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Phidippus comatus lifespan?

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Hi, I wondered if anyone knows the expected lifespan of the Phidippus comatus?

For the Phidippus regius I have read estimations all the way from 10 months to 3 years, but I can find hardly any info on the comatus online.

My wonderful Cadenza passed away today :'(

I got her on the 23rd March this year, so have had her about 6 months. The shop was unclear about what L/size she was when she arrived; she was a baby but bigger than her sibling Albus. She laid her first phantom eggsack on the 9th of June, and proceeded to lay 2 more, which I assume meant she had become a mature female. On the 13th August I noticed she no longer sat right up at the top of the enclosure as jumpers usually do, and was struggling to climb. So I moved her to a smaller, more crowded enclosure (with more fake plants near the bottom) to prevent her falling far. She has made a few web hammocks near the ground, but as recently as last week I did see her all the way at the top of the enclosure every now and again, sat on the podium there, so I hoped her climbing issue wasn't as bad as I first feared. Her eating slowed down but she ate last week and seemed to take a mealworm once every few weeks.

Today I found her hung near the bottom of the enclosure, but in a really weird position, as though her neck was bent. I thought she would move eventually, but hours later I realised she hadn't, and when I have opened the enclosure she is limp and pretty clearly dead, although strangely not in a death curl. Her head looks like it's almost severed, but her abdomen isn't deflated.

I will post pictures if anyone thinks it could help determine the cause of death.

With all her phantom egg sacks, seeming to slow down with her climbing and the fact the comatus species is smaller fully grown, than the regius, I am wondering whether she was just an old lady really quick and comatus don't live as long? However 6 -7 months (I assume she was at least a few weeks old when she arrived) still seems like a really short time and I am worried I did something wrong :(

Her enclosure was lightly misted daily, and she was under a plant grow light for around 12 hours per day.
 

Leepbby

Active Member
Messages
97
Location
Massachusetts, USA
Hi, I wondered if anyone knows the expected lifespan of the Phidippus comatus?

For the Phidippus regius I have read estimations all the way from 10 months to 3 years, but I can find hardly any info on the comatus online.

My wonderful Cadenza passed away today :'(

I got her on the 23rd March this year, so have had her about 6 months. The shop was unclear about what L/size she was when she arrived; she was a baby but bigger than her sibling Albus. She laid her first phantom eggsack on the 9th of June, and proceeded to lay 2 more, which I assume meant she had become a mature female. On the 13th August I noticed she no longer sat right up at the top of the enclosure as jumpers usually do, and was struggling to climb. So I moved her to a smaller, more crowded enclosure (with more fake plants near the bottom) to prevent her falling far. She has made a few web hammocks near the ground, but as recently as last week I did see her all the way at the top of the enclosure every now and again, sat on the podium there, so I hoped her climbing issue wasn't as bad as I first feared. Her eating slowed down but she ate last week and seemed to take a mealworm once every few weeks.

Today I found her hung near the bottom of the enclosure, but in a really weird position, as though her neck was bent. I thought she would move eventually, but hours later I realised she hadn't, and when I have opened the enclosure she is limp and pretty clearly dead, although strangely not in a death curl. Her head looks like it's almost severed, but her abdomen isn't deflated.

I will post pictures if anyone thinks it could help determine the cause of death.

With all her phantom egg sacks, seeming to slow down with her climbing and the fact the comatus species is smaller fully grown, than the regius, I am wondering whether she was just an old lady really quick and comatus don't live as long? However 6 -7 months (I assume she was at least a few weeks old when she arrived) still seems like a really short time and I am worried I did something wrong :(

Her enclosure was lightly misted daily, and she was under a plant grow light for around 12 hours per day.
I just thought I would answer so you would not think you were being ignored. I wish I had answers for you. I myself have 3 regius jumpers 2 suspect female and 1 male. I have myself been trying to look for factual information regarding lifespan, possibilities of serial diformizum ( not sure if I spelled that correctly) etc. ... It seems to be very hard to get direct answers which can be quite frustrating. I am very sorry for your loss 6-7 months does seem to be a short time but all I can say is to keep track of your findings for future reference. It may be helpful to you if you decide to try again or others that may have questions themselves in the future that are also finding it hard to get answers. Good luck
 

Leepbby

Active Member
Messages
97
Location
Massachusetts, USA
I just thought I would answer so you would not think you were being ignored. I wish I had answers for you. I myself have 3 regius jumpers 2 suspect female and 1 male. I have myself been trying to look for factual information regarding lifespan, possibilities of serial diformizum ( not sure if I spelled that correctly) etc. ... It seems to be very hard to get direct answers which can be quite frustrating. I am very sorry for your loss 6-7 months does seem to be a short time but all I can say is to keep track of your findings for future reference. It may be helpful to you if you decide to try again or others that may have questions themselves in the future that are also finding it hard to get answers. Good luck
Sexual not serial ... lol sorry
 

Lawrence b

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
683
Location
UK
I have been doing abit research because am thinking keeping jumping spiders , and what I can gather Phidippus regius can reach maturity in several months and 1-3years lifespan .
 

