Field spiders for collection, dedicated shelf.

[Arachnaeoccult]

I've been thinking about (aside from some snake and pink toe T endeavors) that I could take some garden spiders and provide them with suitable jar homes. I'm sure they would take to pinhead crickets (or any bug I find for them really). Has anyone ever done that? Theres a lot of colorful garden and crab spiders around, but why stop there right? I'm considering the collection of a black widow female for novelty. (its not like I'd be taking care of a cobra or other venomous snake).

[prairiepanda]

Yep, it's very easy to keep local spiders in this manner! Just keep in mind they often need more space than people expect. A tiny little orb weaver needs space to build a proper sprawling web, and an itty bitty jumping spider needs a spacious enclosure to accommodate their high activity levels and jumping, just as a wolf spider needs plenty of floor space for its active hunting habits. You can't size their enclosures the way you would with a tarantula. Also, species that have book lungs, such as jumping spiders, need some(not much) environmental moisture in addition to their dietary water intake, to keep their lungs in good shape. Live plants or occasional misting works well for this. Take into consideration the living habits of the specific types of spiders you collect, and they'll do great in captivity.

I've known a few people who have kept black widows; one friend of mine has 7 different species. Just don't handle them and you'll be safe. Once they have established themselves in their enclosure, they are pretty slow-moving so escape is unlikely. Always keep a clear plastic catch-cup and paint brush/chopstick/twig/whatever nearby when opening the container just to be safe, though, to avoid direct physical contact.

Also remember that these little guys tend to have very short lifespans and you can't know how long a mature adult has lived before you caught it, so don't feel down if it dies on you after just a short time in your care. Usually it's not a problem with husbandry, but just the natural end of lifespan.

EDIT: since you mentioned crab spiders, I'd like to say that in my experience crab spiders don't like dealing with very large prey. Most spiders will happily take prey that is larger than themselves, but crab spiders tend to prefer prey that is their size or smaller, perhaps due to their somewhat limited mobility. That aside, crab spiders are quite easy to handle and will quickly build webs in your hands if you let them!

[Minkness]

I loooove crab spiders!!! I would keep them in kritter keepers when I was little then let them go because I couldn't feed them. But they are amazing =)

[Arachnaeoccult]

I have a garden spider with a red undermarking, bone white top, and yellow/green side markings. I've seen a cluster of them in the yard and even identified the male of the bunch (much skinnier, more daddy long-leg look). Not sure how cannibalism goes there. A garden spider presumably likes nature.

[pitontheprowl]

I have a couple jumping spiders that I found while working in the chicken run that became pets.
Actually they are what got me into wanting Ts.
Without this sounding bad, I figured if I could keep them happy and alive then I could get something that I actually had to pay for.