Spiders are part of the order of arthropods, numbering almost 42 thousand species around the world. About 3 thousand species live within the former USSR. All but one species of spiders are predators.

Diet in the natural environment

Spiders are classified as obligate predators, on the menu of which there are exceptionally small vertebrates and insects... Arachnologists mention the only exception - Bagheera kiplingi, living in Central America.

On closer inspection, Bagheera Kipling is not 100% vegetarian: during the dry season, this spider (in the absence of Vachellia acacia foliage and nectar) devours its congeners. In general, the ratio of plant and animal feed in the diet of Bagheera kiplingi looks like 90% to 10%.

Hunting methods

They depend on the way of life, sedentary or nomadic. A wandering spider usually watches over the prey or carefully sneaks up on it, overtaking it with one or a couple of jumps. Wandering spiders prefer to envelop their prey with their threads.

Resident spiders do not run after the victim, but wait until it wanders into skillfully woven snares. These can be both simple signal threads and cunning (large in area) networks stretched to the observation post of their owner.

It is interesting! Not all hunters entangle their victims with cobwebs: some (for example,) simply wait for the insect's body to soften to the desired condition. Sometimes the spider will free the prey. This happens in two cases: if it is too large or smells harsh (bug).

The spider kills its prey with a toxin concentrated in the venom glands, which are located in the chelicerae or (like in Araneomorphae) in the cephalothorax cavity.

The spiral musculature surrounding the glands contracts at the right time, and the poison enters its intended destination through the hole at the tip of the claw-like jaws. Small insects die almost immediately, and those who are larger, still convulse for some time.

Hunting objects

For the most part, these are insects, suitable in size. Spiders that weave snares often catch all flying, especially Diptera.

The species “assortment” of living creatures is determined by the habitat and the season. Spiders living in burrows and on the surface of the soil eat mainly beetles and orthopterans, however, they do not disdain snails and earthworms. Spiders from the Mimetidae family target spiders of other species and ants.

Argyroneta, a water spider, specializes in aquatic insect larvae, fish fry and crustaceans. About the same (small fish, larvae and tadpoles) are eaten by spiders from the genus Dolomedes, which inhabit wet meadows and swamps.

The most interesting "dishes" are included in the menu of tarantulas spiders:

• small birds;
• small rodents;
• arachnids;
• insects;
• fish;
• amphibians.

On the table of the Brazilian tarantula Grammostola, young snakes often appear, which the spider devours in huge quantities.

Power method

It has been proven that all arthropods exhibit an arachnid (extraintestinal) type of nutrition. In a spider, everything is adapted for the use of liquid food, starting with the filtering device of the pre-mouth cavity and pharynx, the narrowed esophagus and ending with a powerful sucking stomach.

Important! Having killed the victim, the spider tears and crumples it with its jaws, launching digestive juice inside, designed to dissolve the insides of the insect.

At the same time, the spider sucks in the protruding liquid, alternating the meal with the injection of juice. The spider does not forget to turn the corpse over, treating it from all sides until it turns into a dried mummy.

Spiders attacking insects with a hard cover (for example, beetles) pierce their articular membrane with chelicerae, as a rule, between the chest and head. Digestive juice is injected into this wound, and the softened contents are sucked out from there.

What do spiders eat at home

True house spiders (Tegenaria Domestica), not bred, eat house flies, fruit flies (fruit flies), scale insects and larvae. Spiders specially bred in captivity adhere to the same rules as in the wild - to be interested in proportionate food items.

Correct diet

A forage insect should ideally fit within the range of 1/4 to 1/3 the size of the spider itself. Larger prey can make it difficult to digest and even scare the spider... In addition, a large insect (fed during pet molting) injures its unhardened integument.

Growing up spiders (aged 1-3 days) are given:

• fruit fly;
• young crickets;
• mealworms (newborns).

The diet of adult spiders (depending on the species) includes:

• exotic cockroaches;
• grasshoppers;
• crickets;
• small vertebrates (frogs and newborn mice).

