Keeping a Jumping Spider – Everything You Need to Know as a Newbie
Spiders, or ‘Spoods’ as they are affectionately known, have been getting a lot of bad press for many decades now, and we want to change that. For those of you looking for a more exotic and unusual pet, a jumping spider could be perfect.
Jumping spiders have been steadily growing in popularity over the last decade or so, and for obvious reasons. Not only are these amazing little arachnids extremely beautiful to look at, they’re also very friendly, incredibly intelligent, and fairly easy to look after as well.
For those of you who have been considering keeping a jumping spider for the first time, our advice is to stop thinking about it and just do it. Be warned, though, once you do, you’ll never look back. Before you do, however, to ensure you’re able to look after your little jumper safely, there are a few things to consider.
Here’s a look at everything you need to know about keeping a jumping spider as a newbie.
Understand That There are Heaps of Species to Choose From
When choosing a jumping spider for the first time, it’s always good to have a rough idea of which species you’d like to keep.
As of this writing, there are over 6,000 different species of jumping spider, and although many are similar to one another, they do of course vary from species to species. It’s down to you to decide which species would be right for you. Just be aware that not every species out there would be suitable as a pet, or for hobbyists.
We won’t list each one because we’ll be here all day, but some of the most popular jumping spood species that are ideal as pets include:
- Zebra jumping spider
- Regal jumping spider
- Bold jumping spider
- Red-backed jumping spider
Purchase a Suitable Starter Kit
Of course, if you are looking to keep a jumping spider as a pet, you will need to purchase a suitable enclosure from a reputable seller. As these jumpers are arboreal, they’re used to living high up in trees. That’s why you should opt for an enclosure that is taller than it is wider.
The easiest way to get up and running is to purchase a starter kit, again, from a trusted seller. These kits will include everything you need to get started, including things such as:
- Heat mats
- Misters
- LED lamps
- Reptile thermostats
- Live plants suitable for jumpers
- Sphagnum moss
- Spider life soil and substrate
- Suitable Decorations
Only Use Suitably Sized Food
Jumping spiders are live feeders. They like to hunt their meals but it’s essential to remember to feed them the correctly sized prey. Jumping spiders are very small in size and although they can take down prey that is roughly double their own size, it’s best to feed them prey that is roughly the same size as them, or slightly smaller.
Flightless fruit flies are a fantastic food source for young jumping spoods because of their size, and as they grow you can then switch to other food sources such as small crickets and certain larger species of fly.
Never Overfeed Your Jumper
Keeping a jumping spider is not the same as keeping a dog or cat. These creatures do not need to eat several times per day once they’re fully grown. In fact, as adults, they don’t even need to eat once per day at all.
You can tell whether a jumper needs food by looking at its abdomen. If it looks small and thin, it likely needs food. If it is well-rounded, but in proportion, it has been fed the right amount of food. If its abdomen looks bloated and overstuffed, it has likely been overfed and should not be fed anything else for a few days.
It is recommended to feed young spiderlings no more than 3 small fruit flies per day. For sub-adult species, they should be fed every 3 – 7 days, and for fully grown adults, they’ll typically eat every 5 – 10 days.
Never Bring Food Sources in from Outside
Although coming across a few crickets or juicy flies in the wild may be exciting for jumping spider keepers looking to treat their eight-legged friends, you should only feed them live prey that has been purchased from trusted sources.
If you bring live prey in from outdoors, there’s always the risk that the prey is infected with a parasite or bacteria, which in turn could then infect your jumper. Buying live prey from trusted suppliers eliminates this risk.
Keep Your Jumping Spider’s Enclosure Out of Direct Sunlight
When storing your jumper’s enclosure, choose a well-shaded spot away from direct sunlight and heat sources such as heaters and radiators. If the enclosure is exposed to too much sunlight or heat, it will heat up like a greenhouse which could seriously harm your jumper.
Choose a spot in the house where the temperature remains stable and is unlikely to fluctuate.
Keep Your Jumper Away from Cleaning Chemicals and Other Contaminants
When choosing a suitable spot for your jumper’s enclosure, make sure you pick a spot that is well ventilated and away from any harsh cleaning chemicals or contaminants such as air fresheners, essential oil burners/misters, scented candles, and incense sticks.
Although these solutions may smell nice to you, they have been found to be incredibly harmful to jumping spiders, and even fatal. If you plan on using any similar products, make sure you remove your jumping spider from where you’ll be using them and place it somewhere where the air quality isn’t compromised.
Clean the Enclosure but Leave the Webbing
Although you shouldn’t clean your spider’s enclosure every day, every now and then it will require a little cleaning to keep the space habitable and healthy.
This should go without saying, but NEVER clean the enclosure with any cleaning solutions or chemicals, even something as mild as dish soap. The only solution you should use is water. The substrate will also need to be changed every now and then, but only when it’s obvious that it needs doing.
As for the webbing, it may look unsightly, but it’s an essential part of your jumper’s enclosure as it uses it to move around and potentially catch its prey, so leave that alone.
If there are any uneaten bugs or insects, or any remains in the enclosure, carefully remove those as well as you don’t want them to break down and form bacteria, mold, or anything else that could potentially make your spider sick.
Gently Mist the Side of the Enclosure with Water
As well as eating, jumping spiders also need water. They like to drink tiny water droplets from the walls of their enclosures, so each day, mist the sides with clean water.
Never use a water bowl because there’s a risk your spider could drown.
Never Keep Multiple Jumpers in the Same Enclosure
Jumping spiders may look cute and cuddly, but they can be very aggressive and even cannibalistic when they come across another jumper. This is why you should always keep jumpers in solitary.
If you do wish to keep more than one, make sure each one is housed in its own separate enclosure.
Have Fun!
Finally, the last thing to do is enjoy these stunningly beautiful creatures and have fun keeping them. There may be a bit to get your head around at first, but the more research you do, the easier you’ll find it.
Be careful, though. Like we said earlier, after your first jumping spider, you’ll be hooked!