Need help with my cat faced spider

[Lexiedragon1234]

Not sure where to post this. I just got a cat faced spider that my family was going to kill… I have her in a 10 gallon tank with a homemade wooden trellis for her to make a web on and some water and leaves… I've been trying to feed her but she seems lethargic, either she's playing dead or I don't know… she doesn't seem to move much is this normal?

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Without pics no one can tell nothing... anyway, IMO (judging the whole thing without a picture) chances are higher that this spider could be a MM (means mature male), so, in this case, best thing best would be to release (maybe in a cat free spot, jok) said bugger

 

[Lexiedragon1234]

Without pics no one can tell nothing... anyway, IMO (judging the whole thing without a picture) chances are higher that this spider could be a MM (means mature male), so, in this case, best thing best would be to release (maybe in a cat free spot, jok) said bugger

Seems big for a male… I've read that the males are small. The abdomen is about the size of a nickel. And even if it is a male, does that mean I shouldn't keep it?

[QUOTE="Lexiedragon1234, post: 2830493, member: 131923 it seems big for male… I've read that the males are small. The abdomen is about the size of a nickel. And even if it is a male, does that mean I shouldn't keep it?[/QUOTE]

 

[NYAN]

Don’t try to feed a web building spider that doesn’t have a web yet. Give it a few days to get established. It doesn’t look dehydrated or anything, which is good. It also looks well fed and possibly gravid. Why would your family want to kill her?

 

[Lexiedragon1234]

Don’t try to feed a web building spider that doesn’t have a web yet. Give it a few days to get established. It doesn’t look dehydrated or anything, which is good. It also looks well fed and possibly gravid. Why would your family want to kill her?

Ok thanks I'll wait a couple days. And I don't know, I think she's gorgeous!



Wait wait gravid?? I'm going to have spider babies??

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Seems big for a male… I've read that the males are small.

Keep in mind that, when I leaved my comment, no pic/s was posted, so I was clueless

And even if it is a male, does that mean I shouldn't keep it?

No. You should do whatever you like, obviously. People suggests always to release in the wild MM (mature males) spiders, because that's the best thing to do... they will wander, searching for a 0.1 specimen. Sorta of 'Equilibrium' law, 'life' and 'death' cycle.

Plus their lifespan is basically to the ending part, so they aren't anyway a good 'spider pet'.

Now, from the picture posted, doesn't look to me a male.

 

[Lexiedragon1234]

Keep in mind that, when I leaved my comment, no pic/s was posted, so I was clueless



No. You should do whatever you like, obviously. People suggests always to release in the wild MM (mature males) spiders, because that's the best thing to do... they will wander, searching for a 0.1 specimen. Sorta of 'Equilibrium' law, 'life' and 'death' cycle.

Plus their lifespan is basically to the ending part, so they aren't anyway a good 'spider pet'.

Now, from the picture posted, doesn't look to me a male.

Oh I see, that makes sense. Then I'll keep her and see what she does, I do hope she becomes more mobile though… She might be in shock because I just put her in the tank last night

 

[chanda]

Good luck with her! I've found with orb weaving spiders that they do best in a very well-ventilated enclosure, such as a mesh or screen-sided enclosure, because they often depend on a cross-breeze to help carry their threads when they are first building a new web. As was already said, orb weavers will not eat until after they have constructed a web in which to catch their prey - and it may take them a few days to get used to the new setting and get to work. They also do tend to be pretty lethargic most of the time, conserving their energy. When I've kept orb weavers, they are usually either hanging out in their webs, not moving a whole lot unless prey lands in the web, or tucked away and hiding in one of the corners of the enclosure or on the underside of a stick or in the crotch of a branch (particularly during the daytime). I have had some Araneus species that refused to web in captivity at all, though a few of them were gravid and did hang egg sacs from the inside of the cages. After several days of not webbing, I concluded that they were unhappy with the accommodations and turned them loose again so they could web up a tree or bush or something. Argiope species, on the other hand, seemed to adapt better to life in captivity. Because all of the orb weavers I've kept have been locally caught, whenever one had babies, I just took them outside in my yard and turned them loose.

 

[Lexiedragon1234]

Good luck with her! I've found with orb weaving spiders that they do best in a very well-ventilated enclosure, such as a mesh or screen-sided enclosure, because they often depend on a cross-breeze to help carry their threads when they are first building a new web. As was already said, orb weavers will not eat until after they have constructed a web in which to catch their prey - and it may take them a few days to get used to the new setting and get to work. They also do tend to be pretty lethargic most of the time, conserving their energy. When I've kept orb weavers, they are usually either hanging out in their webs, not moving a whole lot unless prey lands in the web, or tucked away and hiding in one of the corners of the enclosure or on the underside of a stick or in the crotch of a branch (particularly during the daytime). I have had some Araneus species that refused to web in captivity at all, though a few of them were gravid and did hang egg sacs from the inside of the cages. After several days of not webbing, I concluded that they were unhappy with the accommodations and turned them loose again so they could web up a tree or bush or something. Argiope species, on the other hand, seemed to adapt better to life in captivity. Because all of the orb weavers I've kept have been locally caught, whenever one had babies, I just took them outside in my yard and turned them loose.

That's a good point, I'll just have to see how she's doing in the few days, I Will put a fan in the room so there is a very light breeze

 

[Lexiedragon1234]

I think she may have passed overnight, she hasn't moved since yesterday morning when I put her in her new tank… I am very disappointed, I did everything I could to make her comfortable. Maybe keeping spiders isn't for me.

 

[NYAN]

I think she may have passed overnight, she hasn't moved since yesterday morning when I put her in her new tank… I am very disappointed, I did everything I could to make her comfortable. Maybe keeping spiders isn't for me.

Dont get discouraged. Maybe she’s was exposed to pesticides or was already on the way out. Did you find her in a web originally?

 

[Spyder22]

I have an orb weaver...cat faced, that I brought home before the first freeze of winter, and added her to my t collection. My thought was keep her warm thru winter and release back in spring to where I took her from, which was my work place. She had kinda become our mascot there. Anyway...has been doing really well last few weeks, webbing, eating, etc etc. So well in fact that she has, now, a sizeable egg sac that she seems pretty proud of. I've had a widow before that had several egg sacs, and I just removed them and let them hatch and released outside, but that was in AZ, where it's nice and toasty all the time. Does anybody have any ideas or opinions on how to keep roughly 100 to 300 spiderlings warm and safe through winter in a very very cold place, where I can't just release them outside?

 

[darkness975]

I have an orb weaver...cat faced, that I brought home before the first freeze of winter, and added her to my t collection. My thought was keep her warm thru winter and release back in spring to where I took her from, which was my work place. She had kinda become our mascot there. Anyway...has been doing really well last few weeks, webbing, eating, etc etc. So well in fact that she has, now, a sizeable egg sac that she seems pretty proud of. I've had a widow before that had several egg sacs, and I just removed them and let them hatch and released outside, but that was in AZ, where it's nice and toasty all the time. Does anybody have any ideas or opinions on how to keep roughly 100 to 300 spiderlings warm and safe through winter in a very very cold place, where I can't just release them outside?

A ton of individual vials / deli cups.

 

[Brewser]

I remember your previous post. Spider was near the entance way if I'm not mistaken.
Nice Rescue, Keep Us Updated with any upcoming news and or pics.