 'slammed the door on me' literally closing the web so I can't see inside.)

 

[coolnweird]

Hello! Congratulations on your first jumper. That walnut hide looks awesome, that's just perfect to build a nest in, and clearly your spider agrees! Your jumper's behavior is normal, and you shouldn't worry. You gave her a nice cozy home, and she's taking advantage of it while she adjusts to the enclosure. Eventually she'll get curious and come out!

Don't worry about eating or drinking pretty much ever, the spider knows what it needs! Continue misting lightly and offering food, and it will go for it when it feels ready.

It seems to me the light may be part of the issue, and on top of that is unnecessary. Spiders require no special lighting, it's purely so you can see your animal more easily. So if a week has passed and she still shies from the light, I would remove it. I keep a small flashlight on hand to see my critters!

I know this is stressful, but your spider just needs more time to settle into it's lovely new home!

 

[Sziszi214]

Hi! Thank you!

I got a small flashlight also, she doesn't seem to mind it. She actually is curious about it, it makes her come closer to the exit. And a wonderful thing happened just now (I think it is what I think it is). I saw her chilling close to the entrance when I misted her space and I may have very very lightly sprinkled some mist on her web accidentally. She seemed interested. I dipped a cotton bud again with water and stood it up in the entrance of the walnut (most of the water drop disappeared as it touched the walnut, looked still wet). She came out and actually half way left her web and climbed on the cotton bud. She stayed on it for about 10-15 seconds hugging it. After she came off it and went back in the web and didn't close the door on me. I think she drank a bit. Could she even in the big drop from the cotton dripped? I left it there for her if she wants some more. I think she is a very shy girl, she freaks out anytime I move even just slightly and runs back to the web. I'll give her time. Can you please advise if that was really drinking what I saw? Couldn't see what she was doing as the cotton bud covered her and I didn't dare to move to not to scare her.

 

[DustyD]

I don't have jumping spiders but I think all spiders need an adjustment period. I think it is self preservation. They want to make sure things are safe and predator free.

It may have been drinking water. I have heard they are a very curious species so it may have been exploring the cotton bud and took advantage of what it found. I don't know if they can sense water from a distance or not.

 

[Sziszi214]

She seems really shy. She's been living all her life in a deli cup and now she has a big girl enclosure. Scary stuff for such a small spider. I hope she did indeed drink and just would like her to be okay. So excited to have her, everything she does is new to me. I wasn't sure if this was normal behaviour.

 

[DustyD]

I still have those feelings when I encounter something new. A few weeks ago I purchased a tiny G. pulchripes (Chaco Golden Knee) sling about the size of my pinky finger fingernail so I have been anxious. Smallest T I have had. But so far it is eating well.

Some things are beyond our control.

You seem to be a very consciousness and intelligent keeper and spiders are survivors. Trust in both of those.

 

[Sziszi214]

I still have those feelings when I encounter something new. A few weeks ago I purchased a tiny G. pulchripes (Chaco Golden Knee) sling about the size of my pinky finger fingernail so I have been anxious. Smallest T I have had. But so far it is eating well.

Some things are beyond our control.

You seem to be a very consciousness and intelligent keeper and spiders are survivors. Trust in both of those.

Awww! Tiny! Glad it's eating well. That's my other worry. Right now I'm hatching some green bottlefly pupae so probably will attempt to feed tomorrow or the day after when I have actual flies. Till then, I'm just wondering if she'll want to eat. Baby steps here.

 

[coolnweird]

Sounds like she could have been drinking! Feel free to sprinkle a few droplets onto the webbing, they'll drink from there too, I've used a toothpick before to place a few individual drops near the nests.

It can definitely take a while for them to settle into a new house, especially after living in something smaller for a long time. I'm sure in time she'll explore her whole big enclosure! If you'd like, post a picture of the entire enclosure, I'd love to see.

Jumpers can eat rather large prey compared to their body size, so don't be afraid to feed something like medium crickets or small dubias. I'm sure bluebottle flies/larvae will also interest her, jumpers are amazing hunters!

Everyone has been a newbie at some point, and everyone will make mistakes. But you're in the right place to find info, the boards have an amazing archive of posts going back decades!

 

[Sziszi214]

Sounds like she could have been drinking! Feel free to sprinkle a few droplets onto the webbing, they'll drink from there too, I've used a toothpick before to place a few individual drops near the nests.

It can definitely take a while for them to settle into a new house, especially after living in something smaller for a long time. I'm sure in time she'll explore her whole big enclosure! If you'd like, post a picture of the entire enclosure, I'd love to see.

