Any Spider Owners?

[NennaMeerkat]

Well you know its Spring time in Texas when the variety of Wolf Spiders start appearing everywhere. Already we have evicted at least a dozen dime sized fellows back outside. As a lover of spiders I never kill them and will *usually* allow the non dangerous kind to survive in my home as long as they can.

Tonight however I watched as one, called a Rabid Wolf Spider, walked along my desktop uncaring and unperturbed by my presence or typing. So I decided that I would give this bold little guy a home, if only temporary. Got him in a small "critter carrier" with three rocks I got from outside (natural hiding spots) with the same bedding I use for my hognose on the bottom.

Since I have never homed a spider before I thought if there were any spider owners out there they could give me some general tips. I know that Wolf Spiders hunt their prey and are fairly active. Also know that some species, when full grown, can be the size of small tarantulas. But other than that I am unsure of care.

So any advice would be nice. And tomorrow when it is a bit brighter in my home I will try for some pics.

[Damion930]

Sweet lol I realy like spiders I never kill them I let them hang out and sometimes relocate them I do keep a male rose hair tarantula not very active but still purdy kewl. Not realy sure how to provide care for a wolf spider I caught one in kentucky one time that was huge silver dollar sized.

[NennaMeerkat]

Sweet lol I realy like spiders I never kill them I let them hang out and sometimes relocate them I do keep a male rose hair tarantula not very active but still purdy kewl. Not realy sure how to provide care for a wolf spider I caught one in kentucky one time that was huge silver dollar sized.

Yeah they get pretty big. My mom-in-law has mistaken them for Tarantulas before and won't believe that they are the harmless Wolf Spider. Kinda funny, but annoying when she boasts about killing the tarantulas that live in her garage.

[stephanbakir]

I kept a water spider for a while, fed it perch and bluegill babies, it was about the size of a softball including legs. Kept it in a fish tank, if you haven't hear of them before, its worth looking up images, when they swim under water they cover themselves in an air bubble.

[NennaMeerkat]

I kept a water spider for a while, fed it perch and bluegill babies, it was about the size of a softball including legs. Kept it in a fish tank, if you haven't hear of them before, its worth looking up images, when they swim under water they cover themselves in an air bubble.

Never seen them but know what you are talking about. Closest water bug I have seen are the water beetle things. We had a "colony" of them at a zoo I worked for. We would crush crickets and dump them in. Fun to watch them snatch up and carry around squished cricket bits. They weren't as large as you were talking about, about the size of a fingernail. Kids LOVED to watch them when we fed, so we always announced when we were about to so the crowd could see.

[Nektu]

We keep tarantulas: http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/photography-discussion/86096-figured-i-d-share.html

They are further down. We use Eco Earth for the bedding. It's nice because one small block is enough for them and the toad and to have a ton left over. We use a small container, about the size of a spice bottle cap, for water. They don't need much. Since you have a wolf spider witch is a hunter like tarantulas, you can still put a nice size stick in with it. They might like that.

Our tarantulas are eating machines. My large Arizona Blonde will eat a good half dozen if not more crickets a week. If it seems to eat good at first and then slows down, don't worry, it just means it will molt soon. They will appear dead, some even flip on their backs. If this happens get the food out of there because they will eat the spider during this time. After the spider sheds, you need to wait to feed it again. The fangs will be white almost clear for the next few days. If they eat too soon after molt it will hurt them and could damage the fangs. Try to keep the tank warm and moist. I spray ours down with a spray bottle, sides and bottom. other than that, never keep two of them together.

Can't wait to see pics.

[stephanbakir]

Water beetles sounds cool, i bought a few to test them as a food source for my fish lol.
I kept those water scorpion things for a while, hard tho cuz they can fly

[vendettaseve]

Never really had an interest in keeping spiders, I do appreciate them however, and attempt to relocate the larger ones that get into my house, we had one of thoes spiders that writes in its web on our porch for the longest time till some birds messed up his web and he packed his stuff and left :(

Now we see alot of hobo spiders around :/ gotta keeel thoes ones.

Good luck with your new friend.

[BlindOne]

I've never kept a Wolf Spider but I do keep about 70 tarantulas. I'd probably try keeping him on some coco fiber, lightly mist the cage a couple times a week, and toss him a cricket a little smaller than he is once a week. I'd also try giving him something to hide under if he's insecure.

Good luck!

[NennaMeerkat]

When I get paid this Friday and have to make a run to the pet store anyways for cat food/litter I will pick up something more appropriate for her to be on...though I will never see here since she is dirt colored.

Right now we have 3 decent sized rocks for her to hide amongst, but she seems pretty active and doesn't mind being out and about. Hopefully she will still be with us so I can get a few pinhead crickets (and about 40 or so normal sized for my beardie). Right now I got 0 cash to do anything with. Worse comes to worse I will go out and find some pill bugs or grubs or something that she can eat.

Husband thinks it will be a fun "project" for us to see if we can get her to survive...and if it unfortunately happens that she doesn't we can find a more heartier one outside and try again. As awful as that might sound.

[NennaMeerkat]

Here are a couple of pics I got last night. Hope you can see her.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/976/p1030333n.jpg

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/505/p1030334tv.jpg

Love how she really blends with the rock in the second picture. Almost like her legs seem to fade into the rock.

[stephanbakir]

I always see the wolf spiders close to my house eating moths, might be something u can try if he doesn't take to crickets