Newbie care of Eratigena Atrica

[Qarthos]

Giant spider in our house. Instead of leaving him outside, two of us decided to keep him as a pet and currently have him in an interim home until we can get a better set up.

Best we've been able to guess, he is a mature male Giant European House Spider. He looks right on coloration, is about the right size (~2 inches), and appeared around the prime sighting time for these spiders: mid September hiding/wandering around the house.

Following these forums, I was planning on getting one of the kritter keepers that is about 12" x 6" x 6" to keep him in and some feeder bugs from a nearby pet store. He seems to like the walls we've given made from paper grocery bags better than the paper towel flooring so far, but I'm not sure if a better wall and floor would be cork wood structure and/or another common substrate.

Are there better options for food that don't require him to face off against defensive prey (I know that care of snakes more often advocates pre-killed and frozen mice for feeding so they can't injure your pet) or would a wild spider (or spiders in general) by necessity need alive and animate prey?

What kind of life expectancy should I prepare for of a mature adult male of this species?

Any beginner tips that are easily overlooked when it comes to caring for one's first spider?

 

[Jadestone]

I don't know much about house spiders, but most spiders prefer live prey and are very good at catching it quickly. You could try giving him pre-killed and see if he takes it. Not sure on life expectancy exactly, but the wiki page I just read estimated 2-6 years in captivity. As for beginner tips, so far I have learned to do a lot of research and learn as you go. A lot of times experience is the best way to learn with any creature.

You may want to put some things in like sticks or plants to aid him in making a web.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

Giant spider in our house. Instead of leaving him outside, two of us decided to keep him as a pet and currently have him in an interim home until we can get a better set up.

Best we've been able to guess, he is a mature male Giant European House Spider. He looks right on coloration, is about the right size (~2 inches), and appeared around the prime sighting time for these spiders: mid September hiding/wandering around the house.

Following these forums, I was planning on getting one of the kritter keepers that is about 12" x 6" x 6" to keep him in and some feeder bugs from a nearby pet store. He seems to like the walls we've given made from paper grocery bags better than the paper towel flooring so far, but I'm not sure if a better wall and floor would be cork wood structure and/or another common substrate.

Are there better options for food that don't require him to face off against defensive prey (I know that care of snakes more often advocates pre-killed and frozen mice for feeding so they can't injure your pet) or would a wild spider (or spiders in general) by necessity need alive and animate prey?

What kind of life expectancy should I prepare for of a mature adult male of this species?

Any beginner tips that are easily overlooked when it comes to caring for one's first spider?

No need for something that big I keep mine in the large Nescafé coffee jar with holes in the lid and some sticks in it for anchor points. And I usually feed it whatever other Bugs I find around the house. If it is a mature male let it be as it will be dead soon and is looking for a mate all you’re doing is denying the litttle guy from that, post some pics and someone can help identify females have much shorter leg spans and usually a much bulkier abdomen

 

[Andrew Clayton]

That’s my mature female and enclosure I have drilled holes in the sides of the glass but they are not necessary for them I had an A Avic sling in that 1st. I posted a feeding video of her on here I’m sure I think it was labeled UKs biggest spider

 

[Qarthos]

For identification, two pics of spider buddy. The sooner I can find out if he's on his way out of this world, the better I can care for him properly.

For judgement, his current hutch of living until I grab a kritter keeper. A large Tupperware with holes drilled in the lid.
Paper towel floor, paper bag wall segments, bottle cap water, and a cut (and slightly melted so no sharp edges) solo cup for a full Hideout.

He likes to hang out up in the corner and his web is anchoring just fine to the paper bag walls enough to hold him up.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

For identification, two pics of spider buddy. The sooner I can find out if he's on his way out of this world, the better I can care for him properly. View attachment 318713 View attachment 318714

For judgement, his current hutch of living until I grab a kritter keeper. A large Tupperware with holes drilled in the lid.
Paper towel floor, paper bag wall segments, bottle cap water, and a cut (and slightly melted so no sharp edges) solo cup for a full Hideout.

