Phidippus audax... Should I release back in house? Release outside? Keep?

[Casey Brown]

What would be in the best interests of a larger phidippus audax that I captured in my house yesterday? (He? She? Has been here for the past several months but has grown quite a bit since the last time we crossed paths.) Right now it is in a Kricket Keeper with leaves & twigs & yesterday it quickly pounced on & ate a meal worm I places in it's cage (it's abdomen seemed small so I thought I'd offer food...)

Will it be fine if I release it back in the house? My main worry is it may be hard for it to find food over the winter. Should I release outside? It's warmer out today but at night it is usually around freezing so I worry it may be too cold. Or should I keep & take care of it over the winter? I know very little about spiders but I'm sure I could provide a good home for it BUT I also hate to take away his freedom... it seems a little restless in the cage.

Thanks for any input.

 

[FrDoc]

I don’t keep any jumpers, not because I don’t want to, but because I haven’t found any. They’re awesome. Keep it! I would however summon the expertise of some who keep them, so you are off on the right track. I’m sure someone will pipe up soon.

 

[Casey Brown]

Thanks. I already have a small "zoo" as is so I'm kind of hoping it would do well on it's own but if that's not the case I'll help the little guy out. I've enjoyed watching him around the house over the past few months & he's grown on me

 

[BenLeeKing]

What would be in the best interests of a larger phidippus audax that I captured in my house yesterday? (He? She? Has been here for the past several months but has grown quite a bit since the last time we crossed paths.) Right now it is in a Kricket Keeper with leaves & twigs & yesterday it quickly pounced on & ate a meal worm I places in it's cage (it's abdomen seemed small so I thought I'd offer food...)

Will it be fine if I release it back in the house? My main worry is it may be hard for it to find food over the winter. Should I release outside? It's warmer out today but at night it is usually around freezing so I worry it may be too cold. Or should I keep & take care of it over the winter? I know very little about spiders but I'm sure I could provide a good home for it BUT I also hate to take away his freedom... it seems a little restless in the cage.

Thanks for any input.

They aren’t too difficult to keep, they do well even in small enclosures minimal decoration.
If you wanna keep it
You’ll wanna try to make your life easy by keeping it in a front of bottom opening enclosure. Cause they build their retreats up top.
They will take crickets or meal worms, it can be a good idea to keep them in a plastic cup near their retreat especially in decorted tanks so it’s easier for them to find the food. Flies are also a good food.

 

[Feral]

I have no advice on keeping vs releasing. Some biologists will say that nothing should ever be released once it's been in captivity. But since it's within your house, I honestly think it'll be just fine to release. I have done it myself with jumpers in my house. But if you do choose to release, please release it exactly where you found it. Which means definitely inside your house! And ideally in the exact spot you took it from.

 

[Casey Brown]

They aren’t too difficult to keep, they do well even in small enclosures minimal decoration.
If you wanna keep it
You’ll wanna try to make your life easy by keeping it in a front of bottom opening enclosure. Cause they build their retreats up top.
They will take crickets or meal worms, it can be a good idea to keep them in a plastic cup near their retreat especially in decorted tanks so it’s easier for them to find the food. Flies are also a good food.

Thank you! Earlier today I set him free back in the house even though I was a little tempted to keep him. I've seen him several times since & I'm hoping he can find enough food & if I do ever see him looking a little hungry again I'll toss him a meal worm to help out

 

[Casey Brown]

I have no advice on keeping vs releasing. Some biologists will say that nothing should ever be released once it's been in captivity. But since it's within your house, I honestly think it'll be just fine to release. I have done it myself with jumpers in my house. But if you do choose to release, please release it exactly where you found it. Which means definitely inside your house! And ideally in the exact spot you took it from.

Thank you! I followed your advice & released him where I found. He would just go in circles around the cage I had him in & I felt bad. I've seen him several times since & if I ever see him around looking hungry again I'll toss him a meal worm as needed.