Now the switch spider was a great idea However I think my wife and my kids would have given alot of sympathy looks Now my grand kids would have thoughts of how cool is PAPA. Keep going strong Spider Bob you've got fresh ideas !!
There's a picture of St. Seraphim of him hand feeding and petting a bear. And the quote below it is: "He is only a wild beast when treated as a wild beast." I believe that most animals are capable of having personality and much deeper intelligence and emotion than we tend to attribute to them. We had a pair of cats for about 17 years that were unlike any others. Their personality, understanding, and connection to us was indescribably strong. I also had several beta fish growing up that also developed personalities and would interact with us in ways we'd never expect a fish of being capable of. And for me, that even extended to spiders and insects. The spider in my picture is one I had for over a year. I caught him or her at the very tail end of fall in Wisconsin, so it was too cold to put it outside, so I did my best to keep it warm and fed. When spring finally rolled around I had developed enough of an affinity for it that I didn't want to see it go. So it stayed with me all the way through to the following spring. At that point it was big and strong from being well fed and cared for, and I finally released it to the back patio. I also had caught what I later found out to be a Larder Beetle. Initially it was going to be spider food, but there was something about the way it moved and behaved that I quickly took a liking to it. I ended up making it a pretty sizable enclosure, and I used some cardboard tubes to make him some little housings, kind of like the old rounded airplane hangars. Larder beetles do this thing where they lay on their back when eating, and I always enjoyed watching him. And he'd often walk up to the top of his little hangar to look over his private little kingdom. I had him for over a year as well I think. It's not just in your mind. If you felt a real connection with this spider, it's because one really existed. I don't imagine that most spiders or any animal for that matter gets to live their life to it's natural end. Most are taken by predators, disease, starvation, or exposure. I hope you feel as good as I do knowing that you gave that spider a most rare and special life. So few others have ever been genuinely cared for. It's always bittersweet at best when the animals we have a connection with have shorter lifespans than we do, but you did a good thing. And I haven't the slightest doubt that Brownie understood that.
WOW! I enjoyed your spider and insect story, and agree with you that sometimes we humans can interact with animals that sometimes transcends what we have come to understand as normal interaction. Perhaps, such occurrences would occur more if we took the time and interest to interact with nature and observe animals' behaviors and instincts and learn from them. I have closely observed, and loved my dog Tanzi and have learned some interesting things from her just by closely observing her behaviors.
Hey Bob just want to say thank you for your channel. I use to watch your videos 14 years ago. You got me interested in jumping spiders haha. Good to see you’re still putting out great content. Cheers
Hey thx! I've been taking some time off from production to deal with some family medical issues. Had to cancel a trip to the Caribbean for some much needed vacation and spider hunting. So stuck in Michigan and snow coming tomorrow. Nice spring weather. lol.
What a wonderful video. I can tell you really bonded with that spider. What a treat to have had her for 3 years! I'm sure she appreciated you as well. That was so neat how you were able to communicate with her through a simple warm breath! I'm sure that towards the end, when her vision was poor, that warm breath must have been so reassuring! She knew that she was safe, and on top of that, she was getting served "breakfast-in-bed!" I know spiders generally don't have "friends," but you were certainly a true friend to the very end for her! Thanks for sharing. RIP, "Brownie."
@@BobTheSpiderHunter Hello, Bob! I see you haven't uploaded any more videos since this one. I certainly hope that everything is okay, and that you are in good health. Prayers and kind regards to you and your family from me and mine. Hopefully your okay and enjoying life. I am certainly looking forward to seeing more of your spider-hunting adventures in the future! Take care, my friend! 🙏 ❤ Kind regards, -Your neighbor from across the lake (Chicago-area)
Haha, nice comment Linda. Some times us "human" animals carry out similar behaviors as the other animals we share this world with...we just don't watch them enough to see the similarities! lol
Happy New Year, Bob! She is a beautiful spider, and so calm and trusting! I've said it once before but will again, it's thanks to your videos that has turned my arachnophobia around! I now seek out and enjoy these little 8 legged friends! The old me would be horrified by some of the spiders I've gently handled! lol :) Keep up the great videos Bob, I've also dropped your TH-cam on /r/spiders on Reddit to help aid folks fear of spiders :)
Hey thanks so much SL, I really appreciate your comments, and how my stuff has helped you put your fear of spiders behind you. Also thx for the Reddit drop! Never hurts to get people interested from other viewing sites. Happy New Year!