Small insects are given immediately in "bundles", 2-3 pieces each. The easiest way to feed arthropod pets is cockroaches: they, at least, are not seen in cannibalism, like crickets. One spider is enough for 2-3 cockroaches for a week.

Another caveat - do not feed your pets carnivorous arthropods such as centipedes, other spiders, and insects like mantis. In this case, the "dinner" will be easy for those who are going to satisfy their hunger.

Purchase (preparation) of feed

Food for spiders is purchased at pet stores, in the poultry market, or from people who are specially engaged in breeding live food. If you want to save money - grow food insects yourself, especially since it's not difficult.

You will need a glass jar (3 L), on the bottom of which you will put fragments of egg packaging, bark, scraps of newspaper and cardboard: a colony of marble cockroaches will live here. To prevent the tenants from escaping, apply petroleum jelly to the neck, or even better, cover it with gauze (pressing with a clerical rubber band).

Launch several individuals there and feed them scraps from the table: cockroaches grow quickly and reproduce their own kind.

It's no secret that the engine internal combustion has a lot (gasoline in the region of 25%, diesel can be pumped up to 40 - 50%). There is nothing to be done, but these motors, in fact, are already last century (I think electric cars are just around the corner). The matter can be corrected with all sorts of modifications, for example, installing a turbine, lightening the design of pistons, crankshaft, etc. Modification of the intake and exhaust systems. It is over the release that many tuners are fighting now, because in the right hands you can really remove up to 10% of the power. But how does this happen? Some people think that it is enough to install the so-called "spider" according to the formula 4-2-1 or 4-1 and EVERYTHING! BUT what is it anyway? What spiders, what formulas - what it gives and how it is configured. Read on and you will understand everything ...

Let's start with what any motor has. It is clear that through the "inlet" comes fuel mixture (air + gasoline), and exhaust gases (burnt out in the combustion chamber) go through the "outlet". So if you make the exhaust system as smooth as possible, then you can achieve a slight increase in power.

And what is the problem with the release?

There are only two problems:

• This is the noise ... Therefore, the exhaust system is often called a muffler to drown out loud sound.
• This is ecology ... Not all gases burn in the combustion chamber, and to put it in “simple language” they need to be “burned or decomposed” into more or less safe components.

If there was no muffler, then the engine power would be about 10% more by default (depending on the settings of the valves and camshaft). BUT it would not be possible to drive such a car, firstly, you yourself would have become deaf from the crash that escapes from the engine (and you would have been fined for disturbing the peace of mind, this is now prosecuted by law), and secondly, the environmental component would be zero, because there is no catalyst (and we already have a polluted world that requires global cleaning) - it is not possible to go through MOT with such an indicator, and even now the traffic police can easily check the exhaust.

In general, the gas suppression system CANNOT be removed, but it can be improved, this is what the tuners do.

What is a spider in a car?

Yes indeed - what is it?

Actually, everything is also simple here - this is an exhaust duct (manifold) that is attached to the engine block and removes exhaust gases .

By the way, our grandfathers and fathers called him - "pants" (because they are somewhat similar to them). Tuners now call a "spider" (like it looks like this insect because of the plexus of pipes), especially not a regular one, but one that is changed according to certain formulas - sizes - calculations (for example, 4-2-1, 4-1, etc. ., more on that later).

There are a lot of names, the essence is the same. I read somewhere that such a name was made to attract the attention of young people, marketing and all things, the more aggressive you call it at once + 10 horsepower!

Regular "glushak" - what's wrong?

Actually, we are starting to get to the most interesting, why did the standard system fail? Why does it urgently need to be replaced (so I think all tuners)?

The answer is simple - the standard system, it can be called 4-1 - UNDERDEVELOPED!

To begin with, what is the formula 4-1 - these are four pipes (from each cylinder) that are connected at one point (pipe) and then the whole thing goes to the main path through the catalyst, resonators and so on.

