Jumping spiders (Salticidae) make amazing pets if kept right. Among these, the Phidippus genus stands out, especially Phidippus audax, also known as the Bold Jumping Spider. These spiders are smart, easy to handle, and easy to feed, making them fantastic pets for both beginners and experienced keepers. This article provides a comprehensive guide to the diet and care of Phidippus audax, ensuring these fascinating creatures thrive in their captive environments.
Understanding Phidippus Audax
Phidippus audax are known for their curious, bold, and interactive temperament. They are easily identifiable by their large eyes and furry bodies, often adorned with vibrant jewel-toned bands or stripes. However, their lifespan is relatively short, typically lasting only about one to two years.
Enclosure
Jumping spiders need enough space to jump around, so small critter carriers or taller acrylic tanks are best. The enclosure should have good ventilation with small holes to prevent escape.
- Size: Jumping spiders thrive in compact, vertically oriented enclosures.
- Ventilation: Good airflow is essential to prevent mold.
- Material: Acrylic, glass, or mesh enclosures work well.
Habitat Enrichment
Jumpers don't tend to spend too much time on the ground, so a simple substrate like potting soil without fertilizer would work fine. They like to spend more time on the walls, as it gives them a better vantage point when stalking their prey.
To create a suitable habitat, include sticks and leaves for the jumper to climb and build shelters. Silk leaves or flowers are excellent choices, as they don't decay like real plants. These spiders create little tube- or hammock-shaped shelters to hide in when they’re not hunting. Ensure the enclosure has enough surface area for jumping without being cluttered.
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Diet and Nutrition
Phidippus audax are active hunters that require a diet of live, moving prey. Depending on the size of the food, jumpers should be fed about every 2-4 days. They can go over a week without food, but it's best not to push it.
Suitable Prey
Large Phidippus jumpers can be fed small crickets, moths, house flies, and mosquitoes. Smaller jumpers will eat fruit flies, small mosquitoes, and leafhoppers. Pet stores usually carry small crickets and flightless fruit flies, which are convenient during colder seasons when wild prey is scarce.
- Crickets: Readily available and a good source of nutrition.
- Flies: Easy to catch and provide essential nutrients.
- Moths: A good alternative to crickets and flies.
- Mosquitoes: Can be a natural food source, but ensure they are not from areas treated with pesticides.
- Roaches: Are good feeders.
- Very Small Mealworms: Are good feeders.
Prey to Avoid
Avoid feeding your spider anything larger than 1.5 times its size, as it may have difficulties hunting large prey items. It's also wise to avoid ants, as they tend to fight back, and grasshopper nymphs, to prevent any risk of injury to your jumper. Hard-shelled beetles and pill bugs are generally not accepted and can secrete foul-tasting chemicals.
- Ants: Can be aggressive and harm the spider.
- Grasshopper Nymphs: Can injure the spider.
- Hard-Shelled Beetles: Often refused and may secrete harmful chemicals.
It's best not to risk feeding spiders to other spiders due to venom and the potential for injury. Additionally, avoid wild-caught insects from areas that may have been treated with pesticides.
Feeding Methods
Simply drop the live prey into the enclosure and observe your jumper's hunting behavior. Each spider has individual tastes, so keeping a journal of their preferences can be helpful in providing a varied and appealing diet.
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Water and Humidity
Maintaining proper humidity levels is essential for the health of your Phidippus audax.
- Humidity: Maintain humidity levels around 50-70%.
- Misting: Lightly mist one side of the enclosure every 2-3 days to provide drinking water and maintain humidity.
Jumping spiders don't drink from water bowls; instead, they obtain moisture from their prey and droplets of water. Lightly misting or wiping the side of the enclosure with a damp paper towel once or twice a week is sufficient. Be careful not to get the spider wet, as water can enter their book lungs and cause them to drown.
Environmental Conditions
Temperature
Jumping spiders like sitting in the sunlight, but make sure to monitor the temperature in the tank. If you leave it in direct sunlight too long, the enclosure may become oven-like and cook your spider.
Lighting
Jumping spiders do not need special lighting.
Handling
It is good to avoid picking up a jumping spider directly or it could get scared. Gently coax it in your hand and do not force the spider. Like tarantulas, jumping spiders do not “need” to be held and are happier being left alone. However, these spiders are more tolerant of handling than others.
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Social Behavior
Like most spiders, jumpers should be kept solitary. Putting two of either sex together may result in a fight to the death.
Defensive Behavior and Bite Danger
Like all spiders, jumping spiders are not aggressive but they will get defensive if threatened. Jumping spiders will deliver a venomous bite if they feel they are in danger. However, they are not prone to biting unless handled roughly or squeezed. If the spider feels threatened, it invariably backs away with chelicerae wide and forelegs raised. The only instance that the spider is prone to biting is when the female is guarding her eggs. A jumping spider bite as a result from a disturbance of habitat is very unlikely. The statement that a spider jumped on a person to bite ( an attack ) is a complete falsehood.