Wolf Spider Info and Tips?

Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 14, 2023
Messages
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My coworker caught a wolf spider in his garage a few weeks back.

I have no idea what kind of wolf spider it is and if there's any specific care requirements that I should know about.
It won't really eat anything that doesn't move quickly like meal worms, so I've only been able to feed it crickets.
I heard they burrow and tend to redecorate their burrows but haven't seen this yet. I also heard they're mostly nocturnal, but this one is during the day a lot.

Any info would be helpful.

Current Setup:
  • 4 gallon cube
  • Well ventilated lid
  • Hide made from cup with dirt glued to the inside (also made for more surface area)
  • Sphagnum moss - in 1 inch pots to avoid the substrate being soaked
  • Leaf litter
  • Mini pine cones - like 2 inches
  • Dried sphagnum moss
  • Calisia repens - in a pot, not sure how it'll do long run
  • Water dish - with leca so nothing will drown
  • Isopods? I put some in but haven't seen them since
  • Springtails - a mix of two different kinds
 

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Ultum4Spiderz

ArachnoGod
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Oct 13, 2011
Messages
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My coworker caught a wolf spider in his garage a few weeks back.

I have no idea what kind of wolf spider it is and if there's any specific care requirements that I should know about.
It won't really eat anything that doesn't move quickly like meal worms, so I've only been able to feed it crickets.
I heard they burrow and tend to redecorate their burrows but haven't seen this yet. I also heard they're mostly nocturnal, but this one is during the day a lot.

Any info would be helpful.

Current Setup:
  • 4 gallon cube
  • Well ventilated lid
  • Hide made from cup with dirt glued to the inside (also made for more surface area)
  • Sphagnum moss - in 1 inch pots to avoid the substrate being soaked
  • Leaf litter
  • Mini pine cones - like 2 inches
  • Dried sphagnum moss
  • Calisia repens - in a pot, not sure how it'll do long run
  • Water dish - with leca so nothing will drown
  • Isopods? I put some in but haven't seen them since
  • Springtails - a mix of two different kinds
Looks like you got care down pretty well . It might eat isopods it might not I’m not sure .
 

jbooth

Arachnobaron
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Nov 24, 2022
Messages
495
Looks fine, they won't drown in water dishes, some like to sit on water all day and hunt. Could be H. carolinensis, black ventral and black stripes under the knees I see. If it's smaller than 3" maybe another Hogna species with black ventral. They'll be all black at like 1.5" though, it could be a juvenile too if it's smaller. It may eat or ignore the isopods, either way, they do like movement.
 
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Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
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Messages
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Would be such a bummer if it was eating the isopods. I didn't put any in there that were very cool looking, but I like seeing them from time to time when I take a closer look.
 

jbooth

Arachnobaron
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Keep it fed and it won't eat many... If it's an adult spider it will slow down eating too, unless it's making egg sacs, but it has no need to molt... The best cleaner I have found is putting in 1 buffalo beetle, as a worm and let it bury. At least mine rarely eat the beetles, and it will seek out and destroy boluses. If it's put in as a beetle, it may be gravid then you have wormsplosion.
 

jbooth

Arachnobaron
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If it is H. carolinensis it's a fossorial spider and can be given 6" of substrate and a starter burrow. I'd avoid any kind of hide with a bottom that blocks them from digging... They will improvise though, build a hide out of webbing and leaves if need be. I give the carolinensis a vertical starter burrow and try to get the classic turret.
20230822_201032.jpg 20230822_201048.jpg
 
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Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 14, 2023
Messages
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Keep it fed and it won't eat many... If it's an adult spider it will slow down eating too, unless it's making egg sacs, but it has no need to molt... The best cleaner I have found is putting in 1 buffalo beetle, as a worm and let it bury. At least mine rarely eat the beetles, and it will seek out and destroy boluses. If it's put in as a beetle, it may be gravid then you have wormsplosion.
So far I've been "feeding" it 3-4 times a week. I usually just drop a small cricket in and repeat a couple days after it eats.

I put some small, baby isopods in, I'm hoping it didn't eat them. I wouldn't be surprised if it snagged a big one though.

I've got about 4 inches of substrate.
And I cut the cup I used so that it just keeps the dirt from collapsing. No bottom to it or anything that should get in the way.
 

