Today, many people are attracted to various exotic animals and insects, rare species fish that they happily keep at home. We also paid attention to such exotics as spiders, which feel great at home.

Let's look at which types are better for maintenance and care.

Types of spiders for home keeping

The most common and popular type of spider is the tarantula or tarantula, very beautiful, with bright colors and large sizes, lends itself well to breeding and lives a long time in captivity. This type of spider is attractive because its bite is not fatal to humans, it will simply cause irritation, redness, and sometimes an allergic reaction. The tarantula species includes hundreds of subspecies, so you have a huge choice.

How to choose a spider

When you go to a pet store, follow simple rules choosing this animal:

• ask the seller to give you a complete and detailed description of how to keep a spider at home
• We carefully examine the selected instance, which should be active. If a spider lies and does not run around in its house, it means that it is sick and is not worth buying.
• Look at the abdomen: in a healthy one it is even and smooth. And if the spider is dehydrated, it will be wrinkled and dull
• if you see open wounds on the limbs or body, you should not take this specimen
• a large spider means an adult, this especially applies to males who live less than spiders, it’s better to buy a baby.

We recommend that you look at the hairs that cover the abdomen: if you see that the hairs are not of equal size, are combed, or faded, the spider is sick, something is bothering it, and therefore it constantly scratches the abdomen with its hind legs.

Spiders often have their limbs broken off - they grow back after molting; this also happens if the spider was brought from nature and did not follow the transportation rules.

Choosing a terrarium for a spider

Terrariums designed for spiders are varied: any shape, size, design, its choice depends on your preferences and how this container will fit into the interior of your home. The most important thing is to buy a container that has a tight-fitting lid so that your pet does not “go for a walk” around the apartment and neighbors. Spiders crawl well on smooth glass surfaces, so it won’t be too difficult for him to get out.

Give preference to spacious containers in which the pet will lead an active lifestyle.

Never place the terrarium on a windowsill where your pet could get caught Sun rays which will lead to his death.

Second main point– this is a substrate, for which choose peat, fine gravel, paper, sphagnum, vermiculite and pine sawdust. To prevent the substrate from becoming covered with fungus and rot, there must be a hole in the lid for ventilation.

Caring for a spider at home

A spider is like any other Living being, requires attention and care. Let's start with setting up a terrarium, which should have several levels so that the pet can live an active life. To do this, pour a fairly thick layer of substrate so that the spider can “lead” excavation, we install a snag on which he will run. You can put a shelter in a container, which will be a mink.

The temperature regime should also be observed - spiders prefer temperatures from 23 degrees to 28, but can tolerate 15 degrees well.

Buy a water heater that will maintain normal temperature and the necessary humidity in the terrarium, which plays an important role in the pet’s molting process. If there is insufficient humidity, the animal will simply die, so its level should not fall below 75 percent.

Lighting also plays an important role in keeping spiders: choose a low-voltage lamp, from 15 to 25 watts. If you decorated the terrarium with plants, then you can install fluorescent lamps.

Feeding house spiders

Spiders have external digestion, when they inject their juices into the victim and after a while, begin to suck out all the contents. This process may take more than a day. Therefore, it is recommended to feed your young pet twice a week with live insects, small size. If you purchased a large specimen, then it will eat both mice and frogs.

A young spider, 3 days old or older, eats crickets, mealworms, and fruit flies. Food should not exceed a third of the size of the spider’s body, since it will take a lot of time to digest it.

An adult specimen eats once a week, but if reproduction is expected, then feeding is carried out more often. Remove the food that the spider has not eaten from the terrarium.

Molting spiders

This is a very important period in your pet's life. Before molting, the spider becomes slightly mobile, does not feed, and a day before the start of the change of cover, it generally freezes and lies on its back or side.

Young spiders molt regularly, mature ones - once a year. When the coat changes, the old one disintegrates, and the new one is very soft, and during this period, which lasts from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, strictly monitor the humidity, otherwise the pet will simply dehydrate and die. Under no circumstances should you pick up the spider at this moment; you may damage its weak skeleton. Also remove all food, which can also cause harm.

