Regal jumping spider not eating HELP

[ashes2ashes0535]

Please help
I just got a male Regal jumping spider on 12/24/21 no it wasn't a Christmas present lol it was just something that I have wanted to do for a really long time and the place I wanted to buy one from had a male ready for me. So the major issue I am having is he is 100% refusing to eat. His abdomen is so tiny and actually getting shriveled up. I've been in close contact with the company I bought him from and they told me they fed him meal worms and they even send some along. Well he refused all of those and then they died. I bought more and made sure they were small and he literally will not eat them. I put him in a small cup with air holes along with 1 meal worm then added another one all alone just him and his food in the cup and he just walks over top of them. Which is a slight improvement from a couple days ago where he was terrified of them. He just sits at the top of his enclosure and during the day in the morning he's super active and I will see him wandering around. I mist the sides of his habitat once a day so I know he is hydrated. He just doesn't want to eat. Last night I order some spikes and a fruit fly culture that is producing to try to offer those. I mean this spider has it all lol I love him so much I just want him to eat so he lives. He had enough enrichment in his habitat he hasn't built a cocoon web thing yet so I doubt he is trying to molt.

Please give any suggestions that you think will help my beautiful boy Sid live to bring joy to our lives. He is so damn cute but I haven't been able to do much else then trying to get him to eat its my main focus right now. I want to be able to take him out and talk and have him jump around. Sigh I just want this little dude to live.


Thanks everyone. I'm Ashley BTW. Nice to meet all of you!! Happy new year.

 

[birdonfire]

Jumping spiders are short lived compared to tarantulas. Males more so.

 

[ashes2ashes0535]

Jumping spiders are short lived compared to tarantulas. Males more so.

I know but he definitely isn't at the end of his life. He's not a baby but not an adult, teen male lol. I think next time I'm just going to order slings and raise them myself so they they are used to me. I feel so bad that he just isn't adjusting properly. Unfortunately I'm jot sure I could ever have a tarantula as a pet haha. Just not my thing haha too big and jumpy for me. Any suggestions to what I can do other than what I've done already?
Thanks!! Ash

 

[Nicole C G]

Please show a picture of his enclosure.

 

[Jonathan6303]

Please help
I just got a male Regal jumping spider on 12/24/21 no it wasn't a Christmas present lol it was just something that I have wanted to do for a really long time and the place I wanted to buy one from had a male ready for me. So the major issue I am having is he is 100% refusing to eat. His abdomen is so tiny and actually getting shriveled up. I've been in close contact with the company I bought him from and they told me they fed him meal worms and they even send some along. Well he refused all of those and then they died. I bought more and made sure they were small and he literally will not eat them. I put him in a small cup with air holes along with 1 meal worm then added another one all alone just him and his food in the cup and he just walks over top of them. Which is a slight improvement from a couple days ago where he was terrified of them. He just sits at the top of his enclosure and during the day in the morning he's super active and I will see him wandering around. I mist the sides of his habitat once a day so I know he is hydrated. He just doesn't want to eat. Last night I order some spikes and a fruit fly culture that is producing to try to offer those. I mean this spider has it all lol I love him so much I just want him to eat so he lives. He had enough enrichment in his habitat he hasn't built a cocoon web thing yet so I doubt he is trying to molt.

Please give any suggestions that you think will help my beautiful boy Sid live to bring joy to our lives. He is so damn cute but I haven't been able to do much else then trying to get him to eat its my main focus right now. I want to be able to take him out and talk and have him jump around. Sigh I just want this little dude to live.


Thanks everyone. I'm Ashley BTW. Nice to meet all of you!! Happy new year.

Yes can you post a pic the enclosure

 

[ashes2ashes0535]

Yes can you post a pic the enclosure

I actually tried to but it isn't allowing me to it's saying that my files are incorrect. I'm not sure lol. So I got the vertical zilla acrylic enclosure for him. I've seen many other jumper folks use them so that's what I bought. I first started with nothing but substrate (coconut shed) and moss for humidity and some branches and a piece of drift wood. He didn't seem to like it and I was reading that they need things for enrichment so I made him a treehouse out of popsicle sticks and leave and he seems to like it better and hangs out where the roof and top of his enclosure meet. I've tried leaving food in there in a small cap for him and he doesn't eat either. If you can tell me how to post a pic I will. Thanks so much!! Ash

 

[ashes2ashes0535]

 

[ashes2ashes0535]

View attachment 407146

I hope this worked. And you can see everything. I work from home and just snapped it quickly.

 

[Jonathan6303]

These spiders are arboreal and like to spend there time near the top of the enclosure. I have found that my p. audax doesn’t like to feed on dead prey. Try pinhead crickets. I would add a water dish a bottle cap or tattoo ink caps work great.

 

[ashes2ashes0535]

These spiders are arboreal and like to spend there time near the top of the enclosure. I have found that my p. audax doesn’t like to feed on dead prey. Try pinhead crickets. I would add a water dish a bottle cap or tattoo ink caps work great.

Oh definitely. I have read that as well. I feed him all live food. I ordered some spikes and a producing fruit fly culture to see if maybe he will eat those even. I'm just so lost of what else to do. I appreciate your message, thanks a million.