NOW WHY IS IT NOT DEVELOPED? As a rule, to please engineers, environmentalists and others, the manufacturer makes short pipes from the engine cylinders, which are immediately connected into one. Why is that bad? YES in that the distance to adjacent pipes is very short. When discharging, a certain wave is formed, which should divert gases into the main exhaust - BUT this wave also enters the adjacent pipes and cylinders, thereby inhibiting the removal of gases. The situation is aggravated by the presence of a catalyst (because it is a filter and creates additional resistance), the presence of advanced resonators (the sound is damped well, but the exhaust of gases is worse) and the diameter of the pipe (often made thin, within reason, of course).

In simple words - the motor seems to choke itself , that is, this is the UNDEVELOPMENT of the gas removal system. The engine should "breathe" (take the "working off" freely), thus the power will grow.

How does it work and what does it give? Again, it's very simple - the short pipes that come from the engine are lengthened (in theory they should be about two meters, but this cannot be realized physically), they are connected in pairs - that is, two pipes, say from the first and fourth, and two from the second and the third (according to the parallelism of the exhaust), after these pairs are connected into one pipe (but already far from the block).

It turns out 4 outputs - 2 pairs (2 pipes each) - 1 common at the end. So much for the 4-2-1 formula.

Thus, there is no longer a close communication between the exhaust channels, the gases do not interfere with each other (they are grouped) and are removed more confidently. Thus, the spider gives an increase in power.

The principle is the same here, the cylinders do not interfere with each other to take "working off". Only the formula is a little different. There are 4 long branches from the engine block, which are connected into one large path far behind the block.

Such a spider should also work well. However, as usual, there is one BUT.

There are a lot of companies on the Internet that say almost the same thing, put a spider on your VAZ and the power will immediately increase by 10% - HOW! That is, there were 100 hp. and then immediately 110, and I can tell you tangibly!

BUT IS THIS IN REALITY? Let's figure it out logically:

• Installation requires catalyst removal. And it has already been proven that removing this filter adds 4 to 5% power.
• It is necessary to sew under EURO 2 - 3. Otherwise, there is no filter element! But with firmware you can catch up with your car up to 7 - 10% power
• Other resonators are installed. Sports as they are called! They have less resistance + 2-3% more
• Sometimes this whole system is brewed from a larger 51 mm diameter pipe.

SO what does the spider itself do and is it really + 10%? Most probably not! YES, it gives a small increase, about 2-3% by itself (but you cannot feel them, because this is at the level of error). YES, and this productivity is often only in a limited range of work, for example 5000 - 6000 rpm (not always, but often). YOU need to understand that if it is intended to be installed, then you need to do it in conjunction with other operations, otherwise the effect will be almost negligible.

Today I want to touch on one of the most important topics in the maintenance of tarantula spiders, this is feeding. I note right away that the article is written for beginners, and will contain simple tips and the rules that experienced keepers have known for a long time.

How to feed a tarantula spider:

Tarantula spiders, contrary to their name, do not eat birds, but eat small (about the size of a spider) insects, which they hunt in their natural habitat. How to feed a tarantula spider at home?

The answer to this question is very simple - food insects. The most popular food insects are marble , turkmen , madagascar , argentine and other cockroaches, as well as larvae zofobasa and mealworm.

it general rules, many consider it optional to observe them, and videos often appear on the Internet in which a spider is fed with mice, or insects from the streets. To be honest, I also like to feed my pets with caught singing grasshoppers in pairs.

Why you can't feed the tarantula spider with insects from the street:

Small vertebrates in the form of frogs, or newborn mice are very heavy food for a spider, he will eat it for several days, and at this time it will begin to decompose and fill with cadaveric poisons. Also on the forums I sometimes saw messages that after feeding with vertebrates, spiders for some unknown reason fell ill with DS. It is not known whether this is connected or not, but, in my opinion, it is better not to risk it.

Again, if you still decide to feed the tarantula spider with small vertebrates, then make sure that the animal is healthy and purchased in a trusted place. Choose animals by size, do not give large animals to the tarantula spider, they can damage it.

