Just like you, I have been wanting a jumping spider as a pet too. I am not sure about you but I am planning on catching one.
So I have been researching on places where I can find jumping spiders too.
And guess what I have found?
Jumping spiders are everywhere in the world! There are many different types of jumping spiders, they are pretty much surviving everywhere. Most of them, however, can be found in the tropical forest or dense vegetation areas with a temperate climate.
The habitat they live in can be open areas like fields or deserts, rainforest and even mountainous terrain that is extremely cold. So it may be possible to find some in your backyard if you have trees or vegetation.
Sometimes even in your homes too… if you are lucky.
To know where to catch a jumping spider as your pet, you will need to know what type of jumping spider you want first.
So in the next section, I will be sharing some of the common and popular jumping spiders that people love as pets and where to find them.
Types of jumping spiders and where they live
The classification of spiders are pretty complex since there are over 1000 types of spiders and maybe more.
Just know that jumping spiders are under the family of spiders known as “Salticidae”. And within the family of Salticidae, there are over hundreds of genus or types of jumping spiders.
The 2 genus of the salticidae that stands out the most is the Phidippus and Hyllus. These 2 types of jumping spiders are getting popular as pets today due to their cute looking features.
They can be further broken down into their species. Lets that a look at a few of this common spiders and where to find them.
#1 Phidippus Audax
This species of jumping spiders are very common in North America. They can also be referred to as bold or daring jumping spiders.
To identify them simply look at their color. They are mostly in black, with some white spots or patterns on both their abdomen and legs. These spots can also be orange in color when they are younger.
You will also notice their large watery eyes and hairy features. The most accurate way to identify them is by looking at their chelicerae or their mouths. The Audax typically have a bright metallic blue or green iridescent chelicerae that are unique to them.
Where can they be found:
Phidippus audax is very common in countries like Canada and the United States. They can be found in open areas like fields or grassland. They don’t usually spin webs to trap their prey but stalk and pounce on them instead. Hence, they prefer to hunt in open space. They can also be found on fences and gardens or even on walls.
So if you are planning to hunt for one of these, go to the outdoors with lush greenery or they may even appear in your backyard.
#2 Phidippus Regius
Another species of the Phidippus genus is the Regal jumping spider. They are the larger types of jumping spider that can grow as big as .87 inches. Similar to the Audax, their common features are their large eyes, hairy body, and their blue-violet iridescent chelicerae.
Their males are generally always black with white spots and patterns of white while the females are usually gray or slightly orangey colored.
Where can they be found:
The regal jumping spider seems to prefer open areas with some plants, trees or wall to stalk their preys from above. They are seen usually in the southeastern parts of the United States or places around the Caribbean basin.
#3 Hyllus Diardi
Also known as the heavy jumping spider, the Hyllus Diardi is truly one of a kind. They can grow as large as over 10mm and have really huge bodies.
They are one of the biggest jumping spiders in their family of Salticidae. Along with their hairy legs and large tendering eyes, these species of spiders are getting the popularity due to their overloading cuteness.
Where can they be found:
Hyllus Diardi is a tropical species. They are mostly seen prowling the outdoors of Asian countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, and even China. So unless you are living in those countries, catching them on your own will definitely be a challenge. The only way is to buy them online or from shops.
These are just a few examples of popular spiders that you can catch as pets. To find out what other types jumping spiders are suitable as pets, you can check our article on that here.
Otherwise, let’s carry on to our next section…
How to catch a jumping spider step by step
Items Required
- Small container – you can use small round containers
- Stick or anything long (optional) – use it to search for spiders
- Mini torchlight (optional) – even though you will be searching for spiders in the day, sometimes it can be dark in areas with dense vegetation
- Gloves (optional) – you will be handling bushes, leaves, grass, and spiders too. So if you are afraid to handle them, gloves will be pretty useful.
- Magnifying glass (optional) – To make sure you are catching the right spider. You can view it with a magnifying glass from a slightly further distance away.
Step by step guide
Step 1: Know what you are searching for
Know what you are searching for. Jumping spiders as mentioned have the following features:
- They are hairy throughout from head to body to feet.
- They have eight eyes: from the front, you will see 2 large eyes and another 2 smaller ones at the side.
- They have great jumping power.
Step 2: Identify their habitat
They are usually found in woodland areas so go to your nearest park or preferably away from urban areas. Places with light vegetation may also be a good place for them to appear. This also includes your own backyard or garden.