 

[puffins]

You’ll probably have better luck with the spikes when they arrive, keep them in the fridge and take a couple out to pupate at room temp before tossing em in the enclosure and letting them hatch out. Jumpers are vision based hunters so a buzzing fly might be a bit more stimulating than a worm. Depending on the size of ur spider (u said juvi?) the fruit flies will probably be too small. They’ll also readily escape the ventilation in the zilla enclosures. I do recommend purchasing a couple slings if you get the chance, super fun to watch them grow up and come into their individual personalities. Plus then you have a use for your fruit flies lol. My regal male isn’t eating at the moment either, they can go a while without food but I worry when you say ur lil guy’s abdomen is shriveled. I find that my male doesn’t eat as often as the females I’ve kept, but in my case he is probably getting to the end of his lifespan. Keep offering the meal worms while you wait for the spikes, hopefully he’ll decide to take one before starving himself. Best of luck with Sid!

 

[Poonjab]

It’s fine

 

[Edwardk674]

If the light intensity isn't bright enough they won't feed, instead they stay holed up in their hammocks, and don't feed well. This is often an issue with new owners.
Are you sure it is a juvenile? Juveniles tend to feed well unless they are in a premolt.

Ed

 

[Kool aid]

I know but he definitely isn't at the end of his life. He's not a baby but not an adult, teen male lol. I think next time I'm just going to order slings and raise them myself so they they are used to me. I feel so bad that he just isn't adjusting properly. Unfortunately I'm jot sure I could ever have a tarantula as a pet haha. Just not my thing haha too big and jumpy for me. Any suggestions to what I can do other than what I've done already?
Thanks!! Ash

you have to feed them slightly frozen/ (“stunned”) food. Aka live insects that were in the freezer for 30 seconds or less. Flies, crickets (DO NOT FREEZE SMALL CRICKETS) will do. or Even other jumping spiders! It doesn’t apply on sex or gender though.

 

[Nicole C G]

you have to feed them slightly frozen/ (“stunned”) food. Aka live insects that were in the freezer for 30 seconds or less. Flies, crickets (DO NOT FREEZE SMALL CRICKETS) will do. or Even other jumping spiders! It doesn’t apply on sex or gender though.

No, it is not a requirement to feed them stunned prey. And that is a horrible idea to feed a jumper other jumpers! Why would you even recommend that as a food?

 

[Kool aid]

I didn’t recommend it. And by the way only freeze the flies or else they will fly away. And not completely frozen

 

[Nicole C G]

I didn’t recommend it. And by the way only freeze the flies or else they will fly away. And not completely frozen

You said in short “(To feed jumper) Flies, crickets, will do. Or even other jumping spiders!”

 

[Kool aid]

You said in short “(To feed jumper) Flies, crickets, will do. Or even other jumping spiders!”

Dude why are you even arguing about it if you already got what you want lol

 

[Nicole C G]

Dude why are you even arguing about it if you already got what you want lol

What

 

[Jumper]

Please help
I just got a male Regal jumping spider on 12/24/21 no it wasn't a Christmas present lol it was just something that I have wanted to do for a really long time and the place I wanted to buy one from had a male ready for me. So the major issue I am having is he is 100% refusing to eat. His abdomen is so tiny and actually getting shriveled up. I've been in close contact with the company I bought him from and they told me they fed him meal worms and they even send some along. Well he refused all of those and then they died. I bought more and made sure they were small and he literally will not eat them. I put him in a small cup with air holes along with 1 meal worm then added another one all alone just him and his food in the cup and he just walks over top of them. Which is a slight improvement from a couple days ago where he was terrified of them. He just sits at the top of his enclosure and during the day in the morning he's super active and I will see him wandering around. I mist the sides of his habitat once a day so I know he is hydrated. He just doesn't want to eat. Last night I order some spikes and a fruit fly culture that is producing to try to offer those. I mean this spider has it all lol I love him so much I just want him to eat so he lives. He had enough enrichment in his habitat he hasn't built a cocoon web thing yet so I doubt he is trying to molt.

Please give any suggestions that you think will help my beautiful boy Sid live to bring joy to our lives. He is so damn cute but I haven't been able to do much else then trying to get him to eat its my main focus right now. I want to be able to take him out and talk and have him jump around. Sigh I just want this little dude to live.


Thanks everyone. I'm Ashley BTW. Nice to meet all of you!! Happy new year.

A2A,
There a couple of factors of why your phid isn't thriving.
Again I'm not expert, but from our own personal experience.
You enclosure is really nice, however your are not providing your phid enough hiding/basking spots.
Phids are curious I would add more vantage spots for the Lil fella.

A member has also mentioned he may be in pre-molt. Mother nature has a way of telling us this.
If his exoskeleton is somewhat dull in color, he is preparing to molt, so try not to stress the little fella.
If you offer food and he slaps at it and builds a nice and thick hammock. He is in pre-molt.

Another member did mention when offering prey. Place the enclosure next to natural sunlight to stimulate his appetitive. (Not directly in sunlight)

Lastly spice his life with different types of prey items. We had one female phid. who would only eat spikes/bb flies. anything else she would just kill and disregard.
I hope this helps and respectfully,

-Jumper