The process of molting is a very fascinating spectacle when your pet begins to methodically, very carefully, free each of its limbs from the old cover, cleans its paws and abdomen. It is so mesmerizing that you even forget about time and sit next to the terrarium and watch.

Reproduction of spiders at home

If you are so passionate about your pet, it will not be surprising to have a desire to have offspring. In this case, it is better for you to keep one pair - a male and a female - in one terrarium, and if there is another pair, transplant them into another container.

A couple of weeks before mating, the male begins to weave a web on which he will engage in the process of producing seminal fluid. When you notice mating, immediately after it, if you have time, of course, remove the male so that the female does not eat him.

Depending on the characteristics of the spider, she can lay eggs in a couple of weeks or months in one large cocoon, which she will regularly move from place to place and turn it over. Typically, babies will appear within three to twelve weeks.

Immediately transplant the baby into separate containers, because... spiders can eat each other. The young are fed once every three days with small insects.

• keep the terrarium clean
• Do not take once again pet in your hands, if you are cleaning the terrarium, place it in another container, which also closes. The spider not only has a poisonous bite, but also hairs on its abdomen, which, if they come into contact with the skin, cause allergies. Even if you think you picked him up carefully, you may accidentally drop him on the floor and move his paws
• do not experiment with food, feed only what the consultant advised you, otherwise you will poison the poor spider
• always check the lid for a tight fit, because spiders are very mobile and will use every opportunity to “go for a walk” in new territories
• The paku was created by nature to contemplate beauty, so you shouldn’t poke your fingers into its abdomen, bragging to your friends that it knows you and accepts you as a friend. If at this moment the tarantula is in a bad mood, has not had enough sleep, or is hungry, then you cannot avoid a bite. These spiders have no authority; they do not develop any reflexes for communication.

Tarantula spider. What's in a name?

I would really like to start an article about spiders by mentioning the fact (which should be known to everyone) that spiders are not insects. This fact cannot be ignored for the simple reason that many people still stubbornly call them that. And you can’t say that they are similar. Spiders belong to the class Arachnida, which also includes scorpions, false scorpions and ticks (yes, ticks are not insects either). These amazing creatures appeared on our planet approximately 400 million years ago in the Paleozoic. Fossilized spiders are found in Devonian and Carboniferous deposits. Moreover, these fossils are not much more primitive in structure than modern ones. Today, spiders are ubiquitous and it is very difficult to find a corner of the Earth where their four pairs of paws have not set foot.

Specifically, in this article we will talk about such a family of arachnids as tarantula spiders - these are beautiful eight-legged and hairy creatures. The tarantula family includes 10 genera containing several hundred species. Its representatives inhabited all the continents of the planet, except Antarctica, and their sizes vary from 0.8 to 20 cm with paws. Many people like to keep the largest and most beautiful ones at home as exotic pets.

It’s hard not to say a few words about the name “tarantula spiders.” After all, they don’t eat birds, and if they dine on some kind of bird, then this is the exception rather than the rule. So why are they called that? The thing is that at the beginning of the 18th century, an artist who was partial to spiders named Maria Sibylla Merian made an expedition during which she was lucky enough to catch that rare moment when a tarantula was eating a hummingbird. Amazing luck. At the end of the trip, Madame Merian published a work that included an engraving of a spider's meal. The scientific community did not believe that arachnids could eat vertebrates, but the name stuck.

A little history of how they came up with the idea of ​​keeping a spider at home. Not a cat after all

It's no secret that people and spiders are old neighbors who have been sharing the same living space since time immemorial. But spiders only recently acquired the status of a pet. Perhaps this is due to the fact that terrarium art, as such, is a fairly young phenomenon in Russia, and also, partly, due to the fact that it is quite a large number of people are simply afraid of spiders. However, in vain.

