Enclosures & Setup
Setting up a first jumping spider enclosure
Jumpers are climbers, so think tall rather than wide. A front-opening enclosure around 15 x 15 x 20 cm suits an adult, with good ventilation, climbing branches and silk plants to patrol.
Small creatures. Lots to discover.
Whether you're considering your first jumping spider or you're simply fascinated by invertebrates, this is where I'll share what I've learned along the way.
Jumping SpidersTarantulasMantidsEnclosures & SetupFeedingBehaviour & MoultingBeginner Questions
Feeding
Feeding: what, how often, and what to skip
Flightless fruit flies for slings and juveniles, blue bottles and micro crickets for adults. Feed every 2-4 days and remove uneaten prey within 24 hours so nothing bothers a resting spider.
Behaviour & Moulting
Moulting — why your spider has disappeared
A jumper about to moult seals itself into a thick silk hammock and refuses food. Don't feed, don't disturb, and wait a few days after the moult before offering prey again.
Beginner Questions
Water, humidity and the daily mist
Jumpers drink from droplets. A light mist on one side of the enclosure every day or two provides a drink and keeps humidity comfortable — never soak the whole enclosure.
Mantids
Is my mantis about to moult or just sulking?
Mantids hang upside down and go still before a moult, and they need vertical space and humidity to get out cleanly. If yours is hanging quietly and refusing food, leave it be.
Behaviour & Moulting
Handling: honest thoughts
Jumpers are the most interactive invertebrates you can keep, but falls hurt them. Let them hop onto a hand over a soft surface, keep it short, and never handle near a moult. Tarantulas — I don't.
More to come, properly
I'd rather add a handful of genuinely useful pages than fill this section for the sake of it. If there's something you'd like covered, tell me and it'll go on the list.