This is the most beautiful video I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you for documenting and sharing your amazing time with such a wonderful and unique spider
Sorry for the late reply! Been planning out a vacation with my teenage grand-kids. Thx so much CCA, for those encouraging and thoughtful words! She really was one of a kind, and I doubt if I'll ever find another like her in my lifetime! Appreciate your watching and leaving me a comment. Have a great summer!
After watching this video, even i'm a little sad to know she passed and i never knew her . I totally get it, growing attached to a spider friend, i've been there too, twice . I often have spiders building webs in my bathroom, the two main species are little False Widows (Steatoda) and Cellar Spiders. The first time i decided to allow one to build her web close to my toilet, she ended up living there for over a year and a half, i had named her Emma and she was catching quite a few bugs in the summer but in the winter i would sometimes drop a bug here and there in her web to help her survive the winter. She would drink water from the walls after i took a hot shower and the steam settled. One morning, as i wake up, i noticed there was another spider, bigger than Emma, stuck under Emma's web and Emma was dangling from a thread and she didn't look well, she wasn't moving much but i could see she was trying to move. I knew she had probably been bit by the other spider, probably while trying to catch it. Emma was used to catching and eating other spiders that roamed around the house, at least the ones that ended up passing under her web. I ended up taking Emma in the palm of my hand and watching her for a long time, hoping she would recover but she pretty much died in my hand. After she passed, i placed her on a tissue paper and left her there for several weeks, hoping that she might recover from the venom of the other spider. I know some species have a paralyzing venom and sometimes their victims can recover if they don't get eaten so i hoped for several weeks but Emma never came back. The following summer, there was another two of the same species as Emma, one of them wandered around quite a bit and i lost her after a while but one stayed for another year and half and i named that one Ruby. Ruby was very much like Emma in many ways but this one ended up passing while i was away for a weekend and i never knew what killed her. I found her dead under her web when i came back from the cottage, despite the fact that i had left her a water dish close to her web since i knew she wouldn't be able to drink from my shower steam as she usually did. This year i don't have any False Widow friends but i have a Cellar Spider occupant in my bathroom, i named her Scilla and she's been there for 3 months i think. She is always moving from one corner to another. There is also another one in my bedroom, she lives on the side of a box on the floor lol. All that to say, i feel for your loss. If there was ever a spider who discovered "friendship", it would have to be Brownie. 🙂
Hey, KU, haha, its you again! Glad you visited and left another, very entertaining spider story for me to read. How cool was your experience with those two spiders. I currently have a female Bold jumping spider I encountered on the monkey bars at a local park I take my dog to each morning for our walk. Brought her home to film. She's getting fat as I catch her a few flies each day and she wastes no time pouncing on them! My next series that will be released soon for the summer is about a Black Widow spider I rescued from a persons garage who didn't want a widow living there. She winterized with me, I fed her, and she produced an egg sac. From that sac I couldn't stop the spiderlings from hatching and a hard Michigan winter made it impossible to feed the spiderlings. So, survival of the fittest left me with a young female spiderling who was the lone survivor of the 180 or so babies. She is now a full grown female, larger than her mother was and has a cobweb in the upper corner of a slider-door that opens to my deck. She has free roam but stays put as she gets watered and fed daily. She is handled fairly often and will be releasing this week back into the wild to go find a boyfriend! lol.
Sir I would like to ask you a question about jumping spiders. Do specific species have different lifespans or are they all relatively the same? One of my jumping spiders named Toast passed away this weekend, but I only had her for 2 years, meanwhile another one I have named Cinnamon I've had for 4 years, she's had multiple egg sacs hatch, and she's still as active as when I got her.
Thx so much, she was a real special spider indeed! Just yesterday I was out looking at the old stump in my backyard and remembering the good times I had at that stump with my "Brownie"!
