diaryofanarachnophobe

[diaryofanarachnophobe]

[diaryofanarachnophobe]

[diaryofanarachnophobe]

The weathers been really hot lately and found this cutie on the outside wall of my house. I think it's a Zebra Jumping Spider and it is teeny tiny. It's very active, constantly on the move and it's killed/eaten every single fruit fly I put into it's enclosure. A real little Predator!

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Freckle last night and Freckle this morning. Looks like a molt! Which would make him i7.

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Do he got the booty 👀

Before and After!

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Freckles first mealworm! I was so nervous watching him go for the kill because I heard mealworms can give a nasty bite, and they are much tougher than I thought they'd be. This one thrashed around a lot but Freckle hung in there! (Even now the worm is still wiggling but it's definitely slowing down).

Freckle deserves a good meal after that battle!

[diaryofanarachnophobe]

Update time!

1.) Sadly, the tiny jumping spider I found in my bathroom escaped when I opened up the container to give it a fruit fly. I'm disappointed but honestly not surprised- it was really tiny and I always felt the odds of losing track of it were high.

2.) I've decided to start referring to Freckle as "he". The evidence and opinions that Freckle is actually male are starting to add up!

I had an amazing day with Freckle on Monday! I like to put his enclosure next to me on the bed, door open, while I play video games. That way he can take his time venturing outside (if he wants to), and I can still keep an eye on him without staring. I like to think it helps him get used to my presence, if I'm nearby doing my thing while he does his. Maybe that's just wishful thinking though.

Freckle's only been out of the tank briefly once before, and after roughly 2 hours he decided to come out! He was eyeing the open door for a long while, alternating between sitting on his leaf and zooming around the top of the tank. When he climbed out and on to the top I offered him my hand without expecting much - I was already thrilled that he'd worked up the courage to exit the enclosure by himself.

He took a little time to tap my fingers with his front legs, then jumped on/off a couple times as if testing my hand to see if it was safe. When he realised it was ok, he scampered along on my hands and arms for a full 10 minutes! Everytime I tried to put him back in the enclosure, he'd run up my arm! It was so cute! ❤

Eventually, after a bit more playtime, he reached for his plant and hopped back inside.

I'm so proud of my brave sweet boy!

[diaryofanarachnophobe]

Found this little guy exploring near the sink in my bathroom! Wasn't sure if it was a jumping spider until I put a fruit fly in the container and it jumped away in fright, since even the fruit fly looks huge next to it! But I have nothing smaller to feed it right now so I'm hoping it'll get braver as it gets hungry.

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Freckle molted! It was the day before yesterday (9th Aug) but I didn't get a photo until today, when she left her web to grab a snack.

My camera is awful, but the dull white spots on Freckles abdomen have turned bright orange! Even her black and white patterns seem more vibrant. So happy for her to reach i6 (still not sure on the gender though).

[diaryofanarachnophobe]

Name: Freckle

Sex: Unknown (I defaulted to "she" but I'm starting to suspect he's male due to those pedipalps!)

Birthday: 26th July 2023

Species: Phidippus Regius Florida

Instar: i5 (when purchased)

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