Also, do not feed the tarantula spider with other predatory insects such as praying mantises, other spiders, or centipedes. There were times when the prey won the battle and killed the tarantula spider.

Summarize: you need to feed the tarantula spider food insects suitable size (about the body of a tarantula spider, excluding paws), purchased in a trusted place, or from their own colonies.

How often to feed the tarantula spider:

After we figured out what to feed the tarantula spider, let's find out how often it should be done.

An adult tarantula spider should be fed 1-2 times a week, appropriate in size food insects. When the tarantula spider has eaten enough, it will stop paying attention to food, but sometimes you need to determine what is “enough” for the spider and stop feeding.

Usually, a sign that a tarantula spider has eaten is an increase in the abdomen in relation to the cephalothorax by 1.5-2 times. After this happens, feeding should be stopped to avoid rupture of the abdomen.

Feeding tarantula spiders of small ages is a little more specific, and I took it out in a separate , which you can read by going to link .

• Do not feed the tarantula spider after molting for a certain number of days, which can be calculated by the formula: number of molts + 3-4 days. Otherwise, the food may damage the spider, or other more specific problems may arise.
• If the tarantula spider does not eat, you should not sound the alarm and create threads on the forums like: "Alba does not eat for the 4th day, what should I do?" Refusal to eat is absolutely normal for tarantula spiders, some of them can go on hunger strikes for a period of 1-3 months, without harm to health. The genus is usually famous for this.Grammostola .
• If the tarantula spider does not eat the insect right away, then you can press the insect's head down and leave it overnight with the spider. If by morning, the spider does not eat the insect, then the corpse must be removed.
• Do not leave food insects unattended in the spider's cage to avoid a number of problems that may arise. For example, when molting, a hungry cockroach or a zophobas larva can damage a spider, a female cockroach can give birth in a container with a spider, and babies scatter through ventilation, and the like.

That seems to be all that I wanted to tell, maybe it turned out not very orderly, but there are a lot of tips here and some of them are even good. And so, with time and experience, you yourself will understand what and when to feed your tarantula. Thanks for attention.

& Nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp © 2014-2018 website & Nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbsp & nbspAvtor:

Despite the fact that nature itself has a fear of spiders, many are increasingly choosing them as exotic pets. Spider owners say this is ideal if you don't have the time to take care of your little friend. If you do not suffer from arachnophobia and dream of acquiring an unusual domestic animal, we will help you understand the features of care and maintenance, types of spiders, as well as all the pros and cons of such a choice.

What spiders can be kept at home

Not all types of arthropods can be kept at home.Some of them are deadly poisonous, while others have an unremarkable appearance (for example, a gray spider or a hay spider, which most often live in nooks and crannies of houses and apartments). Many people opt for tarantula spiders, and there are several reasons for this:

1. They have a presentable appearance: large size, bright color, shaggy body.
2. This species includes more than a hundred subspecies, from which you can choose a pet for every taste.
3. They live slightly longer than other species.
4. They can reproduce offspring in captivity.
5. The tarantula venom does not pose a fatal threat to a healthy adult.

Popular types of tarantulas are: white-hair, bicolor, giant, striped, horned and others. In addition to tarantulas, tarantulas, cross spiders, wolf spiders, or jumping spiders are often chosen. These species rarely bite people (only in the event of a sudden attack), but even if this happens, their poison does not cause any serious consequences.

Where to keep

Usually glass or plastic terrariums with good sealing are used for keeping spiders. They can be horizontal and vertical type: the former are suitable for terrestrial spiders, and for tree species a vertical type of dwelling with effective ventilation is required. Therefore, it is very important to know the type of your pet in order to recreate the natural conditions for it as accurately as possible.

Most species do not require much space, as they spend most of their time passively, hiding in hollows, burrows and other shelters. However, the length of the dwelling should be at least twice the distance of the pet's legs. In a terrarium that is too large, the pet will experience obvious discomfort and the desire to hide away.