Happy belated New Year! Such a beautiful tribute to a beautiful spider. 🥰 Rest easy, Brownie. I love that she was a family member and not “just a spider.” Goes to show that fishing spiders aren't the “vicious monsters”so many people seem to think they are. I currently have a little juvenile fishing spider that was found in the bathroom back in late November/early December. It was (and has been) too cold to release it so it has a little enclosure and regularly gets flies to eat. (Which are almost the same body length as this tiny spider! Lol) I'm not 100% sure of the species, but it may be D. albineus, the White Banded Fishing Spider. Hopefully, it will get its full adult colors in another molt or two. It has darkened up just a little since its first molt with me though. So pretty. I actually found this account recently while searching for information on how often to feed it. Didn't find anything solid. But if you have any advice on how often to feed a 1/4” - 5/8” (~6mm or so) body-length fishing spider juvie, I'm all ears! Much of the sparse info I’ve found is conflicting. It's ALWAYS ready to eat, but I worry about overfeeding so giving 2-3 small houseflies per week, on average. Anyway, love your videos! They're always so relaxing to watch while also being educational.
Thx so much for your comment, I enjoyed reading it. You must live somewhere warm to still have access to house flies. It's winter here in Michigan, very cold and lots of snow currently on the ground. Sounds like you doing all the right things. I usually try and move spiderlings outside as soon as they get ready to leave on their own (they'll begin ballooning attempts). Winter of course would throw that all off! I wouldn't worry about over feeding a spider. If they are not hungry, they will avoid prey and eating all on they own. Or they may kill the prey and not eat it. Your feeding schedule looks to be working just fine, as long as you can find the flies. Good luck on the youngster, and let me know how it all works out!
@@BobTheSpiderHunter Thanks for the reply! I appreciate it so much. :) I’m over in Pennsylvania myself. It’s very cold here too, but I was able to order housefly “spikes” before it got bitter cold and hatch them at home. Very handy. Especially because I also have a small Larinioides cornutus male who showed up in the bathroom around late November missing some legs. He has appreciated the flies too. And he’s doing much better now; all healed up, webbing and catching flies just fine, but no molt yet. Hopefully he has another molt or two left so he can get his legs back. He has his “grown up” pedipalps already, but he’s pretty small yet so, fingers crossed. (Yes, I take in stray and injured spiders like “normal” people take in stray cats. Lol) The little fishing spider molted again and it’s a boy! He has just about doubled in size but he’s still only a little over an inch from toe-to-toe. Handsome little dude though. He seems a little too big for his “emergency enclosure,” now (modified Tupperware container that I put screen vents into), and it’s still well below freezing out, so I broke down and ordered him a bigger enclosure. He’ll have lots of space to climb, explore, and hunt at least. And as soon as the weather warms up enough, he has a well overgrown creek surrounded by woods waiting for him just outside.
Hey a few of you guys have noticed! Including TH-cam! I have been working at starting a new job and it has taken my interest away for a bit...my spider channel is my hobby, it does not pay the bills! I have filmed lots of raw footage that will soon be produced into new spider videos. Also have been thinking of trying a few new things, like "shorts." Guess that's what the younger generations like better than longer stories! But don't worry I will be back very soon now, at least before the snow flys in Michigan! Thx for caring!!!
Hey there Bob! Hope you're doing well. I'm a huge long time fan here and I grew up watching you. I also have a strong passion for spiders and i'm from Ontario, Canada so we share a lot of similar species. I recently managed to catch a dolomedes tenebrosus and dolomedes scriptus from a cottage trip earlier this summer. Both are about 1-2 inches in leg span but nowhere near as big as the one you have here. Would you be so kind enough to help me out a bit on some husbandry tips so I can make sure both my spiders continue to thrive and live for as long as possible. Currently i've got the scriptus in a 2 gallon 50/50 aquatic terrarium and the tenebrosus is in 2 gallon tub with soil and bark. Can you please tell me exactly how you took care of your spider in order for it to live this long because as far as I know their max lifespan is 2 years with hibernation and in this video you say you had her for 3 years but she seems to be close to an adult when you caught her which would make her estimated lifespan almost 4 years which is beyond impressive.
