P. irminia problem

NixHexDude

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
298
OK here's the setup: The spider is about 3" now. I've been keeping it in a salsa jar since it was like 2nd instar. Needless to say it...has outgrown said container. So I set up a nice little 2.5 gallon tank with some coconut fiber.

Here's the problem: how does one get a nervous and extremely fast spider out of a jar without breaking it? I tried setting the jar in the tank and letting it come out on its own. This almost worked when I threw a cricket in the tank and coaxed it out, but as soon as I lifted the lid of the tank to get the jar the spider disappeared faster than you can say "shucks" back into the jar.

I'd like to get him or her out without breaking the jar so that I can re-use it. I also don't want to damage the exuvium in there which I'd like to sex out. The only other thing I can think of is to try cupping the spider with something before removing the jar, but I suspect this will lead to lots of waiting with the lid off before it will come out again, as it has yet to leave the jar at all today. Any advice would be appreciated.
 

julesaussies

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Messages
577
Is the 2.5 gal tank set up on its side? Is there some cork bark or something for the P. irminia to make a new house up high? If so, i would probably just leave the jar on the bottom for a while and see if it makes another hide to retreat to when you try to retrieve the jar. i have zero experience here, just thinking out loud...
 

Mike H.

Arachnoprince
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Joined
Jan 25, 2004
Messages
1,984
Cut the bottom off of a plastic pop bottle, hold the pop bottle over the jar, take a long thin stick and coax the spider out, she will run to the top of the bottle...then remove the lid off the pop bottle and coax ( gently ) into her new home...

Regards, Mike
 

NixHexDude

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
298
Thanks Mike. I'll give that a try tomorrow and see what happens, but it sounds like it should work.
 

Becky

Arachnolord
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Joined
Sep 17, 2006
Messages
641
Cut the bottom off of a plastic pop bottle, hold the pop bottle over the jar, take a long thin stick and coax the spider out, she will run to the top of the bottle...then remove the lid off the pop bottle and coax ( gently ) into her new home...

Regards, Mike

Thats what i do with all my arboreals :) Works well. Good luck.
 

Stan Schultz

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 16, 2004
Messages
1,677
... I also don't want to damage the exuvium in there which I'd like to sex out. ...
The parts of the exuvium that you're looking for are extremely robust and resistant to damage. It's not necessary that the prosoma, appendages and most of the abdominal wall are intact or even necessarily recognizable or present. All you need is to be sure you've located the right part in a scrap heap of exuvium parts, then look for the key structures.
 
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