The terrarium should also not be too high so that the pet will not be damaged when falling from the walls. For example, for adult tarantulas, a container of the following parameters is quite enough: 30 * 30 * 20 cm.For young tarantula spiders (up to several molts), a plastic container 10 * 8 * 6 cm in size is enough.After 7-10 molts, you can buy a dwelling bigger size, based on the size of the pet.

It is important to understand that the space requirements of spiders are fundamentally different from most animals we are used to - an arthropod does not need a lot of space for walking and being active.

Is it possible to keep several individuals in one container

In natural conditions, some species of spiders can live together, and it can even be individuals of different sex and age group. However, in captivity, it is not recommended to keep two or more representatives of the same species in one container - this is associated with high risks of aggression or cannibalism, and, as a result, injury or death of pets. It is also necessary to seat the babies after the first molt.

Important!The joint keeping of spiders of different species in the overwhelming majority of cases ends with the death of one of the pets.

In order for an exotic pet to delight you with its presence for a long time, you need to work on the equipment of its home. When arranging a terrarium, it is necessary to think over the lighting, decor and filler, to regulate the temperature and humidity of the air.

What is needed in the terrarium

There must be a substrate layer in the terrarium.First, it will help recreate a more natural environment for your pet, so it won't sit on bare plastic or glass. Secondly, the main task of the substrate is to maintain a stable level of humidity inside the container. For this reason, neither sand nor stones are suitable as fillers. The most acceptable options are vermiculite and coconut filler. Both fillers are highly hygroscopic.

The need for decor is determined by the type of your pet. For example, for spiders weaving cobwebs, special decor is not required, since soon it will not be noticeable under a layer of beautiful lace. the main thing - provide the pet with all the conditions for weaving. But for species that like to hide in shelters, you can buy ceramic houses, castles and shards, cork oak products or artificial plants.

Tightness and ventilation

It doesn't matter what you use as a home - a food container or a special glass terrarium, it must be securely closed with a lid, otherwise one morning you may find that the spider house is empty, and its owner is walking around your apartment. But when sealing the container, do not forget that the arthropod needs fresh air and high-quality ventilation of the container, so several holes should be made in the lid through which the spider will not get out, but will gain access to oxygen. If the pet lives in a plastic container, it is better to make holes on the side wall in two rows: below and above. To do this, you can use a small diameter hot nail.

Lighting

The need for decor depends on the type of spider.For example, there is no need for tarantulas to install additional light, since these are nocturnal inhabitants who perfectly navigate in the dark. If you want to install light, give preference to infrared lamps - their radiation is invisible to the pet. It is undesirable to choose incandescent lamps, and yet if you choose this option, install them outside the container in order to prevent the animal from burning and drying out the air.

Temperature

Spiders can tolerate a very wide temperature range. The optimal performance is 23-26 ° C. Additional heating may be needed only during the transitional autumn-spring period, when the heating is already turned off or is not working yet. To provide heat, you can purchase special cords and heating plates, as well as a thermostat. The devices must be installed either under the container (for tree spiders) or on the walls of the house (for terrestrial species).

Important!The temperature in the room and in the terrarium should not exceed 31 ° C.

Humidity

This indicator is very important for the health and well-being of the pet. The required humidity level for each species may differ. You can determine the deficit or excess of moisture by the pet's behavior:

• the spider constantly sits at the drinking bowl, drags the soil into it - the container is too dry;
• the spider constantly sits on the walls of the container - this behavior indicates excessive humidity (but sometimes this can just be a pet's favorite habit);
• the woody species descends onto the substrate - dry in the container;

You should not spray the substrate from a spray bottle; instead, it is better to use a syringe without a needle or a watering can with a thin hole. It is important to determine by eye when there will be enough moisture (the substrate should be 2/3 wet). Adults must have a drinking bowl in the container; it is worth choosing its size in such a way that the pet cannot fit into it and drown itself. Keep in mind that bog breeding should not be allowed in the terrarium. In conditions of excessive humidity, midges, mold and fungus can easily start, which can destroy the arthropod.