Step 3: Start the search
Understand that jumping spiders hunt from above. So they tend to be on top of branches or tree bark. Sometimes they can be found standing on top of leaves as well. Keep an eye on tree bark as most of them can hunt vertically and even inversely.
You can also use the stick you bought with you to gently shake bushes or trees and watch for any movements. This will startle them causing them to move or jump.
Step 4: Capturing them
Once you spot them, you can use a magnifying glass to see if they are the correct species. Or use the container to cup it over the spider first and view later on.
Having gloves here will be helpful as you can just position your fingers for them to climb on then dropping them into your container. If you are a daredevil, you can go ahead without any gloves too.
Jumping spiders don’t usually bite humans but shy away from us instead. Their bite can be quite painful but their venom is not potent enough to hurt us unless you have an allergy to them. So other than that, jumping spiders are generally safe to be handled with bare hands.
However, it can be dangerous if you have yet to identify the spider as it may turn out to be other feisty species and may get a nasty bite.
Once they are in the container, close the lid. And view or admire your catch with the magnifying glass. Make sure it is the spider you are looking for. Do also ensure your lid has holes for air ventilation.
Catching spiders are not something dangerous but it never pays to be careful in the wild. Always make sure to wear protective gears if you are skittish among insects.
After catching spiders, you have to make sure they are well taken care of. Continue on to see how you can create the perfect environment for your spiders.
Building their home
Creating an environment for your pet is fun and easy. You want to recreate the habitat they were living in previously. So let us walk through step by step on how you can recreate this habitat for them
Step 1: Getting the right container and size
Finding the right container size for your spider is the most important. Getting one that is too small will not give it enough space to move around or exercise. If that happens, you will find them soon wither away and die.
You want to use a container large enough to hunt and move. A size of at least 1 cubic foot for 1 jumping spider will be adequate. That is equivalent to a 28 liter (7 gallons) fish tank which is also a good alternative to containers.
What lid or cover to use?
Make sure there is a cover or lid over your container to prevent your spider from climbing out. A mesh or screen lid is suitable. Most pet containers come with a lid that has holes so those are fine. If you plan to use normal plastic containers just make sure to poke several small holes on your cover to facilitate air ventilation.
Examples of containers you can use:
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Step 2: Positioning of your container
Spiders need sunlight. Not only for them to know it is time to hunt but also for breeding if you plan to pair them up.
But it is imperative not to put them out facing the sun for too long as they will overheat, dry up and die. Unless you have branches and leaves within your tank to act as their shade or shelter, otherwise it is best to avoid direct sunlight.
Just put them near a window for a few hours a day is good enough.
Step 3: Recreating their natural habitat
Substrate
Some owners use substrate, some don’t.
It really depends on your preference. But if you want to truly recreate a natural habitat for them, it is good to add in some potting soil without any fertilizers for your substrate. I won’t use soil from outdoors but get a new bag of those.
This is not very important as jumping spiders rarely spends time on the ground. They will find their own hiding spots close to the top of the cage as it gives them a better view of everything.
Here are some suitable substrates you can use:
- Potting soil (no need for fertilizers)
- Paper towel
- Just leaves and twigs
Shelter and hideouts
If your tank is large enough, adding in some branches, wood pieces or tree barks are ideal for them. You are not only creating natural hiding spots but also places for them to climb around and exercise.
The natural wood surface like a tree barks acts as a climbing material for your spider to climb on, rest or hunt. You can also place some large wood branches and twigs for spiders to really feel like they are in the wild.
With these items in place, throw in their live crickets or bugs in your cage and your spiders will go hunting like they do in the wild for their prey.
Visit our jumping spider housing and care guide here if you like to read up more on setting up their habitat.
Where can you buy jumping spiders
As common as it may be, finding them may be a hassle. Most pet shops don’t carry them as well. And to my surprise, they are actually not easy to find them online too. With much digging, here are some examples of places you can get jumping spiders.
In conclusion, jumping spiders are really common but catching them is not as easy as it may seem. You know how sometimes when you are not looking for something they show up? And when you are actively finding it, they just don’t appear?
This is exactly what it is like when catching jumping spiders! Do you have the same experience?
So what do you think, should I continue my hunt or just buy them online? Do you have great catching spots for jumping spiders? Let us know in the comments sections below.
