Emily’s Arachnipad

06/12/2025

06/11/2025

06/08/2025

Isn’t this little dude the coolest?!? What do you guys think?

06/08/2025

This is that same little one I posted two days ago. 😍😍😍

06/05/2025

Look at the markings on this little dude!!! Wow!! 😍😍😍 I’ll get better pictures in a bit. I just noticed he molted like this so I’ll check him out a bit more and show everyone.
He’s got some super unique markings.

06/02/2025

🕸️✨ Web of Wisdom: Parasite Transmission in Jumping Spiders ✨🕸️
Vol. 03 | Health & Husbandry

Jumping spiders may be small, but the risks to their health can be surprisingly complex. One of the most overlooked dangers in the hobby is parasite transmission—and no, it doesn’t always stop with just one infected spider.

Here’s what every responsible keeper should know:

🧫 How Parasites Spread
Parasites—including ectoparasites (like mites) and endoparasites (like nematodes, protozoa, and gregarines)—can spread through a variety of vectors:
🔹 Contaminated tools (tweezers, brushes, etc.)
🔹 Shared enclosures or substrate
🔹 Live feeder insects carrying infectious agents
🔹 Direct handling without proper hygiene

Even if a spider appears healthy, it can harbor asymptomatic infections that may spread when conditions are right.

🚫 A Note on Wild-Caught Feeders
Using feeders collected from your backyard or even your home—like houseflies, ants, or small moths—may seem convenient, but it’s risky. These insects can carry parasites, bacteria, or pesticides that could harm or infect your spider. Houseflies (Musca domestica), for instance, are known vectors of multiple protozoan and helminthic parasites (Greenberg, 1973), making them unsafe as casual feeders. Always opt for captive-bred, clean feeders from reliable sources.

🕷️ The Wild-Caught Factor
Wild-caught spiders come with unknown histories and potential exposure to a wide range of parasites. Without proper quarantine, they may introduce harmful pathogens into otherwise healthy collections.

📉 Why Biosecurity Matters
Parasites can lead to severe symptoms: decreased appetite, lethargy, behavioral changes, and even death. This is why quarantine protocols, routine cleaning, and sourcing from ethical breeders are non-negotiables in our care standards.

📚 Scientific Insight
• Krantz & Walter (2009): Ectoparasitic mites in invertebrates
• Clopton (2002): Transmission of protozoan parasites
• Greenberg (1973): Disease transmission by houseflies
• Roellig et al. (2019): Parasite risks in exotic arthropods

💡 At ATX Jumpers, we uphold strict quarantine and hygiene standards to protect every spood in our care—and we encourage the whole community to do the same.

Because informed keepers build safer, happier homes for our eight-legged friends.

—

05/29/2025

Meet Honey, she is our newest member of the Arachnipad along with a few others who will be shown soon 🥰

05/29/2025

This is Honey, she’s our patternless baby.

05/28/2025

Phidippus Phoenix babies to come 🥰🥰

05/28/2025

Habronattus pyrrithrix 🥰🥰