my jumper keeps missing her food

[cyano]

hello all!

my spider has been eating normally so far, but as of this past week, she will often miss her food and hit the forceps I use to feed her instead, and I have a feeling she's not been finishing her food as her abdomen is not growing in size after a feed as it usually does. not sure what's going on or how worried i should be... I'm a first time spider owner so I don't have any basis for what's going on! she is a mature female phidippus regius.

 

[Brewser]

Why are you using forceps?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

There’s no reason to use tongs to feed a spider. It could break a fang.

 

[viper69]

They don’t use forceps in the wild.

 

[cyano]

Why are you using forceps?

she doesn't eat otherwise - she just seems to like having food offered to her rather than having to hunt for it herself. at first I tried leaving stuff around for her to hunt but she just wouldn't. not sure if there's something I could do to get her to, but so far she just seems disinterested. (plus, I got her from a friend who raised her, who also said she wouldn't eat unless fed with forceps)

 

[goofyGoober99]

Could you post a picture of the enclosure? Also, what kind of prey have you been feeding?

 

[cyano]

this is it - she has a hammock up top she likes to hang out in. i feed her crickets usually - I've also tried mealworms and flies, but she's refused both. + crickets are much easier to get

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

she doesn't eat otherwise - she just seems to like having food offered to her rather than having to hunt for it herself. at first I tried leaving stuff around for her to hunt but she just wouldn't. not sure if there's something I could do to get her to, but so far she just seems disinterested. (plus, I got her from a friend who raised her, who also said she wouldn't eat unless fed with forceps)

Weird there great hunters I’d stop using forceps… crickets should work.

 

[cyano]

Weird there great hunters I’d stop using forceps… crickets should work.

I tried this for a couple weeks and the poor little lady almost starved. I don't know why, but she just does NOT wanna hunt. seems silly to me to assume that all spiders are the same ...
maybe I'll try again and see if she'll hunt them, but I am doubtful- I gave her a while to do this early on with no success

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I tried this for a couple weeks and the poor little lady almost starved. I don't know why, but she just does NOT wanna hunt. seems silly to me to assume that all spiders are the same ...
maybe I'll try again and see if she'll hunt them, but I am doubtful- I gave her a while to do this early on with no success

It’s looks like a huge cage how big in dimensions is it ? Id use it tall deli cup. But someone threw all mine away.

 

[goofyGoober99]

How big is the jumper compared to the prey?

 

[cyano]

How big is the jumper compared to the prey?

I get the small crickets from PetSmart, and of those pick out the smaller ones- so they're usually between 1/4 and 1/3 her size

 

[cyano]

It’s looks like a huge cage how big in dimensions is it ? Id use it tall deli cup. But someone threw all mine away.

8 x 7 x 5. I don't think it's thattt big. She uses a good deal of the space, just never goes down to the ground

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

8 x 7 x 5. I don't think it's thattt big. She uses a good deal of the space, just never goes down to the ground

hmm I see .
Not hunting is very strange Infact in the wild would not survive.

 

[cyano]

hmm I see .
Not hunting is very strange Infact in the wild would not survive.

she definitely wouldn't - that's why I adopted her. my friend had to let her go because he was moving, and had a male that he just released (we are in Georgia where regals are native) but didn't want to let her go because he thought she wouldn't be able to survive out there. it is definitely very strange lol she's a bit spoiled I guess

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Your spider has multi- occular Strabismus.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Your spider has multi- occular Strabismus.

Blind ? Or something??

 

[cyano]

Your spider has multi- occular Strabismus.

strabismus? how do you know? is it pretty much analogous to human strabismus?

 

[Tentacle Toast]

Fh

strabismus? how do you know? is it pretty much analogous to human strabismus?

That post was pure sarcastic jest.
The problem with the Internet, is that there's a subset of EVERY population that will read a post like that, & despite the degree of ridiculousness that'd have to hold true to make that statement factual, still choose to believe that it was posted with sincere intent.
I can assure you that this is most certainly NOT the case here, & that I am, quite proudly, THE first & premier arachno opthalmologist. Instead of utterly boring you with droves of references from my (University published) dissertation, save us both some screen space, & just trust me.... okay?

 

[TheraMygale]

she definitely wouldn't - that's why I adopted her. my friend had to let her go because he was moving, and had a male that he just released (we are in Georgia where regals are native) but didn't want to let her go because he thought she wouldn't be able to survive out there. it is definitely very strange lol she's a bit spoiled I guess

Because he was moving? Spiders are the best pets for moving.

something doesnt add up here.

enclosure too big? Feeders too big? It sounds all wrong.

and where is the ventilation?