Jumpers can eat rather large prey compared to their body size, so don't be afraid to feed something like medium crickets or small dubias. I'm sure bluebottle flies/larvae will also interest her, jumpers are amazing hunters!

Everyone has been a newbie at some point, and everyone will make mistakes. But you're in the right place to find info, the boards have an amazing archive of posts going back decades!

Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! I tend to worry a lot about everything, especially if it's a tiny living being.
I will take your advice on the toothpick droplets. I didn't know I could put water on her web, didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
Do you by any chance know if they can/willing to eat unhatched bottlefly pupae? Might be a silly question, just curious if that's an option.

Oh, and here is a picture of her enclosure!

 

[coolnweird]

Very cute enclosure! I'm not sure exactly how big your spider is, but I have one of those enclosures and there's some quite large gaps around the hinges and joints. Spiders can fit through smaller openings than you'd expect. Look everything over and if any gap is bigger than your spiders carapace (the part where the legs connect/where the eyes are), patch the inside and out with masking tape. You could also gently remove your girl and use hot glue.

In my experience, jumping spiders will eat prekilled mealworms, so I don't see why they wouldn't go for a pupa. Spiders are individuals, though, so it'll depend on her preferences!

 

[Sziszi214]

Very cute enclosure! I'm not sure exactly how big your spider is, but I have one of those enclosures and there's some quite large gaps around the hinges and joints. Spiders can fit through smaller openings than you'd expect. Look everything over and if any gap is bigger than your spiders carapace (the part where the legs connect/where the eyes are), patch the inside and out with masking tape. You could also gently remove your girl and use hot glue.

In my experience, jumping spiders will eat prekilled mealworms, so I don't see why they wouldn't go for a pupa. Spiders are individuals, though, so it'll depend on her preferences!

Thank you for your suggestions! I noticed the large gaps too and was worried about them. I didn't patch them up, but let her go there and explore it herself on the first day when she was still active. I kept a very close eye on her. She noticed them I think, but didn't try to escape. Also I think she is bigger than the gaps. She left the nest 19/08/2021 if that helps you imagine her size. The breeder said she will still moult about 3-4 times.
I try to pay attention to push the door in after closing it to reduce the size of the gaps anyway. For safety and to calm my paranoia, I also put her enclosure in a fine mesh butterly house. Plenty of air flow with extra peace of mind.

 

[gorybmovie]

Hi!

Just got a regal jumping spider 3 days ago.

She was exploring the top of her enclosure (only the acrylic, not the actual spider furnitures I put in for her) the first day, just walking from corner to corner. She seemed okay.
She has a small walnut hide I carved and secured hanging from the top of the habitat with a magnet. She didn't go inside at first, just explored the outside of it. The breeder said to buy a bright white strip light for her, which I did, but as soon as I turned it on she seemed terrified and ran inside the walnut hide. She had a few attempts climbing out but as soon as she noticed the light, even on the dimmest setting, she went back in. I didn't have the light for the rest of the day and yesterday as it was cloudy and bright white outside, I thought she'd be better off without it for now.

Since she went inside the walnut hide, she made an impressive web, not too thick and it took her 2 days to spin. Saw her for a brief poop moment yesterday, otherwise she is just staying inside the walnut web and observing the outside world.
She hasn't eaten or drunk anything since she arrived. The breeder said she was fed just before she was posted.

I mist her enclosure every day and today I tried offering her some water on a cotton bud when I saw that she was looking outside from the web, but she didn't care to come out. I am worried about her and wonder why she isn't interested in exploring and water and why she just sits in her little walnut house all day. Is something wrong with her? Stressed from her travel? Did I scare her with that light 2 days ago? Is she preparing to molt? Just shy? She is just chilling in there stressing me out. Please help!

(Photo of the web she made inside the walnut. When she had enough of me today after about 2 hours of me just sitting there and watching her, she 'slammed the door on me' literally closing the web so I can't see inside.)

Don't worry. Your spider is fine. She might take some time to adjust to her new home. Your breeder was right about the light. Jumpers hunt during the day and love bright light. I have my enclosure near a window. She loves to bathe in the sunlight during the day. I also have a lamp near the enclosure that I turn on when there isn't much light from the window. Changes in light or any movement might make her hide at first, but she will adjust. She will get used to your presence and the enclosure with time and won't be so timid.

Something important that I want to tell you about is your enclosure. I have the same enclosure as you and it works well, but you need to modify it or your spider will escape. This has happened to many people that use the Zilla micro habitat for jumpers. When the door is closed there are two very large openings at the base of it. Even my adult jumper could probably squeeze through them. You need to plug those up when the door is closed. You can use the spare rubber bands it came with, post-it notes, or putty. Here are photos of my enclosure so you can see the area I'm referring to and how to plug up those holes. I have tried all three methods and the putty works best for me because it is easy to remove to open the door and reapply when the door is closed.