And yet, when and why did a reasonable person think of deliberately keeping a spider at home, feeding, loving and caring for it? If we do not take into account the aborigines of Laos and Cambodia, who keep spiders as livestock (there is no dispute about tastes), and the latter also “milk” nephil spiders for the sake of webs, then the earliest mention of an attempt to keep arachnids at home, found in the writing of this article is dated August 17, 1796. This is the protocol of the Holy Tribunal No. 119110 in the case of a certain resident of Toledo named Joaquim Ricardo. The defendant caught spiders in the forest and, according to him, kept and fed them in his house in order to find out whether their web would make good yarn. Unfortunately, Joaquim was not familiar with the natives of Cambodia and could not ask them this question. And they would answer him that it is good, since they have been weaving rugs for a long time and making fishing lines from nephil webs. However, the tribunal still did not believe Joaquim and punished him for the fact that the latter was engaged in some kind of heresy. The fate of his pets is unknown.

However, people began studying spiders long before Joaquim. Aristotle also mentioned these amazing creatures in his works, classifying them in his own classification system as the genus Entoma - “segmented animals with many legs,” belonging to a large group of “animals without blood.” The real flowering of arachnology occurred in early XIX century thanks to the research of Latreille and Walkener. Regarding Russian arachnology, one of the first systematic descriptions was made in 1770 by E. Laxman.

The fashion itself for keeping and breeding tarantula spiders at home appeared relatively recently - in the 19th century. And since then it has been rapidly gaining momentum, which, however, is not surprising: tarantula spiders are very unpretentious in keeping, very beautiful and diverse, and it is a pleasure to watch them.

House spider. Pros, cons

If you compare the tarantula spider with any other common pet, then the obvious advantages of man’s eight-legged friend immediately emerge: it doesn’t shit in slippers, it doesn’t scream at night, it doesn’t require walks, and it takes up little space. Well, seriously, when choosing everyone’s office favorite, it’s worth taking a closer look at tarantula spiders. Even in the smallest office you can find a corner for a small terrarium (it doesn’t need a large one), and the pet will calmly endure the weekend without your attention. It doesn’t need much food or special care, and the spider’s metabolism can hardly be called fast.

There is a highly embellished disadvantage of the tarantula spider as a pet - its poisonousness. But, as they say, the devil is not as terrible as his ceremonial portrait. Most species are not that poisonous, and the consequences of their bites are actually quite boring: not exactly like a mosquito, but nothing criminal. Of course, if you don't have allergies. Typically, a tarantula bite is comparable to a wasp sting. And more poisonous species spiders are initially recommended for keeping only by experienced arachnokeepers.

In addition to biting, the irritating hairs of the tarantula pose some danger to humans. In case of danger, fright or bad mood, the spider may start scratching them off. Oddly enough, this is also never fatal, neither for the spider nor for its owner. When the hairs come into contact with human skin, they cause itching and irritation, in the worst case, something similar to hives. But a bouquet of unpleasant sensations is guaranteed for those who get them in the eyes. So, if you have held a spider on your hands, it is better to wash them. Handles, not spiders.

A particularly funny example of fear of the irritating hairs of a tarantula was described in one of the American tabloid newspapers of the 90s. A local "expert" studying spider hairs was pictured wearing a spacesuit-like suit. In the article itself, he strictly warned readers to approach tarantulas without such attire. Because otherwise, the most terrible dermatitis and all 7 Egyptian plagues threaten.

It is worth writing separately about spider molting, although it is difficult to classify it as a pro or a disadvantage. This is an extremely fascinating phenomenon that deserves its own article, so now only briefly. Firstly, the molting of a spider is not something that happened suddenly: the entire life of a tarantula consists of 4 stages, each of which smoothly flows into the next, forming a continuous cycle: the pre-molting stage; direct molting; post-molt stage; interlink gap. Just before the spider moults, life is very difficult - the old “armor” is tight, it’s hard to hear and see, and there’s no way to complain to anyone. And the very process of shedding the old shell can frighten a newbie: the pet will roll over onto its back and may lie like that for some time. Do not rush to bury the tarantula - molting does not always occur instantly, and besides, dying tarantulas do not roll over on their backs. Then, like a phoenix from the ashes, the spider will rise in a brand new exoskeleton. The old skin is called exuvium.