He likes to hang out up in the corner and his web is anchoring just fine to the paper bag walls enough to hold him up.
View attachment 318715

That is indeed a mature male keep and eye out for a female, if you take a closer look at my pic you can see mine so you know what to look for shorter legs bigger abdomen and no fat pedipalps lol

 

[Ratmosphere]

You should let him on his way bro. Let him find a lady before he dies.

 

[Qarthos]

Yup, gonna find a good place with food and other options to let him go when I get home from work.

Godspeed, spiderbro

 

[Gewan]

Any beginner tips that are easily overlooked when it comes to caring for one's first spider?

Thanks for having me in this great community. Now, I currently can't afford a "real" household spider, but I had the luck of managing to capture a species of this kind. I plan on letting him/her (how can one know, really?) stay for as long as possible. Right now building a decent terrarium is just as big question as the need for oxygen and food and water. I don't really know where to start, but I'm reading the advice in this thread and hoping that I can succeed with this.

Oh btw, right now my "temporary" terrarium is air tight. How long do I have to find another solution?

This ..

If I put a cup over a spider, and leave it there for a day, will the spider survive?

Will it travel more slowly since it hasn't had food for a day? What if I left the cup there for longer?

biology.stackexchange.com

.. leads me to believe it should be safe for several months, although someone enters that Q&A and tells the responder did not consider sea level thingie into the calculation. Hmm, fingers crossed I will make this work.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I have drilled holes in the sides of the glass but they are not necessary for them

Sorry just read this post and when I said this I only meant the ventilation in the glass there is still ventilation in the lid which is required they still need to breathe as such.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

Thanks for having me in this great community. Now, I currently can't afford a "real" household spider, but I had the luck of managing to capture a species of this kind. I plan on letting him/her (how can one know, really?) stay for as long as possible. Right now building a decent terrarium is just as big question as the need for oxygen and food and water. I don't really know where to start, but I'm reading the advice in this thread and hoping that I can succeed with this.

Oh btw, right now my "temporary" terrarium is air tight. How long do I have to find another solution?

This ..

If I put a cup over a spider, and leave it there for a day, will the spider survive?

Will it travel more slowly since it hasn't had food for a day? What if I left the cup there for longer?

biology.stackexchange.com

.. leads me to believe it should be safe for several months, although someone enters that Q&A and tells the responder did not consider sea level thingie into the calculation. Hmm, fingers crossed I will make this work.

Post some pics. What is you're enclosure?

 

[exequo]

Giant spider in our house. Instead of leaving him outside, two of us decided to keep him as a pet and currently have him in an interim home until we can get a better set up.

Best we've been able to guess, he is a mature male Giant European House Spider. He looks right on coloration, is about the right size (~2 inches), and appeared around the prime sighting time for these spiders: mid September hiding/wandering around the house.

Following these forums, I was planning on getting one of the kritter keepers that is about 12" x 6" x 6" to keep him in and some feeder bugs from a nearby pet store. He seems to like the walls we've given made from paper grocery bags better than the paper towel flooring so far, but I'm not sure if a better wall and floor would be cork wood structure and/or another common substrate.

Are there better options for food that don't require him to face off against defensive prey (I know that care of snakes more often advocates pre-killed and frozen mice for feeding so they can't injure your pet) or would a wild spider (or spiders in general) by necessity need alive and animate prey?

What kind of life expectancy should I prepare for of a mature adult male of this species?

Any beginner tips that are easily overlooked when it comes to caring for one's first spider?

I made mine an enclosure using cork bark tiles and coconut fiber substrate:


Tried to feed her woodlouse from outside but she was not interested. Recently got mealworms which she seems to love:


That's all I know so far xD

 

[katamari]

I plan on letting him/her (how can one know, really?)

Post some pics if you can - I'm sure people here can help sex it.

I love GHS - we have T. duellica (GHS) and E. agrestis (Hobo) all over here, and they work over time keeping our indoor pests under control.

I've never kept one in captivity, but if I were going to it would prob be a female, as they seem to stay put in one location for longer.

Including a pic of Aragog - the huge GHS that built a big funnel web in my garage window and kept me company for months before she moved on.

 

[Gewan]

Post some pics. What is you're enclosure?

Post some pics if you can - I'm sure people here can help sex it.