So you have everything your jumping spider needs, and the little one has settled in nicely, now your mind turns to interacting with your new spood, so how do you handle your pet jumping spider. There are so many videos of patient spiders sitting sweetly on their keeper's hand or exploring with little hops up onto waiting fingers, and that's how you'd like to connect with your pet too. Well, here are some tips to get you started.
Now, unlike dogs and cats, jumping spiders won't see us as one of them or themselves as one of us but they do know that we are living beings with faces, they can learn to recognise the elements about us as no threat to them. For instance, we have a strong scent to spiders, who smell with the hairs on their legs, so learning to step onto a strong unfamiliar smell will take time. Even when low and gentle, our voices vibrate the air, which is easily detected by hairs on the spider. Then we have huge movements that can easily startle a spider. Basically, asking a spider to walk on us is like me asking you to walk into a Martian sandstorm; It's big, loud and utterly alien. If you have just brought your new jumping spider home, let them get settled in and eating before you attempt to interact with them. You will also need to make sure they are not showing signs of pre-moult, or if they have just come out from a moult, make sure they have had something to eat as this will ensure they have hardened up enough and won't be weak from going without food. Start by speaking to them or other people near the enclosure to let them acclimatise to the timber of your voice. Move slowly when you are feeding or performing enclosure maintenance.
If the spider dashes away at the simplest movements or makes hasty jumps to escape and often falls, then it's not the best time to offer them your hand. Instead, be around the enclosure more. I have a female Phidippus Texanus called Penny who would literally run into the wall of her enclosure and fall every time I walked past. I moved her to the middle of my spider shelves so that she should see me more often. I softly opened and closed the enclosure every few minutes to get her used to the door and used an empty spray bottle to get her used to the squeaky mister. It took about a week before she realised that these sounds and movements meant no harm to her. Once I could open the enclosure and do a wipe down without her running full pelt at the side, then I knew I might be able to work on getting her to come sit on my hand.
Why do it at all?
It is true that a jumping spider will be just as happy if you never offered them your hand to climb on; the interaction is for us and not for them. However, a jumping spider will need to be familiar with us and our movements should they make a dash out of their enclosure or need to be removed from the enclosure for unavoidable reasons, so getting yourself and them comfortable with interaction can actually be helpful. Just imagine the stress a spider might feel if you never really interact with the spider but then need to chase it around the enclosure to get it into a small pot because the enclosure is broken?
What you'll need:
First, wash your hands with warm water only and dry them. Avoid trying to handle your spider if you've been using chemicals, hand gel, perfume on your wrists, or creams and moisturisers; these can linger on the skin even after washing with warm water and can be uncomfortable and even dangerous to your spider. I'd also stop the interaction if your palms start to become sweaty during as this salty moisture is painful to a spider whoes lungs are located on the bottom of their abdomen. I recommend a warm room, a clear table with only the enclosure on it, a clean (preferably new) paintbrush or spider wrangling brush, a piece of paper or card, and a small plastic cup. You may also want a second person, not just as a second pair of eyes, but another person is handy in getting the spider off you if they wander off to somewhere you can't reach. For instance, remember the shy Texanus I mentioned earlier; she is now so comfortable crawling onto me that she went up my arms, around the back of my elbow and then onto my back where I couldn't see her or reach her. I had to get my husband to come rescue me. Set yourself up at the table and take a few deep breaths. With a name like 'jumping spider' and them being so small, you're probably worried they will jump off and vanish almost instantly. It's not as easy to lose them as you think. They often leave a silk line like a bungee cord behind them and can only jump around 10cm at a time.
Getting Started There are two methods to try; the first is to offer a finger by placing it on a surface inside the enclosure. Resting your finger on a surface will keep it steady. If your spider retreats or doesn't move at all, then you can wait longer or try again another day. If they are in an Arachnamoria Starter Home you can turn the top upside down, this will enclourage the spider to crawl upwards to meet you. Progress will be when the spider slowly waves its front legs at you; this means they are smelling you. They may approach and touch you with their legs, pedipalps or even do a test jump where they jump on you but quickly retreat. These are all good sign. You can even wiggle your finger slowly to help them acclimatise to your movements.
The second method is to trick them by coaxing them onto you to prove you aren't a threat. This is handy for guiding them in a hurry, such as after an escape or moving enclosures. I use a paintbrush. I very gently touch the end of the bristles to their back legs. The chances are that the spider will turn to see what touched them and begin to back away; this is when you can place your hand behind them and trick them onto you. When they come onto you, remove the brush. They may jump off again in a hurry or be content to sit or explore. Most of mine are used to the brush method as I use it when we take photographs or try to get them back into their enclosure when let out for a walk. Instead of using it to make them move, they now willingly climb onto it when offered, and it allows me to pop them back inside easily.
Once they are on you, move slowly, precisely, and keep them over the table in case they fall so that they don't harm themselves. They will leave web lines behind them and should you move a spider free hand too quickly you can snag this almost invisible line and actually drag them or even throw them a great distance.
If at any time your spider throws up its front legs, opens its pedipalps and displays their chelicera, then back away. This is a threat pose and shows that your spood is not happy with the interaction. If they are in their enclosure, then leave them be; if they are outside of it, use the catching cup and the paintbrush to guide them back in and protect yourself from being bitten. Has your jumping spider made a dash for it? Don't panic; move slow and only if necessary to avoid accidental squooshing. Pop the card or paper in front of them to run onto. You may be able to use this to get them back into the enclosure or the catching cup. You can place the cup over them or redirect them with the paintbrush. Inevitably there may be a spider who prefers not to interact. Some may just take time, and others will be out and up your arm whenever you open the enclosure. You and your spider are individuals, but you'll soon find your groove if given enough time.