By the way, about the exuvium. The authors of the book “The Theory and Practice of Arachnocypers” Stan and Margaret Schultz recommend not throwing it out, but carefully (since after molting the spider is very vulnerable) remove the molt from the terrarium before it dries, straighten and stuff the still wet opisthosoma (the back part of the tarantula, including abdomen) with cotton balls. This way you can create a historical display of all ages of your pet.

It’s worth saying a few words about keeping tarantula spiders. First, you need to consider whether it is burrowing or arboreal. Burrowing spiders will need a small horizontal terrarium (it is easier for them to hunt in small containers), and the height should not exceed 25-30 cm, since gravity is merciless even to tarantulas and falling from high altitude may cause abdominal rupture and be fatal. Coconut substrate is perfect as a substrate, but do not overdo it: a burrowing tarantula can burrow deep, and you will have to look for it for a long time. Perhaps even under the sofa while the unsuspecting spider just sits in its hole. So 3-5 cm of soil is enough.

Arboreal species of tarantulas are accustomed to slightly different conditions; they need something to happily climb on. For example, driftwood or bark, so that they feel comfortable, like in their native forest. Especially jumping ones need a little more space than their terrestrial counterparts. But it’s still better not to joke with gravity. When keeping both burrowing and tree spiders, it is necessary to ensure that a certain humidity and temperature are maintained; this can be easily done using a thermometer and hygrometer. In cool rooms, artificial heating should be installed, and maintaining the necessary humidity is very simple - periodic spraying and a small drinking bowl, from which the animal can safely get out without drowning.

Arachnophobia. Or they knock out the wedge with the wedge

It's incredible but true that quite a lot of people are afraid of spiders. But, at the same time, many former arachnophobes share stories online about how they overcame their fear by acquiring a furry eight-legged friend. As a rule, not just one, because it is very difficult to settle on just one tarantula. So, before you rush to say “ugh” and “oh, they’re scary,” check out a small selection of photographs of tarantula spiders, or better yet, watch them in real life.

1. Avicularia versicolor 2. Brachypelma smithi 3. Brachypelma albopilosum

4. Davus fasciatus 5. Lasiodora parahybana 6. Grammostola pulchra

7. Brachypelma vagans 8. Heteroscodra maculate 9. Psalmopoeus cambridgei

Before getting such a pet, find out the advantages and disadvantages of keeping spiders at home.

Benefits of Keeping Spiders

1. Spiders are ideal for those who love silence: they make almost no sounds.
2. Spiders are clean, they don’t smell in the apartment.
3. Spiders require a small living space. A terrarium for a spider will not take up much space in the house.
4. Spiders are interesting to watch. The molting process is generally a fascinating spectacle.
5. Keeping such an exotic pet is much cheaper than traditional pets (although the spider itself can be expensive). Spiders cannot be called gluttons. Baby spiders are fed every other day, while adults are fed once a week or even less often.
6. Spiders as pets are suitable for busy people. If you travel often, you don't need to think about where to place the spider. As a rule, spiders do not suffer in the absence of their owner and can easily do without him for several days.
7. And finally, spiders are very spectacular and unusual creatures. It is very interesting to have such an exotic animal at home.

But, as in the content of any other pet, keeping spiders has its drawbacks.

Disadvantages of keeping a spider in the house

1. Almost all spiders are poisonous; some of them can cause harm to humans. A spider bite is quite painful and can cause redness and swelling. Serious consequences from a bite can occur if the victim is allergic to spider venom. Therefore, it is strongly recommended not to pick up spiders.
2. Some species of spiders shed stinging hairs. If they come into contact with the eyes or nose, they may cause skin irritation and inflammation. It's pretty serious problem– Sometimes hospitalization may be required.
3. Many types of spiders require certain temperatures, humidity and lighting. Spiders are quite nimble creatures. To prevent the pet from escaping, the terrarium must be tightly closed with a secure lid. At the same time, it is necessary to provide ventilation in the spider’s home. If the spider does escape from the terrarium, it will pose a threat to other pets, if any.
4. The life of most spiders is short. The exception is. In captivity they can live 20 or even 30 years.
5. Spiders, like other pets, can be a source of various bacterial, viral and fungal infections.
6. Spiders also get sick, and not every veterinarian can help these exotic animals.
7. Spiders cannot be tamed, they cannot be controlled. They do not feel the need to communicate with a person. You won't be able to pick him up and pet him.

