what is the appeal to keeping widows?

squidkid

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
206
i've never kept them myself but i've seen a lot of people on here saying that they love widows so can you guys fill me in on why they are so special. i have seen some really nice looking ones in the wild and am open to keeping some. let me know your favorite species and post some pics. also give me some basic husbandry tips if i do end up keeping one. :)
 

NYAN

Arachnoking
Joined
Dec 23, 2017
Messages
2,511
The appeal is that they are gorgeous and variable. Evidence below

The care is easy. I keep adults in 32 oz deli cups. I basically just give them wooden skewers to make their web. I feed them a couple times a month.


L. sp. Mexico
0954BC71-7115-4635-8DE5-D9C94A8CDCA2.jpeg

L. tredecimguttatus
62446CDC-252A-4536-B6E0-1514529348A5.jpeg

L. menavodi
8B243D9E-03DE-420E-9829-13B2108960A9.jpeg

L. hasselti
9D7C913A-DB54-43E9-9FF6-009414A6F4A6.jpeg

L. variolus
B6E073AB-A695-459D-AE25-736ADF079A15.jpeg
 

squidkid

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
206

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
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2,229
My very first pet spider was a widow (Latrodectus hesperus) and the reason I chose her was to help overcome a lifelong fear of spiders in general - and widows in particular. (Thanks, Mom!) Kind of the jump-in-the-deep-end approach to getting over something, just like how I became a blood donor to overcome my stupid (and equally lifelong) fear of needles. And it worked! The more I observed her and learned about her, the more fear turned into fascination.

I now have an entire room full of pet bugs and spiders - mostly spiders - so the "get over my fear of spiders" phase has definitely passed - but I still do like the widows. They are beautiful spiders, don't require a great deal of space, and are super easy to keep. They are also very easy to obtain - I just have to go outside at night with a flashlight and catch one.
 

Jadestone

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 20, 2019
Messages
75
The first spider I kept was a Brown Widow(Latrodectus geometricus). As stated above, they are really easy to care for. So long as you don't catch them just before they make an egg sac, that is.
 

Patherophis

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 24, 2017
Messages
407
L. sp. Mexico (sometimes also listed as L. mactans Mexico or L. mactans mexicanus) is my most favorite by far. Sadly my male passed before succesful mating.
 

NYAN

Arachnoking
Joined
Dec 23, 2017
Messages
2,511
L. sp. Mexico (sometimes also listed as L. mactans Mexico or L. mactans mexicanus) is my most favorite by far. Sadly my male passed before succesful mating.
I had 2 males for these that also died. I’m on the hunt for more.
 

Wolfspidurguy

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Messages
546
i've never kept them myself but i've seen a lot of people on here saying that they love widows so can you guys fill me in on why they are so special. i have seen some really nice looking ones in the wild and am open to keeping some. let me know your favorite species and post some pics. also give me some basic husbandry tips if i do end up keeping one. :)
I've always wanted one because as a kid I was told to stay away from all spiders because they might be a widow and that only peeked my interest in them and other spiders and now I'm here so I guess I want one as a symbol of how far I've come from fearing them to keeping them
 

asunshinefix

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
55
As a reformed arachnophobe, before getting any tarantulas, I decided to practice with a wild spider. I captured what I thought was a Steatoda grossa and by the time I realized it was actually a female L. variolus I was really attached to her. I decided to keep her because I was comfortable with her, she was easy to care for, and of course she was ridiculously beautiful. Just a chilled out, easy spider that was very predictable in her behaviour and not at all defensive or even skittish.
 

MIKE JOHN

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 24, 2019
Messages
4
i have 3 black widows ( hourglass ), the appeal for me is they are fun to watch eat things...they each have unique personalities. PLUS they are hearty and easy to care for. I caught them wild as spiderlings they were brownish they molted a few times before the markings showed, thankfully they're not preggo LOL...but they are fun and they keep quiet.
 

Tarantula155

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2012
Messages
494
Widows are awesome, easy to care for. Docile as can be (despite the potency of the venom). Dont go holding them or anything, but they are pretty calm and will retreat from most things.

Great eaters, beautiful colors. One of the easiest spiders to breed IMO. Very fun and rewarding to raise too.

I've got a handful of Latrodectus hesperus, and hundreds of slings.
 

Outpost31Survivor

Arachnoprince
Active Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
1,575
They are fun and easy spiders to care for. They have striking colors. And tenacious predators. And here in SoCal they are easily obtainable I even have them in my yard.
 

BenLeeKing

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 23, 2017
Messages
239
They also make beautiful tangle webs~ with vertical snare traps. Since they don't need that much space they make good desktop pets
WhatsApp Image 2019-09-25 at 1.16.15 AM.jpeg
 

Tarantula155

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2012
Messages
494
They are fun and easy spiders to care for. They have striking colors. And tenacious predators. And here in SoCal they are easily obtainable I even have them in my yard.
Salem's Lot. What a classic.


That's what I love about widows. They are just about everywhere
 

Andrew Clayton

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
579
I wish I could get one need a DWA license here was just looking into it today so gawna be a while before I have one
 

Outpost31Survivor

Arachnoprince
Active Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
1,575
Salem's Lot. What a classic.


That's what I love about widows. They are just about everywhere
Salem's Lot is one of the best movie adaptations of a Stephen King book ever. The hospital morgue scene is one of the best scenes too. However, my avatar is actually a nightmare sequence from An American Werewolf In London one of my all time favorite horror movies and one of the greatest werewolf movies ever made only truly rivaled by the original The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr.
 
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