 

[Sziszi214]

Don't worry. Your spider is fine. She might take some time to adjust to her new home. Your breeder was right about the light. Jumpers hunt during the day and love bright light. I have my enclosure under an led lamp. She also loves to sit in the sunlight from the nearby window during the day. Changes in light or any movement might make her hide at first, but she will adjust. She will get used to your presence and the enclosure with time and won't be so timid.

Something important that I want to tell you about is your enclosure. I have the same enclosure as you and it works well, but you need to modify it or your spider will escape. This has happened to many people that use the Zilla micro habitat for jumpers. When the door is closed there are two very large openings at the base of it. Even my adult jumper could probably squeeze through them. You need to plug those up when the door is closed. You can use the spare rubber bands it came with, post-it notes, or putty. Here are photos of my enclosure so you can see the area I'm referring to and how to plug up those holes. I have tried all three methods and the putty works best for me because it is easy to remove to open the door and reapply when the door is closed. I just use sensory putty for mine.

Hi!

Thank you so much for your warning! I am aware of the large gaps and she is in an extra mesh butterly house (pictured) with her little enclosure until tomorrow. Getting plenty of air and light still, so no worries about that!

I ordered some white tack for the side gaps, it's coming tomorrow. I also I hold the top of the door and the enclosure's top panel together with a postage rubber band (pictured as well) as I noticed a large gap there too. She didn't seem interested in escaping, but better safe than sorry, I 100% agree! I'd be heartbroken if I lost this baby, I love her so much already and want to give the best life I can to her.

 

[gorybmovie]

Hi!

Thank you so much for your warning! I am aware of the large gaps and she is in an extra mesh butterly house (pictured) with her little enclosure until tomorrow. Getting plenty of air and light still, so no worries about that!

I ordered some white tack for the side gaps, it's coming tomorrow. I also I hold the top of the door and the enclosure's top panel together with a postage rubber band (pictured as well) as I noticed a large gap there too. She didn't seem interested in escaping, but better safe than sorry, I 100% agree! I'd be heartbroken if I lost this baby, I love her so much already and want to give the best life I can to her.

View attachment 412129

That sounds great! One of the reasons I mention it is that someone just posted the other day about an escape from this enclosure and I wished that I had warned them more strongly. The net you have is a good idea. The rubber band should be fine for now so long as it is not too tight. The other issue I've heard about is that the enclosure sometimes warps. I love your decor. Very cute!

 

[Sziszi214]

That sounds great! One of the reasons I mention it is that someone just posted the other day about an escape from this enclosure and I wished that I had warned them more strongly. The net you have is a good idea. The rubber band should be fine for now so long as it is not too tight. The other issue I've heard about is that the enclosure sometimes warps. I love your decor. Very cute!

Oh no! I hope they found the little guy somehow!
It's very thoughtful of you telling new keepers about this, some people might underestimate their spider's size and abilities.
Thank you for your compliments about the enclosure. I made most of the thinks inside myself. I used a hachsaw to saw a stick and get the ledges and used a glue gun to secure magnets on them. I also carved the walnut house with an electric nail file, padded it with dried moss and glued the magnet on top. The magnet's size is 6mm x 4mm round if you'd decide to recreate at any point. I found a cut little garden swing in the shop that I thought would be perfect. I added some leaves on top of it and a flower to make it pretty. The very first place she climbed when she arrived was the middle of the flower.

 

[gorybmovie]

Wow! That is very impressive! You did a great job. My jumper (her name is Ichabod) loves her flowers too. It's her favorite spot to sit in the sun when she comes out of her nest. Using magnets is a great idea! I hot glued mine to the walls but if they come off or I get a new enclosure, I will try that.

 

[Miagic Mike]

Yep it's a completely normal thing to happen it happens to me all the time its likely its in a premoult or just trying to get away from life lol but here is a photo of one of my jumpers.

 

[Miagic Mike]

 

[Nicole C G]

Could be molting? How old is it?

 

[Sziszi214]

Wow! That is very impressive! You did a great job. My jumper (her name is Ichabod) loves her flowers too. It's her favorite spot to sit in the sun when she comes out of her nest. Using magnets is a great idea! I hot glued mine to the walls but if they come off or I get a new enclosure, I will try that.

Thank you!
Such a nice name!
Muffin had a little adventure yesterday I think. Saw some web on a leaf that she definitely didn't touch on Tuesday.
I was told a few times now that they like sunbathing, so I will try it next time it's sunny.