Spiders don't need as much attention as many other pets. But by getting such an extraordinary pet, you take on much more responsibility than by getting, for example, a turtle or a hamster.

In contact with

Classmates

In nature, spiders are very common; there are many thousands of species. They prefer to live in warm climates. Often these arthropods move into a person’s home as an uninvited guest or pet. What types of these creatures can most often be found in the house?

Spiders in the house: is it dangerous?

As a rule, arthropods are absolutely safe for people, but their very appearance often causes disgust. Although they help clean the apartment from cockroaches, bedbugs and other pests. At the same time, spiders reproduce slowly, so you don't have to worry that in a matter of days your home will turn into their colony.

Important! If there are spiders in the house, it means that something is attracting them. Most often these are insects that form food for arthropods: flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches. If you take them out, the spiders will disappear.

Most arthropods can be observed in spring and summer, since these creatures love warm and dry climates.

Almost all types of house spiders are predators, that is, they use other living organisms as food, primarily insects. In order to catch the victim, they weave their web and lurk nearby . As soon as the unfortunate insect falls into a trap and becomes entangled, the spider injects its poison, causing the death of the prey, which it devours immediately or leaves as a reserve.

In apartments and private houses The most common arthropods you can find are:

• black;
• grey;
• haymaker;
• window;
• tramp.

How can you recognize them?? Features black spider are:

• Miniature body size, average length about 1.5 cm.
• The web has the shape of a tube.

The window has a body length of no more than 1 cm, an oval or round abdomen, and 8 long legs. It prefers to weave webs in dark corners or under window sills. Black spiders often have yellowish patterns on their bodies, which are densely covered with hairs. . There are several pairs eyes, but arthropods focus primarily on other senses.

Gray ones are also small, up to 15 mm. After the prey is caught in the web, the spider restores the web; it is mainly females who weave it.

The black hobo spider does not spin webs, but is large in size. He can enter the home through a door or window. It is distinguished long legs, elongated body. How does this giant hunt? It rushes at the chosen victim, injects poison, eats it and moves on. This is why such black arthropods will not become regular guests of your apartment. Having rid it of insects, they will continue on their way.

The haymaker spider is often also called the long-legged spider or the pigtail spider. The most remarkable thing about him appearance – long legs(their length reaches 5 cm with a body length of only 1 cm). Number of legs: eight . The web is not sticky, but it is so cunningly intertwined that the caught insect has no chance of freeing itself. And the waiting hunter is already running towards his victim, ready to inject lethal dose poison.

This creature prefers to settle in dry warm places, especially near windows and in hard-to-reach corners, most often hangs upside down. It is interesting that the haymaker tries with all his might to prevent a large insect from getting into his net; in case of danger, he begins to swing the web.

Jumper. This is a special type of jumping domestic arthropod, the owner of eight eyes located in three rows. May vary wide variety of body color and abdominal pattern. Due to the presence of tiny hairs and claws on its paws, this arthropod moves easily on glass surfaces. It is interesting that this spider is an exception among its fellows; it is not a predator, preferring to eat acacia flowers.

Arthropods are also often kept as pets, they are loved and cared for. The most popular types include the following:

Are house spiders dangerous?

As a rule, the species found in our houses and apartments are absolutely harmless, since they do not emit poison. Certain danger may represent black tramps living in regions with hot climates - they often cause allergic reactions. More precisely, not the spiders themselves, but the secretion of the oral gland they secrete. Accidentally brought from southern regions V middle lane, such creatures also pose a danger.

