Loxosceles reclusa

[KUJordan]

One of the many residents my wife and I share our condo with. I thought it looked like a nice specimen, so I decided to try my photo-stitching panoramic technique to get a nice full body closeup of one of these gals. True legspan is about 1". Ahhh, what a wonder 5 minutes in the refrigerator will do!:

 

[Widowman10]

nice job. and you're right, that is a good-lookin loxo.

 

[Moltar]

nice job. and you're right, that is a good-lookin loxo.

Wow, it really is nice looking. This is the first time i've ever looked at a photo of a recluse and thought "That thing looks cool". I've never noticed the red joints or the more subtle carapace markings before.

 

[cacoseraph]

yeah, why are the joints red? i've not seen that before. i just assumed something was reflecting red light onto the spider


well, ok, secretly i was hoping it was a L. rufescens =P

 

[KUJordan]

As far as the red joints go, this girl was a freshly molted female, so part of it could have been that, more pink than anything.

Otherwise it was probably the blood-red walls of the room I was shooting her in reflecting off the membranes of her joints. But certainly plane ole' jane ole' brown recluse from Lawrence, KS...nothing special.

 

[cacoseraph]

ah

i bet the fresh molted translucency combined with the super red walls. it's a kinda neat practical effect

 

[greengloblin]

This is an excellent picture. I've been looking for pictures to use in a safety training presesntation about spider awareness. May I use your photo?

 

[Vespula]

She's very nice! I've got a recluse that's been my pet for a few months. They're awesome!

 

[telow]

scorpion food

 

[jess578]

Hey! A fellow recluse parent!

What do you keep them in and how do you care for it etc?

I am basically winging it with mine, as everything I looked up on care and habitat for them was how to "take care of" them if you know what I mean. I keep him in a decent sized jar with a layer of peat moss and lots of rocks for him to hide in and such. I mist it and throw some baby crickets in there, and so far he's been eating and has quite a nice little web built for himself to hide in.

All my friends think I'm completely insane. Any tips on that?

It's been about 4 months so I must be doing something right, but wonder if you have any pointers?

Here he is:

his home:

him eating:

and his web:

 

[loxoscelesfear]

They don't require much. I would say your spider is spoiled! I would be somewhat nervous of the rocks shifting or the jar getting bumped resulting in a squished spider. Excellent pics.