TeaandTs
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2016
- Messages
- 31
I posted a week or so ago that I had found a MM Dysdera crocata in a death curl on my doorstep and taken him into my home. I received some good advice on how to care for him, and then set about doing my best. Which I hope was enough.
Since these are spiders that hunt for their food, and also since this was a mature male, I put him in a larger container than I usually would for such a tiny spider. I put in plenty of flat rocks and fake leaves, and I made it moist in there. Basically I set it up the way I would set up a woodlouse enclosure, assuming they must like the same environment as their prey. He immediately burrowed when I put him in there, and I didn't see him for a day or two.
Then he came out and started wandering around. From that time on, he stayed in the open. I wanted to feed him, but woodlice just couldn't be found. I offered a mini mealworm, which was pretty big for him but the smallest thing I had. He killed it and I guess it's possible he could have consumed some of it, but it didn't appear so. I felt bad. Unable to supply appropriate prey or a mate, which was all the poor thing wanted, I felt I should let him go. But it's snowing heavily here, so that wouldn't be good for him either.
After another day or so (wish I had logged him as diligently as my more permanent specimens; sorry I'm so inexact on this timeline) I found him flipped over on his back. Was he going to attempt a moult? But he was certainly a mature male! He was moving almost imperceptibly, so I left him alone. I didn't disturb him for maybe 3 days. Then, I figured it had to be a lost cause. Maybe I still should have left it alone, but I very gently touched the tip of one of his legs with a pin. He didn't move at all. So I left him for another night, then threw him out the next day.
I am trying to tell myself that I gave him a handful of nice, warm, cared-for days that he wouldn't have had if I had left him on the step. But I still feel really badly over the whole thing. Does anyone have any input? Could I have done something differently? Should I have waited longer before throwing him out? Would it be possible for a mature male to moult one more time anyway? (To my knowledge, no, but I'm no arachnologist).
I really wish I had had a working camera at the time. He was so beautiful. I'd never seen one of those in person before.
Since these are spiders that hunt for their food, and also since this was a mature male, I put him in a larger container than I usually would for such a tiny spider. I put in plenty of flat rocks and fake leaves, and I made it moist in there. Basically I set it up the way I would set up a woodlouse enclosure, assuming they must like the same environment as their prey. He immediately burrowed when I put him in there, and I didn't see him for a day or two.
Then he came out and started wandering around. From that time on, he stayed in the open. I wanted to feed him, but woodlice just couldn't be found. I offered a mini mealworm, which was pretty big for him but the smallest thing I had. He killed it and I guess it's possible he could have consumed some of it, but it didn't appear so. I felt bad. Unable to supply appropriate prey or a mate, which was all the poor thing wanted, I felt I should let him go. But it's snowing heavily here, so that wouldn't be good for him either.
After another day or so (wish I had logged him as diligently as my more permanent specimens; sorry I'm so inexact on this timeline) I found him flipped over on his back. Was he going to attempt a moult? But he was certainly a mature male! He was moving almost imperceptibly, so I left him alone. I didn't disturb him for maybe 3 days. Then, I figured it had to be a lost cause. Maybe I still should have left it alone, but I very gently touched the tip of one of his legs with a pin. He didn't move at all. So I left him for another night, then threw him out the next day.
I am trying to tell myself that I gave him a handful of nice, warm, cared-for days that he wouldn't have had if I had left him on the step. But I still feel really badly over the whole thing. Does anyone have any input? Could I have done something differently? Should I have waited longer before throwing him out? Would it be possible for a mature male to moult one more time anyway? (To my knowledge, no, but I'm no arachnologist).
I really wish I had had a working camera at the time. He was so beautiful. I'd never seen one of those in person before.
