Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and would like to know more about keeping a brown recluse spider as a pet, I found an injured one and do not think it would survive in the wild. I've never considered myself a spider enthusiast until now. If anyone has any pointers as far as habitat, food, and watering methods I would be very appreciative as this is all new to me.

Thanks
-Angela

Welcome to the forum!

I've never kept one myself, but i have had a good deal of experience with similar spiders, so I will give you some guidelines based on the spider's type/ behaviour and habitat. First, as a ground dwelling spider, it will need floor space, not climbing space, so a container like a pickle jar would work. The bottom of the container should be covered with semi-moist soil or a soil/ sand mix. The brown recluse comes from a humid region of the country, so the soil should be kept at least slightly moist- not completely bone dry. Drinking water can be provided in a bottle cap pressed down in the soil so that it is just about level with the dirt. You will want the container to have plenty of ventilation, because too much stagnant humidity can lead to mold growing in the enclosure, which can kill your spider. If you use a glass jar, put quite a few SMALL holes in the lid. As a rule of thumb, a spider can escape through any hole wider than it's carapace ( the carapace is the top side of the cephalothorax, the spider's frontal body segment, to which the legs, jaws and abdoment attach ). So the holes should be very narrow - made with a needle if possible. This is not a spider you want escaping in your house!!!

Brown recluses do make a web in the form of a sheetlike structure, though they often leave it to wander, so you should provide the spider with several anchors for its web. Curled sections of bark, toilet paper tubes, or rocks would work. The only problem with rocks is they could crush the spider if you ever accidentaly topple its enclosure, so I would recommend lighter fixtures for the spider.

You can feed the spider small crickets, moths, de-winged flies or other small insects. How often you feed the spider is up to you. I would offer it food betwen 1 - 3 times per week, but you could feed it even less if it's taking beefier prey than a 1/4 inch cricket, a caterpillar say, would be a feast that would last the spider at least a couple weeks if it's been well fed up to that point. A good way to tell if you spider is getting enough to eat is the size of its abdomen ( rear body segment, with the spinnerets ). The spider's abdomen should be about the same width of it's carapace, or a little wider. A shrunken abdomen is not healthy - fatter is better. When it is full, it will simply not take the prey until it feels like feeding again. Prey should not be left in with the spider for more than a day or two. If it hasn't been eaten by then, the spider is either not hungry, or hasn't encountered the prey ( because the prey avoided the spider somehow, by climbing the walls, digging under the furnishings or some such thing. ) The best thing to do if the spider is not encountering the prey, is to watch while it feeds. Have a long prod ready to poke the prey in the right direction if it is heading away from the spider. Do this gently, or you may spook the spider. And never forget that this is a DANGEROUS spider. Always exercise surgeon-like caution when working in the spider's enclosure, and keep in mind the possiblilty of the spider running up whatever prod you use. Enjoy your spider, but BE SAFE!!