PHIDIPPUS REGIUS CARE GUIDE
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Congrats on your new furry friend! These little creatures are so full of curiosity and wonder. The P. Regius or better known as Regal Jumper are commonly found in tropical areas. They love warmer weather and good humidity. This does not mean you must live in a tropical paradise to care for these little guys, only that you must create their ideal living conditions for the best health and lifespan outcome.
Check out our basic care video here:
Habitat and Enclosures:
You’ll want to get an enclosure that is not too big (where your spider would have trouble finding their meal or water) and not too small (where your spider would not have room to explore). Your spiders age will also play a big factor into what enclosure you get. As slings (spiderlings) you’ll want to keep their enclosure pretty bare with a handful of things for them to climb or make their hammock (a place where they sleep, rest, nest and molt). For slings I recommend a small deli cup with a twisted pipe cleaner or small branch to climb.
As a spider grows and becomes more mobile so should their enclosure. For juveniles you’ll want to move to a bigger enclosure, maybe add a few more items for them to climb and explore.
Sub adult and adult regals move into bigger enclosures. Sizes that I’ve used so far for subs and adults are 4x4x8 and 5x5x9. This is all based on my personal experience, I’ve also seen a lot of other things work too so don’t let my specific measurements discourage you from using something else.
In any enclosure setting you’ll want to make sure your spider has plenty of cross ventilation. Not only for the obvious reasons of obtaining oxygen but also to prevent mold and bacteria growing without the proper ventilation. You’ll also want to make sure your enclosure/habitat has a side opening or bottom opening as they tend to build their hammocks near the top.
Enclosure Cleaning:
Enclosures/Habitats should be spot cleaned only. You can use a q-tip to wipe water stains, and spider poop. After your spider is done eating you’ll want to remove the dead carcass to prevent bacteria from forming and spreading.
Decorations:
You’ll want to decorate your final enclosure with branches, fake or real plants (make sure the real plants you use if you decide to go that route are not poisonous for them and do not contain any fertilizer) some moisture retaining substance like moss or fibers and whatever else you think might look best in there! Generally there isn’t a huge list of things to avoid when decorating. Outdoor branches, acorns, wood and any porous materials should be baked at a low setting to kill any mites or bacteria that could be harmful to your spider before finishing it off with a coat of mod podge to prevent molding. You don’t know what the outside world might have (pesticides, bacteria) that could be fatal to your spider, so it’s best to be cautious when bringing outside elements into your enclosure. Artificial moss should be rinsed several times to remove as much of the coloring as you can. Glues that are safe for securing your decorations are e6000, hot glue, and resins. Let your enclosure air out for a few days before moving your spider into it’s home to prevent any left over fumes.
Temperature and Humidity:
Room temperature (between 65-78 degrees) is ideal. If your home gets really cold during winter time you’ll want to add an external heat source but be very careful with this. Never place your heating source directly on your enclosure or you’ll basically bake your spider. A digital thermostat and humidity display is recommended. Ideally you’d want to place them near a window with natural indirect light or some form of LED light if a window is not available. Humidity (preferably) should be between 50-60%. You’ll want to increase your humidity while your spider is molting to ease their process (70-80%). Humidity is achieved by misting bottled water on one side of the enclosure every 2-3 days or a bit more often if your spider is molting and needs the extra boost.
Diet:
Slings should be fed melanogaster flies.
Juveniles can be upgraded to regular fruit flies and as they grow in size you can upgrade to smaller mealworms, waxworks or small crickets.
Sub Adults/Adults can be fed mealworms, wax worms, and crickets as well.
They prefer meals with a softer exoskeleton but will not be picky when truly hungry. Avoid leaving your spider unattended with anything that can fight back or hurt your spider in your absence. SEE IMAGE AT THE BOTTOM FOR ABDOMEN SIZE REFERENCE.
Spiders should be fed not on a schedule but based on their abdomen size. BABIES NEED TO BE FED DAILY OR EVERY 2 DAYS.
Your spider will require regular water intake and they do this by drinking the small water droplets created when you mist their enclosure. They also gain some hydration from their meals so if you don’t see them drink don’t panic. Never spray a spider or it’s web directly. You’ll want to use bottled water and mist every 2-3 days or more often if you notice they are in the process of molting.
Molting and what to expect:
As your little furry friend grows they will periodically go through a process called molting. This is the act of shedding its old exoskeleton in order to grow in size. Your spider will do this all at once. Typically spiders will molt 9-12 times before being full adults. There are signs your spider will give you when this process is getting ready to start:
your spider will create a thick hammock and hide
Your spider might not want to eat during this process
Molting can take 1-2 weeks usually, some longer and some shorter
Your spider might not have the best grip
During this time you’ll want to increase your enclosure humidity to about 70-80% for easier shedding. You’ll do this by spraying one side of the enclosure more frequently. Immediately after your spider molts they will be extremely vulnerable as their new exoskeleton has not hardened yet. Avoid touching or messing with your spider as this could be fatal. Your spider will most likely be pretty hungry after the whole thing is done so you’ll want to have food ready. Do not feed until your spiders exoskeleton is back to normal as their fangs are also soft after molting. The hardening process usually takes 1-2 days. Wait until your spider comes out on their own to feed!
Aging:
As your spider ages into adulthood a few things will change. Males might not eat as often, their new focus is on finding a mate. Females can lay eggs even if they have not mated. These will be infertile but she will still treat them as if they are fertile. During this time your spider will sit by her eggs for about 1-2 weeks(she might not drink or eat during this time). After this time has passed she will abandon the eggs and might also eat them.
Elderly care for the spiders is still relatively the same. They might slow down on eating and drinking and will also start to lose the grip on their legs. You will want to provide textured surfaces so your spider can climb or roam more easily. When their time to go comes they will slow down even more, give them all the love and care and know you gave them the best life possible.
Life span:
Males live between 1-2 years.
Females live between 1-3 years, 3 being on the rare side.