Spider ID pls?? Also info

VinceC

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Dec 12, 2008
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100
Hey all i know nothing about true spiders but i found 2 of these under the same log, and i took them home and made enclosers for them. I suspect there wolf spiders??

Also, what should i know in order to take good care of them? how big do they get? when to feed? ect ....
 
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VinceC

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Dec 12, 2008
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OH, Forgot to mention it was collected in Canada! :wall:
 

spider pest

Arachnoknight
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Sep 25, 2009
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These are Dolomedes tenebrosus fishing spiders, and they are very cool! If you search this forum for that name, you will find tons of info.
 

davisfam

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 19, 2010
Messages
287
Dolomedes tenebrosus (Fishing Spider)

We own a female D. tenebrosus and she is one of my favorite species for many reasons. First of all, she is very large in size with beautiful markings; I just love her patterns on her underside! Second, she is the most docile spider we've ever owned and her attitude is so sweet although we NEVER underestimate her for Fishing Spiders are VERY fast and can bite, though unlikely, if they feel threatened. She is only aggressive when it's time to eat! Heck, we've heard of multiple people holding Fishing spiders without any problems :p Overall, GREAT find.. if your planning on adopting your new spidiie, make sure to keep it's 'home' nicely moisturized, this species prefers/needs moist environments. Good Luck!! :)

Information:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/2011

http://www.insectgeeks.com/forums/display_topic/id_369/Dolomedes-tenebrosus-care-sheet

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=68242

http://www.spiderzrule.com/fishing2.htm
 

VinceC

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
100
Thanks for the ID and the info guys!! (and the helpful links) Iv been doing lots of research not that i know what it is :clap:

One thing i cant find though is: how often should i feed it?? :eek:
And can you tell its gender from its markings/color?
 

davisfam

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 19, 2010
Messages
287
We feed our female Fishing spider medium/large sized crickets every other night; 3-4 times a week unless she wants more, lol. If the spider isn't hungry, it'll either just kill the cricket or leave it be. A special treat would be a nice huge and juicy moth if you happen to find one; our gal LOVES them. Also, mealworms would work for food although you'll need to get the larger sized worms due to the spiders size. Pet stores usually will carry both crickets and mealworms of different sizes.

As far as determining the sex of a D. tenebrosus; "The large female Dolomedes tenebrosus has a body (cephalothorax and abdomen) that reaches about 1” long. When outstretched legs are included in the measurements, it can measure over 3” long. Males are about half this size. The body is a mixture of light brown and light and dark gray. The legs have dark rings and long spines. The abdomen has 3 conspicuous black W-shaped marks, each of which ends in a light brown mark."
(Source: http://www.spiderzrule.com/fishing2.htm)

"D. tenebrosus is a fairly large spider. The females are 15 to 26 millimeters in length; males are 7 to 13 millimeters. Both sexes are brownish-gray in color with black and lighter brown markings. The legs of both male and female are banded with alternating brown/black, scalloped annulations on the femora and reddish-brown/black annulations on the tibia."
(Source: http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/fishing-spider)

Here is a great document that dicusses the size differences between males and females including the D. tenebrosus:
http://books.google.com/books?id=WP...omedes tenebrosus&pg=PA80#v=onepage&q&f=false
 
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