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jbooth

Arachnobaron
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Looks good. That sized cricket, it's probably a decent pace too, anything bigger I'd say 1-2x a week, but they'll refuse food if they aren't hungry. That one looks pretty plump, I'd slow down a bit, but you aren't gonna break it. What's the legspan anyways? Always hard to tell.
 

jbooth

Arachnobaron
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She just laid her egg sack. What do I do?
Nothing. I keep the water dish filled up, and if there is humidity, moist corner or whatever, I maintain that. Sometimes they will take appropriate sized prey tong fed as well while they are on the sac. When she disappears down the burrow in like 4 weeks she's opening it, so I put pantyhose over the top so they can't get out... It will still be warm enough to release them when they leave her back, if you don't want the slings. Assuming the sac is good, they will likely keep coming so you may get stuck with some over the winter in that case, some being up to 200 per sac. Not sure how many sacs carolinensis can produce if that's what it is but my H. antelucana is on sac 6 right now.
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
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Nothing. I keep the water dish filled up, and if there is humidity, moist corner or whatever, I maintain that. Sometimes they will take appropriate sized prey tong fed as well while they are on the sac. When she disappears down the burrow in like 4 weeks she's opening it, so I put pantyhose over the top so they can't get out... It will still be warm enough to release them when they leave her back, if you don't want the slings. Assuming the sac is good, they will likely keep coming so you may get stuck with some over the winter in that case, some being up to 200 per sac. Not sure how many sacs carolinensis can produce if that's what it is but my H. antelucana is on sac 6 right now.
The babies can climb the tank?

Any tips on how to get the slings from the enclosure? I definitely want to raise a few so that when the mama passes I can still have a wolf spider (assuming I can raise at least 1 sling into adulthood).
 

jbooth

Arachnobaron
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The babies can climb the tank?

Any tips on how to get the slings from the enclosure? I definitely want to raise a few so that when the mama passes I can still have a wolf spider (assuming I can raise at least 1 sling into adulthood).
She will web up the side for them, if not all the way they will finish it pretty quick with the sheer number of them climbing higher as they web. I put the enclosure in another bin if they're going everywhere, but really it's just catch them one at a time and house them up. They can be kept together for awhile, not sure how long, I usually separate everything pretty quick. I like freezing fruit fies for these and just handing them with tweezers for the first couple molts. Smaller species I leave them next to them, carolinensis will grab them right away at 2nd instar. They could maybe even take a pinhead right away, I haven't tried that's a lot of pinheads.
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
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Egg has finally hatched. Mom's got most on her back. I managed to snatch one that decided to wonder around on its own.

Is there anything special to do to keep the little ones alive and growing?

Could they eat springtails?
 

jbooth

Arachnobaron
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They can eat springtails, have to be plentiful though. I like the frozen fruit flies like I said above, it's a big meal, easily recognizable by sight, that can't climb the glass like live ones. They'll be hungry when they start to disperse, and they'll also be everywhere if they can get out... Also misting the ground now and then so they all can drink.
 

Tired Teacher Vibes

Arachnopeon
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They can eat springtails, have to be plentiful though. I like the frozen fruit flies like I said above, it's a big meal, easily recognizable by sight, that can't climb the glass like live ones. They'll be hungry when they start to disperse, and they'll also be everywhere if they can get out... Also misting the ground now and then so they all can drink.
How easy is it to keep the little ones alive? I heard they're harder to care for when little.

I have plentiful amounts of springtails, I've been growing my colonies. I'll grab fruit flies and freeze them when I get the chance. I assume fungus gnats would work too then.

I've been able to catch a few more that weren't riding on her back. I've been keeping them in smaller containers (drink cups - much bigger than necessary). Some with just a little dirt, some with some moss.
 

jbooth

Arachnobaron
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I might put all of them together with tons of springtails at first if that's an option. If they are separated and you use frozen flies, hand them to them, if they lose the fly they could be gone next time you open the cup.. True spiders are pretty much always a lot less hardy than tarantulas, and if it's a smaller species of wolf spider all the more, so expect some losses for sure and don't beat yourself up. Some just have bad molts or whatever. Main thing is don't let them completely dry out and make sure they eat. I like 5.5 oz. deli cups because most don't hide, then they can stay there until adulthood if it's a small species or only need one rehouse if it's H. carolinensis or something.
 
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