What you need to care for a spider

So, it is obvious that the following accessories will be required to keep an exotic pet:

• sealed container made of glass or plastic;
• drinker;
• filler;
• air heater;
• thermometer;
• decor (depending on the type of spider);
• a small plastic box to isolate the pet (for example, when cleaning the terrarium);
• long tweezers, 20-25 cm (for feeding and garbage collection);
• long brush (helps with pet transplant);
• additional lighting (depending on the type).

Did you know? For agriculture, spiders are very useful - their main food is insects that destroy crops. Thus, spiders annually save up to 30% of the world's harvest!

How to feed a spider at home

Spiders are representatives of obligate predators, therefore they must feed exclusively on animal products. The most common food for spiders is food insects: various types of cockroaches (Turkmen, Argentine, marble), larvae, mealworms. You need to buy food in specialized stores. It is not recommended to feed your pet with domestic cockroaches, flies, any insects or small animals that you yourself catch.

Firstly, one cannot be sure of their health (many insects can be carriers of diseases), and secondly, it can be difficult for a spider to cope with a large insect, frog or mice, and besides, such food is not familiar to him.

The frequency of feeding is determined by the age of the pet.Babies and adolescent spiders need food 3 times a week, adults need to be fed 1-2 times. The size of one serving should be the same size as your pet's belly. However, in many cases, spiders are able to eat much larger portions. You need to give food with tweezers; the leftovers after the meal must be removed.

Important!Don't panic if your pet has no appetite. The rest period from food can last weeks or even months for some spiders.

In no case should you overfeed the spider. This increases the risk of hernia or injury if he falls from the wall of the terrarium, and besides, such specimens are not suitable for breeding. If the pet refuses food, but at the same time its abdomen is of normal size (not sunken), there is no damage to the body, molting will not be soon and the conditions of its keeping are good, then you do not need to worry.

Terrarium cleaning

Thorough cleaning of the terrarium with replacement of the substrate is necessary every 8-12 months, as well as if mold or mildew has started. There is no need to clean the home more often. You should always remove leftover food with tweezers after a meal. At the time of cleaning, the tenant must be transplanted into a container. To do this, the terrarium needs to be opened, using a brush, push the spider towards the container.

Molting period

Molting is a physiological, very important period for spiders, during which the growth and renewal of the whole organism occurs. Molting consists in shedding old hard cuticles and growing new ones. The process is started under the influence of special hormones.During the period when the new cuticle (exoskeleton) has not yet hardened, the pet is very vulnerable and defenseless.

It is possible to understand that molting is soon due to the behavior of the arthropod: the spider stops eating, becomes inactive. Tarantula spiders create a bed of cobwebs for themselves, lay on their backs and stay in this position until the discarding of the old skeleton ends. The speed of this process depends on the age of the pet: the younger the spider, the faster the molt goes.

What the spider owner needs to remember during the molting period:

• you should not offer food to the spider during this period - live food insects can harm your pet;
• you need to feed the arthropod no earlier than 2-3 weeks;
• in no case should you touch the spider, especially when it lies on its back;
• do not try in any way to "help" the pet to get rid of the old skeleton;
• you can remove the old skeleton only after the pet rolls over and stands confidently on its feet.

Juveniles, which show intensive growth, molt more often than adult spiders. If your pet has not shed for a long time, it is possible that the conditions of detention require correction.

Did you know? In terms of strength, the web is equal to steel wire. If he could create a spider web only 0.5 cm thick, he could stop a tank or a bulldozer. The only reason this durable and environmentally friendly material is not used in industry is the inability to recreate it in the laboratory.

How many years do they live

Of course, the lifespan of a pet will depend on how well you can create conditions for it. However, in general, with good care, spiders different types have the following lifespan:

• tarantulas - live on average 15-20 years;
• tarantulas - life expectancy strongly depends on the species, some live in captivity for only 1-2 years, but there are varieties that can live up to 20-30 years (females live longer than males);
• cross - maximum live six months, males die after mating, females - after creating a cocoon;
• skunk - in captivity, females live up to 3 years, males live for 1-2 years;
• peacock spider - lives a maximum of 9 months;
• goliaths - females live up to 8-9 years, males - up to 6 years.

