original ✨GETTING READY FOR YOUR NEW SPOOD ✨

✨ESSENTIALS SHOPPING LIST

Please make sure that you have everything in this list before your baby arrives:

1) ENCLOSURE: A decorated enclosure of an appropriate size is a must. You can go many routes, from naturalistic and bioactive to themed enclosures with figurines, etc. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but decorations are important and necessary for enrichment, for them to be able to anchor their hammocks and to provide coverage to feel safe. Good cross ventilation is also very important.
The enclosure must also be escape proof. Make sure that there’s no little gaps or holes. If the spider’s carapace fits in the gap, they will most likely be able to escape.
For Regal jumping spider juveniles we recommend an enclosure that is 3x3x6”, 4x4x4” or similar. The standard size for regal adults is 4x4x8”.

2) APPROPRIATE SIZE FEEDERS: You will need to have appropriate size feeders ready for when your spider/s come. Most pet stores don’t carry the smaller feeders that your spood needs, so please consider ordering online in advance! We feed mealworms and occasionally blue bottle fly spikes and black soldier fly larvae. Mealworms are usually good for months if kept in the fridge.

3) SOFT BRUSH, FINE MIST SPRAY BOTTLE & TONGS: We offer an optional starter kit for $7 that includes the three. If you decide not to purchase the kit, please make sure that you have these “tools” before you get your spider:

* Small soft brush: Very useful to lure your spider in and out of the enclosure as well
as to stop them with it if they take off when handling without hurting them.
* Fine mist spray bottle: This is a must. If the drops are too big they may get in their book lungs and drown.
* Tongs or tweezers: We find that tweezers (preferably with flat tips) work best for small feeders, but that’s a personal preference.

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✨CARE GUIDE

1) Lighting

Jumping spiders are diurnal and need bright light to hunt their prey and stay active. They need at least 12 hours of bright light per day. That can be achieved by placing the enclosure in a spot that’s well lit with natural light or with artificial lights (if possible with a timer). Avoid placing your spider’s enclosure in direct sunlight (even when indoors) as it may overheat the enclosure and kill your spider. A full spectrum 6000k daylight light is the best option, however, a bright LED light works as well. Make sure it doesn’t emit too much heat and that the temperatures stay within the desired range mentioned below.. Without proper lighting your spider may not eat and spend most of the time in their hammock.

2) Temperature

Regal jumping spiders do best at room temperatures between 70-85°F. If it’s not colder than these temperatures, additional heat won’t be required. This is just a guideline, meaning that if it's a couple of degrees under or higher I'm your home, they will be completely fine. They are usually more active in the warmer spectrum of these temperatures.

3) Watering:

Spray one side of the enclosure once a day (or at least every other day) for your spider to be able to drink water and stay hydrated. Use a fine mist sprayer and avoid spraying the spider. In order to get smaller droplets I find it’s best to spray from a distance. If the drops are too big, consider removing them with a q-tip, cotton ball or similar. Please do not offer a water dish. Water can get into their lungs and they can drown.

4) Feeding

Jumping spiders don’t chew their prey, instead they use their chelicerae like straws to suck up water and the liquified insides of their prey. After they catch their prey, they may take hours to finish their meal.

● Feeders: It is important to feed appropriate size prey to your jumping spider. They can take prey up to 2 times their size, however, some feeders can fight back and put their lives at risk. For that reason, we recommend feeding prey that is on the smaller side. Also, when feeding mealworms or crickets, we recommend partially disabling them, especially if you won’t be able to keep an eye on them. That can be done by crushing the mealworm’s head or removing the back legs of the crickets. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, make sure to supervise your spider during feeding and remove the feeder if not eaten by the end of the day. Some alternative feeders that are harmless to your spider are: green bottle flies, blue bottle flies (or spikes), house flies and black soldier fly larvae. Avoid feeding wild caught prey as they may carry parasites.

