Jumping Spider Husbandry - Conflicts of Info

DuneElliot

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 18, 2022
Messages
51
How different is it to tarantula husbandry?
I have groups on FB saying to only mist and not provide a water bowl "because they drown". But this has been a mislabeled myth in the T hobby for years. Why would JS be so different as long as the waterbowl provides a way to climb out?
Humidity...is it as important as I hear compared to Ts? How about heat? Everyone talks about adding heat but my house is comparable to a Florida/Texas winter (68-70*) and my Ts are doing well, even the "exotics" (Avics).
I only really have the one UK FB group to go on and I have a JS coming within the next couple of weeks...everything they say seems to be a repeat of other information repeated by others on the group. I trust this forum more as a place of spider excellence rather than "mommy spood and daddy spood" people
 

Zoopy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 20, 2022
Messages
38
I've never heard of anyone putting water bowls in their jumping spider enclosures. You can always try, but at your own risk. I get by fine with just misting the sides twice a week.

As for humidity, just wing it. I don't even use a hygrometer anymore. Just make sure your spiders aren't sitting in 90% humidity enclosures and it should be fine.

As for temperature, you need to consider the lifestyle of jumping spiders. Many Ts build hollows that are cooler than the outside temperatures and they spend all day in there, maybe coming out at night to nab an insect that's walking past. On the other hand, jumping spiders come out during the day and spend a lot of time exploring and hunting during the heat of the day. It seems only natural that they'd do better in slightly higher temperatures, but I'm not a jumping spider scientist, so I can't tell you anything as fact. All I can tell you as someone who has about 20 jumping spiders is that none of mine really get active until I turn on the heatlamp (they have seperate LED lighting too that goes on automatically at 8 in the morning). They'll sit in their hanmocks the whole day during winter when it's a cosy room temperature and as soon as I turn on the heat lamp and temps start rising to about 25 Celsius, they start coming out to hunt and explore their enclosures.
 
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egyptiancrow

Arachnobaron
Joined
Apr 30, 2021
Messages
403
jumpers are not tarantulas
tarantulas are not even true spiders
they are wholly different organisms that are very distantly related

jumpers cannot enter and leave a water dish, they will drown.
hope that helps clear it up

a lot of folks who keep tarantulas first dont understand how different jumpers are, and treat them similarly for example taking their egg sacs. this can result in killing the fertility and survival rate, as well as stressing the mother- jumpers are broody and can exhibit a sort of depression when their eggs are taken or destroyed.


any jumping spider will need warmth to move their body. a jumper can survive your temps, but will not explore, hunt, or be active. they will feel too cold and want to stay in their hammock. unlike ts, they are usually out and about all day and only rest at night. you will have an uncomfortable spider who will not behave normally in a cold room. 74-78 degrees is usually a good temp for any and all species, barring tropical species like regius and hyllus who would enjoy even warmer environments. they need humidity in much higher spades too, and preventable mismolts are the #1 killer of jumpers, especially first time keepers. for most species of jumper, 60% normal humidity which is raised to 70% for molts by misting more often, is enough. for tropical species, 80% is the safest minimum, with 90% for molts being better. But you never want to soak the walls as water tension in a large droplet can trap and also drown a jumper.
 

DerGraf

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 14, 2021
Messages
45
First off: Well done diversifying your sources of information! It's good that you came here to verify what you've read so far.

To give some context on how far removed jumpers and tarantulas are: Both belong to the order Araneae, which means both are spiders and not scorpions, ticks, etc. But that's it, their infraorder (sub-category of Araneae) already differ.They are as far removed from each other as humans and tarsiers are.

The biggest issue with jumpers and water bowls is water tension. While they usually don't sink straight down, Jumpers also don't repel water the same way tarantulas do with their waxy coating. The smaller a jumper is, the riskier is putting a bowl in. I've experienced a small local species drowning within 4 hours after I've put them into the enclosure. With my P. regius I don't worry so much, but only after it grew big enough! If you have periods, when you can't mist regularly enough (like me), still put gravel into the bowl and don't fill it higher than the gravel. For small species and slings, don't put a bowl in at all and avoid it with everything else if you can.

Heat varies depending on species, it's all about their natural habitat. The species most people keep just tend to like it a bit warmer. Comparing your home's temperature to a Florida winter doesn't cut it. It's the time of the year when they are least active. They will be fine, but it's not a permanent situation for them in their habitat.
Avics btw live higher up on trees and foliage, where the heat doesn't build up as much as on the ground, due to stronger air motion (which keepers also didn't consider, leading to the whole "Sudden Aviac Death Syndrome" thing). Another factor where you can't easily equate a tarantula species with a jumper species, even when they inhabitate the same region.

You didn't mention it, but I want to make sure you are aware: While tarantulas don't require lighting, jumpers do. You will notice a huge difference in activity depening on how much light they get.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,048
They are as far removed from each other as humans and tarsiers are.
I'm giving that analogy a gold star.
Viewing a midwaste beer bar once with primates having been recently the subject of my academic studies I wondered how evolution could have gone so far off the rails. Imaginings of a group of chimpanzees running the rigging on the Beagle's voyages.
Pan, while your intents and purposes were pure, something got royally screwed up down the line.
 
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