The general pattern is that large varieties have a longer lifespan than smaller species.

Is it possible to pick up

Most often, these questions are asked by the owners of large species, for example, tarantulas and tarantulas. It should be clearly understood that spiders cannot be considered full-fledged tame animals, they are guided by physiological instincts, which is why attempts to play with a pet, train it or try to run around with it in your arms are completely meaningless and doomed to failure.

You also need to be aware that for a spider a change of environment will always be very stressful, especially if the temperature, lighting and humidity of the environment differ from those in the terrarium. Any careless movement can lead to injury or death of the arthropod, especially in the case of small species and babies. Some species can instantly run away from you (for example, jumping spiders), and it will be very difficult to find a fugitive in an apartment. When stressed, your pet can bite you, and although the bite will not be fatal, pain is guaranteed. Spider venom can be dangerous if you have allergies (which you may not even be aware of).

All pets have a different character, so some can calmly react to your attempts to invite him into the palm of your hand, others will strive to bite as soon as you put your hand into the terrarium. Based on this, it is not recommended to try to pick up the pet.

What to do if a spider is bitten

As discussed earlier, spider bites, which are often kept at home, are not fatal unless you have allergies. Otherwise, anaphylactic shock may occur with the most negative consequences.

The bite is often accompanied by symptoms such as itching, redness, pain and swelling in the affected area. Occasionally, malaise may occur and the body temperature rises. All symptoms disappear in a few days. The algorithm of actions for a bite is as follows:

1. If a limb is affected, it must be pulled with a bandage or rope above the bite.
2. Wash the puncture site with soapy water and treat with an antiseptic.
3. Apply an ice pack.
4. Use a large number of water for an early detoxification.
5. Drink an antihistamine if necessary.

Pros and cons of content

Before deciding to purchase such a pet, weigh the pros and cons of keeping it.

Among the advantages:

• does not require a lot of time and money for care and maintenance;
• silent, calm and almost invisible animal;
• it is interesting to observe the behavior of the spider.

Disadvantages:

• there is always a risk that the spider will bite, run away;
• some species have a very short lifespan;
• not trainable, not tame pets in the standard sense.

Important!For children, old people, people with allergies or other serious illnesses, a spider bite can have bad consequences!

Such an exotic pet will clearly attract the attention of all visitors to your home. If you and other family members do not have arachnophobia or allergies, then it is quite acceptable to have a spider. But if you want to get an emotional return from your pet, spend more time with him, then you should look at more social types of animals.

Video: keeping exotic spiders at home

A spider must eat to live

One of the most important topics in the science of keeping domestic spiders is feeding. Moreover, the importance of this topic extends to absolutely all types of spiders of home content - be it on, or to any other type of these creatures. Therefore, today we will try to learn about the tips and rules for feeding spiders, and about how what can you feed your furry pets, and what is not recommended to give them.

If you are planning to start a spider or have already started it, then you must read this information without fail ...

How to feed a home spider

In nature, these predators feed on everything that moves, considering their size and measuring their capabilities. Living in your terrarium, which you have equipped for your pet spider, such a pet can only rely on your choice in matters of its nutrition. Therefore, we would recommend that you consider the feeding options for your feeding insect cutie spider... Such as Argentine, marble, Turkmen and other types of cockroaches (except for domestic ones - why? Read about it below).

What should not be fed to spiders

After the point what can be given to spiders for food, naturally we suggest that you consider the point that they should not be given for food. So, despite the fact that there is an opinion that a spider can be fed with small vertebrates and even feathered ones (they say, a tarantula spider, there is nothing to think about what to eat) - it is still not worth feeding them frogs, mice and birds... The fact is that, as practice shows, very often after such feeding, spiders begin to get sick, and then completely die. Indigestion, or some other reason, but we would not recommend taking risks.