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
You may increase your jumping spider's lifespan by reducing photoperiods and infrequent feedings. Many phidippus actually overwinter and fast and dont eat again til spring.

Do it right and you can def get a fourth year, but you'll have to help your spider out because at that age they can no longer scale smooth surfaces.
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
I just thought I would answer so you would not think you were being ignored. I wish I had answers for you. I myself have 3 regius jumpers 2 suspect female and 1 male. I have myself been trying to look for factual information regarding lifespan, possibilities of serial diformizum ( not sure if I spelled that correctly) etc. ... It seems to be very hard to get direct answers which can be quite frustrating. I am very sorry for your loss 6-7 months does seem to be a short time but all I can say is to keep track of your findings for future reference. It may be helpful to you if you decide to try again or others that may have questions themselves in the future that are also finding it hard to get answers. Good luck

Thanks very much for the reply and bumping the post! I will indeed keep the info for future reference. Jumping spiders still seem quite new to keep as pets, and comatus aren't often on sale so I wonder if not enough people have kept them to know the answers.

However I did post this on the UK jumping spider facebook page and one person experienced with keeping them helpfully replied. She said her comatus do seem to pass away quicker than her regius once fully matured. She also said it sounds like, from all the phantom egg sacs and the fact Cadenza only moulted once with me (I forgot to write that above), that she was actually a sub-adult already when she arrived, and comatus are much smaller than regius so even as a young adult she may have looked younger than she actually was. I need to find some pictures of when she arrived to check that, as I'm pretty sure the shop said they were young juveniles, but I guess they could have got it wrong.


Sexual not serial ... lol sorry

Haha, I was intrigued to look up this new term serial diformizum! I think you may mean 'sexual dimorphism'?
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
I have been doing abit research because am thinking keeping jumping spiders , and what I can gather Phidippus regius can reach maturity in several months and 1-3years lifespan .

Thanks for this info! Yeah I was hoping she could live much longer even if she had reached maturity :/
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
You may increase your jumping spider's lifespan by reducing photoperiods and infrequent feedings. Many phidippus actually overwinter and fast and dont eat again til spring.

Do it right and you can def get a fourth year, but you'll have to help your spider out because at that age they can no longer scale smooth surfaces.

Thank you. What do you mean by reducing photo periods?

But yes maybe I was feeding her too frequently. Again the advice on that seems very unclear, about how fat they are meant to be when healthy lol, and then the fact that if they always seem hungry (when growing) some advise to feed as much as they will take. I struggle with this with my other true spiders too, as some places say every few days while they are growing, some say once a week while they are growing. Then my huntsman for example, as an adult, seems to eat like once per month if that, which worries me but she doesn't 'look' too thin I don't think.

Pro-longing their lifespan to an extent via infrequent feedings, may replicate the wild and be fine. But I would also worry about reducing their quality of life despite the longer lifespan, like I wouldn't want them to feel starved. And once they are really struggling into a 4th year, could it not be kinder for them to have a shorter but more well-fed active life? I do however wish I could have one living 2 years, which sounds like a good lifespan for them.
 

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
Photoperiods meaning light. More dark and less light. That's the secret to keeping most arachnida alive longer- keeping them inactive for as long as you can without harming them.

For solifugae and scorpions it's the opposite- an increased photoperiod and short dark period will lengthen total lifespan.

By 'infrequent feeding' i mean 'only feed every 3 days or so but do remember to water them regularly as they can fast longer thN they can go without water.
 

Leepbby

Active Member
Messages
97
Location
Massachusetts, USA
Thanks very much for the reply and bumping the post! I will indeed keep the info for future reference. Jumping spiders still seem quite new to keep as pets, and comatus aren't often on sale so I wonder if not enough people have kept them to know the answers.

However I did post this on the UK jumping spider facebook page and one person experienced with keeping them helpfully replied. She said her comatus do seem to pass away quicker than her regius once fully matured. She also said it sounds like, from all the phantom egg sacs and the fact Cadenza only moulted once with me (I forgot to write that above), that she was actually a sub-adult already when she arrived, and comatus are much smaller than regius so even as a young adult she may have looked younger than she actually was. I need to find some pictures of when she arrived to check that, as I'm pretty sure the shop said they were young juveniles, but I guess they could have got it wrong.




Haha, I was intrigued to look up this new term serial diformizum! I think you may mean 'sexual dimorphism'?
Lol yes I did :) ... and I am glad you got some replies that were helpful. Its definitely information that I was interested in learning so thanks for sharing. :)
 

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
many phidippus species actually overwinter as sub-adults or adults. they basically brumate just like lizards, where they'll be dormant most of the time but active on warm sunny days and search for water
 
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