Accidental bite house spider It is harmless to humans, since the poison of these arthropods is dangerous only for insects - their victims. But still, for the purpose of prevention, doctors recommend treating the bite site with hydrogen peroxide or alcohol.

How to get rid of house spiders

The first step is to remove those insects, which serve as food for spiders, which is why first of all it is necessary to destroy cockroaches, bedbugs, flies and other unpleasant insects.

You can fight cobwebs with an ordinary broom. However, if there are a large number of arthropods, this may indicate the presence of masonry, which can be removed with the help of household chemicals– these creatures do not tolerate strong aromas. If possible, surfaces regularly inhabited by arthropods can be painted.

Also, if spiders begin to appear frequently, you can place containers with flavored liquids around the room. Thus, arthropods cannot tolerate the aromas of chestnut, citrus, mint, and eucalyptus. The number of spiders will sharply decrease, and after some time the unpleasant neighbors will leave your home.

However, if the spiders managed breed, you will have to purchase special chemicals aimed at destroying them. First of all, these are products based on pyrethroids.

An excellent preventive measure would be to keep the room clean and regularly remove dust and dirt, especially in hard-to-reach places. It is not for nothing that spiders are considered indicators of cleanliness: in those rooms where a lot of them have accumulated, the conditions are far from complete sanitation.

IN Lately The popularity of exotic pets has increased significantly. Quite often, instead of the usual fluffy, mustachioed and tailed ones, this role is played by rare species of fish, reptiles that are terrifying just by their appearance, as well as unusual insects. And in this row of exotic favorites are spiders. Some feel disgusted by them, some panic, and some sincerely admire them. And if you belong to the latter and want to see such an eight-legged creature as a friend, then it would be useful for you to find out what it is like to keep spiders at home.

Choosing a pet

Since the role of a pet must certainly be a bright, eye-catching specimen, accordingly, the option with our practically “native” haymaker spider immediately fades into the background. And why bother your cute eight-legged “neighbor” by driving him into a terrarium, besides, these creatures are already domestic and probably huddle in one (in most cases, several) of the cozy corners of your house. We’ll leave them there, and for home keeping we’ll choose someone nicer, for example, a tarantula. By the way, representatives of this particular species are the most common and popular spiders for home keeping. And there are several reasons for this:

• firstly, they are very beautiful - bright colors, large sizes, shaggy body;
• secondly, it reproduces well in captivity and, accordingly, is amenable to breeding;
• thirdly, it lives relatively long;
• fourthly, this species includes several hundred subspecies, which opens up a huge selection.

On a note! Tarantula spider venom for adults healthy person It is not fatal, but for other pets its bite can be fatal, for example, for cats, dogs, etc. In addition, the tarantula's venom can seriously undermine one's health. small child and a person with allergies!

However, tarantula spiders are far from the only representatives of their order that are chosen for home keeping. In addition to them, tarantulas, cross spiders and even are often in demand.

Criterias of choice

Having come to a pet store, say, for a kitten, we roughly understand what requirements to put forward for it: clean eyes, ears, a wet nose, etc. But what about the spider? What parameters should this creature advise?

So, let's examine the spider we like. It should be:

1. Active. If he is absolutely immobile for a long time or moves very slowly, then most likely this specimen is sick.
2. Healthy. The health of a spider is indicated by the state of its abdomen: when dehydrated, it becomes wrinkled; in a healthy arachnid, on the contrary, it is even and smooth. You should also pay attention to the condition of the hairs in this area - in a sick spider they will be of unequal size and combed in places.
   

   On a note! When a spider is disturbed painful sensations, he scratches his abdomen with his hind legs, tearing off some of the fibers!

3. Small. A spider of particularly large size may turn out to be old, therefore, it will not illuminate your life with its presence for long. Also, remember that males are always slightly smaller than females.
4. No visible damage to the body. However, here one should take into account the fact that some types of spiders may have broken off limbs that grow back after molting.