● Frequency: By the time you get your baby from us, they will be juveniles or older. Juveniles will need to eat a couple of times a week. You can feed sub-adults and adults every 5-10 days (they can sometimes go even longer without eating). In order to gauge when to feed, it's better (healthier) to pay attention to your spider's belly size. A round, plump abdomen usually means that your spider has enough to eat and it’s better not to feed until the belly shrinks a little bit. If the belly is shriveled, then your spider is hungry and probably thirsty as well. Overfeeding may be as dangerous as underfeeding. If your spider is too full they may fall in the enclosure and cause abdominal torsion and rupture. Overfeeding can also cause a shorter lifespan. Here’s a visual feeding chart:

5) Humidity

Our jumping spider spexies come from Florida and therefore they require somewhat high humidity. Maintaining their humidity between 50% to 70% is ideal. Raise the humidity to 80% to 90% when in molt and until they come out of their molting hammock.
For dryer areas, you can add moist substrate and/or moist sphagnum moss (or both) to your jumping spider’s enclosure in order to raise and maintain these levels of humidity in addition to spraying one side of their enclosure once a day (or as needed). If you use substrate and/or sphagnum moss, please make sure that it doesn’t have any dyes, chemicals or additives like fertilizers or pesticides. Also, make sure that the substrate is moist but not swampy as this will lead to bacteria and mold growth, which can be fatal for your little spider. In order to prevent that, having good cross ventilation in their enclosure is a must. A hygrometer is also useful in order to be able to gauge the humidity levels.

6) Handling

Handling is not necessary, but if you decide to take your spider out for play time, try doing it close to the floor or on top of the bed covers until you feel confident with handling. They can be fast and they jump, sometimes, unexpectedly. A small soft brush is really helpful to lure them in and out of the enclosure and to gently stop them if they take off when handling, as well as a “catch cup”.

7) Molting

Molting is the process to shed their exoskeleton. They go through several molts as they grow and until they mature. Once they mature they won’t molt anymore.
They usually molt inside of their hammock. The molting process takes longer as the spider gets older. Young spiders may only be in the hammock for a few hours, while during their final molt, they may be there for a month. They will usually not eat during this time. It’s important to avoid disturbing their hammock and to wait a couple of days after they emerge to offer food to ensure that they are not hurt while their exoskeleton hardens.
After molting, spiders have a soft exoskeleton and are vulnerable; therefore, it's important not to disturb their molting process and provide enough moisture in the enclosure to avoid tragic molting situations. Spiders may lose legs during the molting process. If they are still young with more molts to come, they will likely regain the lost limb in a molt or two. However, if they are an adult and lose a limb, it will not regrow. In rare cases, a spider may die during the molting process, known as a mismolt. It's essential to maintain adequate moisture levels in their enclosure to avoid mismolts.
Humidity must be between 80-90% during this process.

8) Chemicals and other scents

Jumping spiders are highly susceptible to scents and chemicals. Therefore, avoid using candles, scented oils, air fresheners, pesticides, flea medication, toxic cleaning products, or any other poisons in the room where your spider is kept. Remove your spider from the room (or from your home if using pesticides or harsh chemicals) for at least 72 hours if such products must be used. Always wash hands before handling.

9) Cleaning

Spot clean poop spots with a q-tip (or similar) and water. Do not use any chemicals. If there's any "stubborn" poop spots you can use white vinegar diluted in water. You can remove remains of eaten prey but don't clean or remove their webbing. They use it to move around the enclosure and they will need it as they age since unfortunately they will start to lose traction.

9) Lifespan

Jumping spiders are amazing little creatures and they make wonderful pets, however, they have short lifespans unfortunately. They usually live around to 2 years in captivity, with some recorded cases of up to three years. As mentioned before, it is important to not overfeed them, as this speeds up their growth and shortens the time between molts, which in turn makes them grow and mature faster.

10) Cohabitation

Jumping spiders are solitary creatures and can be cannibalistic. Please do not put more than one jumping spider in the same enclosure because they will most likely eat each other.

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We are truly grateful for you taking the time and choosing Little Spoods for adopting your new spood/s. We hope that you’re over the moon about your new family member/s!
Feel free to tag us on social media @littlespoods or shoot us a dm with pictures. We love hearing how your babies are doing!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’ll be more than happy to help and answer any questions that may arise!

Andrea
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