Also, you can not feed spiders with domestic cockroaches, and even more so let them go to hunt them. Cockroaches can be sick, or migrate to you from your neighbors, being already poisoned, and after such a noble dinner your spider can stretch out its legs. Oh, you don't want this to happen, do you?

It is also not recommended to give the spider insects that you yourself caught on the street. It is, of course, good that you care about your pet so much that you have become a hunter for him, but, like cockroaches, such insects can be sick or poisoned, and ... goodbye to the spider.

If the circumstances are such that your spider is left without food, and you do not have the opportunity to buy such food for him at the pet store (weekends, holidays) so that your pet does not starve, you can still go hunting. However, collect insects as far from the road as possible. After that, inspect them and rinse with water. If possible - they can be quarantined - if not possible, hope for the best and feed your spider.

As for the prohibition of feeding frogs, newborn mice, then, this is still heavy food for your pet and he will eat it for several days, and during this time it will have time to decompose in a warm terrarium and fill with corpse poisons. If you still can't wait to see how your spider will cope with the mouse, make sure that the animal is healthy, and its size does not exceed the size of the spider itself. Since in such an unequal battle it is not known who will emerge victorious.

Do not give spiders other predatory insects as food. For example, praying mantises, centipedes or other spiders. In this case, it will no longer be clear who you are feeding, and who acts as a live dinner. So, remember - it is better to feed spiders at home with forage insects.

How often should the spider be fed

The frequency of feeding depends on the age of the spider.

Well, such nuances as what can be given for food and what is not - we have figured it out. Now, let's talk about the frequency of feedings. So, for an adult spider, the following schedule will be the optimal diet - 1-2 times a week. If you see that the spider does not finish its meal and does not look hungry, you can reduce the frequency of feeding and try to feed it once a week. In general, you should be guided by the appetite of your pet: if he wants to eat, let him eat, he doesn't want to force it.

By the way, you can determine whether the spider is full by the size of its abdomen, if it has increased 2-3 times than before the start of the meal, then it is better to drive the spider away from the food, and take away its remains.

Some spiders are real gluttons, and do not control their appetite. But in this case, they are threatened not by obesity, but by a rupture of the abdomen, which, in principle, is no longer treated. So, you should be the nutritionist for your spider.

Little spiders need to be fed more often - they have a growing body, respectively, and their portions should be smaller. Well, it is strictly forbidden to give them live "big" game in the form of mice, frogs.

When not to feed a spider

Sometimes it will be helpful for your spider to diet. So, for example, it is not recommended to feed him immediately after the molt. In order to find out when it will be possible to start feeding him, use this simple formula: what kind of molt it was (it is better to write such information in a separate notebook so as not to be mistaken) + 3-4 days to it, so that the spider's body gets stronger.

If you offer food to the spider for several days in a row, but he stubbornly refuses it, you should not be too annoying. Give him a chance to starve. Some spiders may not even eat for months. This is quite normal for them.

And by the way, remember the golden rule - food leftovers (alive or already dead) must be removed from the terrarium without fail... Make yourself such a good habit. Then, for example, you will avoid such unpleasant situations as the birth of small cockroaches in your terrarium (if the female cockroach was pregnant) and their forays into your territory through the vents.

How to feed little spiders

We have already written that small spiders need to be fed more often, and their portions should be small... But where to get such small insects? If the nearest pet store has a shortage of this, we can help you out with practical advice.

Get ordinary large insects and ... cut them into small pieces. This is especially convenient with mealworms and zophobos. So, for example, one mealworm can be enough for a lunch for 6-7 spiders.

Some sources on spider science and the content of such write that spiders can be fed with bloodworms - this is both convenient and practical. However, we would not recommend that you get carried away with such a diet. Yes, the spiders on the bloodworms eat off, begin to shed, but since the bloodworm itself, practically except for water, does not contain anything else in its composition, your spider on such "grubs" is unlikely to grow healthy, large and beautiful. So, think about what you want - comfort for yourself or health for your spider?