Lynx spider care (Juvenile)

[Shon2]

Hey everyone

Yesterday my gf and I were looking for spiders in the garden, and we caught what appeared to be a jumping spider. Once it was contained, we took a closer look, and it was in fact a lynx spider! We have decided to keep it as a pet for now, however if we think we can’t provide what it needs to survive, it will be returned to the garden.

The spider is absolutely tiny, and we have scoured the internet looking for care guides and can only find information on the care of adult lynx spiders. It is currently being housed in a plastic container (formerly used for water crystals) with a small amount of sphagnum moss and some sticks to climb on. We have lightly misted the inside of the enclosure twice now with purified water, and both times the spider drank heavily. We do not currently have any wingless fruit flies, and aren’t sure what to feed the little spider. We are going to pick up some flies for other pets in the house, but is that what I should be feeding our new pet? Are there any suggestions as to how we should care for it?

I believe it is a green lynx spider, as its markings don’t match those of a western lynx spider, but it may be too young to tell. I will try to post pictures of it asap for context, but it may be too small to photograph. We are currently staying in the San Francisco area, if that helps anyone with identifying the species.

All help is appreciated! Thanks again

 

[Shon2]

Bump

 

[The Snark]

lynx and crab spiders are apex ambush predators, in their chosen environments. So they should be given their native environments, live plants to patrol. Will they settle for substitutes? Sounds like experimentation on a case by case basis. Will you be able to give them the variety of foods they need? Ideally, that means gnats and other small insects free ranging the enclosure. Again, experimentation on your part.
IMHO, it seems to me like taking tigers from the wild and cramming them into little concrete boxes. Place the health and contentment of the animal first.

 

[mantisfan101]

@chanda I think had experience caring for them I think

 

[chanda]

I have kept adult lynx spiders - but only short-term (a few weeks up to a month or two at most) before releasing them into my garden. I have not raised slings. A few times, I had female lynx spiders that created egg sacs and the sacs hatched while they were still in my possession. When that happened, I offered the slings fruit flies - but I also released them pretty quickly.

When I kept the adults, I provided flowers for them to climb on - usually California Buckwheat, because it's one of the plants I most often find them on in the wild. The broad flower heads provide good ambush spots, hiding places, and anchor points for egg sacs - and they dry intact so they can continue to be used even after the flowers have dried out. Flies or crickets are acceptable prey for adult spiders. The slings are so tiny that they'll need proportionally smaller prey, such as fruit flies or aphids. (But not those bright yellow oleander aphids that love milkweed plants - they sequester toxins in their bodies, making them unpalatable to many predators.)