Setting up a terrarium

In order for your new pet to live happily ever after, any special conditions not required - a modest terrarium is quite enough. Spiders are gloomy ascetics and spend most of the time allotted for themselves sitting in one place, only occasionally making “jogs” to stretch their legs. A cozy spider house with optimal dimensions is a terrarium equal to two lengths of the full span of its legs, that is, even the most big spider will feel great in a living space of 40x40cm.

But do not forget that spiders can move quite well on vertical surfaces, so the main thing is a reliable lid that will close well and keep the poisonous pet in its rightful square centimeters.

Let's move on to creating optimal conditions for the spider.

1. Substrate. It is necessary to “cover the floor” in the spider’s home with a special flooring. The ideal option is vermiculite, a special mineral rock that is used in crop production. Layer - from 3 to 5 cm. If you can’t find one, you can also use coconut substrate or regular peat. By the way, it is recommended to mix the latter with sphagnum moss. As a last resort, when there is nothing at all, garden soil will do (only from flower shop and in no case from the nearest flower bed!) or the soil used for growing indoor plants. However, it is advisable to use this option for a short time and try to quickly replace it with a substrate more suitable for the spider.
2. Temperature. Spiders are thermophilic and prefer to stay in a temperature range that will be close to +22...28°C. These pets are immune to a slight short-term decrease in temperature, but abuse similar situations undesirable. But at the same time, it is not recommended to overheat the terrarium. This situation is especially dangerous for well-fed animals, in which the process of rotting undigested food may begin in the stomach.
3. Lighting. For spiders, which are nocturnal inhabitants, the natural light in the room is sufficient. No additional sources are needed. Moreover, direct light from a lamp can quickly destroy this fragile creature.
4. Humidity. A drinking bowl and the right substrate help to some extent to ensure its optimal level. If the readings on the hygrometer are too low, then from time to time you will have to irrigate the terrarium with water from a spray bottle. But again, high humidity is dangerous, so when buying a spider, immediately find out from the seller what humidity is needed specifically for this species.
5. Filling. For a spider in a terrarium, the main thing is a shelter in which it can hide during daylight hours, and if you keep a burrowing species, then a “house” is simply a must for it. Without it, such a pet will remain in constant stress. Setting up such a shelter is very simple - you can lean a piece of bark, a coconut shell against the wall, and put the inverted half in the corner flower pot and so on. Everything else, such as decorative driftwood, artificial plants and other similar elements, is unnecessary. Spiders are completely indifferent to them, so you purchase and install such accessories exclusively for yourself.

Feeding

And the last thing is what to feed the spider at home. In fact, these pets are very convenient in terms of feeding, since, firstly, they eat absolutely any living creature that is smaller than them in size, and secondly, if you don’t have time or you forgot about feeding, it’s okay, it’s quite You can do it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, or in a couple of days. The spider will not be offended, because in the conditions wildlife he is able to go without food for several weeks.

At home, spiders are most often fed crickets, mealworms, fruit flies, and cockroaches. It is quite possible for adults to offer chicks, frogs and mice. In this case, it is desirable that the prey be alive - in this case, when moving, it will definitely interest the hunter. Although sometimes there are specimens that quite willingly eat pieces of beef or fish fillets, everything here is individual: one spider will like “dead” food, while another will turn its nose at it.

The feeding process in spiders is long and takes about a day, sometimes more. Adults usually feed once a week, and more often during the breeding season. At the same time, food remains must always be removed from the terrarium.

In general, spiders are almost ideal pets: feeding is infrequent, there is essentially no need to clean up after them, they do not leave their fur on furniture, they do not mark their territory, they do not emit foreign odors, and their house takes up very little space. This is a completely acceptable option for busy people who want to have a pet, but do not have the opportunity to devote a lot of time to it. Of course, you won’t get love, affection or at least some kind of return in terms of feelings from spiders, but for decorative purposes and the knowledge that someone is waiting at home, they are exceptionally good. And here everything is fair, since he also does not need much from the breadwinner.