I always enjoy connecting with fellow spider enthusiasts! Sorry it took me so long to get back with you! Just curious, are you the guy who contacted me awhile back trying to determine how exactly to ID the Dolomedes scriptus and the triton, or tenebrosus? Anyway, you are correct the normal life span is 2 years in the wild and potential 3 in captivity if cared for properly. So my girl was caught in an outhouse in the woods, and I can only guess, but believe she was in her first year of life. So I had at home with me late in her first year and then two more years after that. So guessing she was 3 yrs old, not 4. Now care. You have made the right choices for habitat. Tenebrosus, will camp out in woods near a pond but does not need water to be content. Scriptus, on the other hand, enjoys being in water and land, and enjoys hunting for tadpoles, small minnows, and yes...small goldfish from the pet store. If you want the spider happy (?) (content better word choice), provide it 2-3 inches deep of water with a rock or two to rest on, or a leaf (real of plastic). It likes to sit on a leaf and tangle a couple leg-toes into the water. It attacks quick and accurately when hungry and hunting. If she does have a male to fertilize and produces an egg sac, she will use the cool or warm water to control the temp of her eggsac. Important for the spiderlings survival thru their instar. The spider may lay on the water for 20-30 minutes or more with her egg (either completely submerged - or just the eggsac submerged. It can chase prey and stay under water for up to 30 minutes in its silver underwater air bubble. As the air runs out the bubble it will turn from silver to the color of the spider and them you can observe a few little jerky movements just before it will quickly make for the surface and a breath of air! It will take some playing around with the habitat to get a little depth of water (that will be good for small fish, and try to keep it simple enough to make it easy to keep the water clean. Contaminated water with waste left in it will bring a quick demise to your spider! Both of these species of Dolomedes would enjoy times of lengthy sunbathing, and times of shade. Check back and let me know how its going, or if you have more questions!
Hi Bob ! I hope everything is going well for you, you haven't posted anything in a long time. I'm "Krawll Unchained" on a separate channel that i made for my other passion which is spiders and bugs in general. Krawll Unchained is my gaming channel. On my latest video from this channel, i show a new fishing spider that i found in my laundry room and her appearance makes identifying it very difficult for me and i would like to have your opinion. I know you have seen both D. scriptus and D. tenebrosus up close before whereas i don't believe that i have ever seen D. scriptus up close before. This new girl i found is showing some similarities to D. tenebrosus but she is different to every other specimen i have seen before and i currently am keeping one that i know for sure is D. tenebrosus and when i look at both of them side by side, the differences are significant enough to where i really cannot confirm the ID of the second one. I don't expect you to be able to confirm it's ID 100% but i value your opinion as a spider enthusiast like me and i am very curious to know which of the two species you would lean towards for this one. Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi KK! I will take a look at what you have on your channel and see if I might be able to help you. I had made a few mistakes myself in ID-ing the two species you have mentioned. Give me a couple days to check out your pics/vids and then I'll do my best to help you make an ID and share some of the tricks to watch for in these two species. I took a sabbatical from posting new spider vids for a time but was still filming raw material, just not aggressively. Life was taking me off on other interests, but I will be returning with a new intro, hopefully many "shorts" (as most younger generations won't stick around to watch longer vids)! I will be back, most likely this fall and I will need a whole new video editing program as well. I have a couple summer speaking engagements that I really enjoy doing.
You're not rude at all Micah! I took a bit of a sabbatical, other life issues were more pressing and I needed a break. Have lots of new raw footage, and have renewed my interest again. Had a few large speaking engagements and conducted a few live hunting adventures with some up-coming, young apprentice spider hunters! I have a short series on a black widow and two generations! Also had two large Florida Trichonephila, clavipes living in one corner of my livingroom that will make it into a short series. Plus I'm toying with some new intros and intro music, and shorts which I have never done. What do you think about my current music and opener? Let me know. I will be back this fall. Thx for asking!
Hi bob. There's still fresh spider webs being spun in my big rig. I've personally seen the spider but unable to catch him. Do you have any insight on how I can lure him out of his hiding spot? Thank you ahead of time
Hi BS, hmmm, that doesn't sound very good...Hi Blake! Well, might I suggest ur spider is a girl instead of a boy. Why don't you just enjoy the girl, and know that shes keeping ur big rig, free of annoying insects and flies! If she is making an orb web, then she will be dead and gone as fall progresses. No need to "kick her out!" lol. If ur really that concerned, she may well be a nocturnal spider and may come out at night to wait in her web for some food. Best wishes! Treat the girl right! PS: what part of the country do you live in? PSS: Dang, I got myself hooked on watching ice road truckers on TV! But its fun and entertaining...
Hey Micah, just watched your 2nd spider vid. Nice job! I couldn't leave you a comment (comments are turned off) so I'll leave you a comment here. Good introduction, nice variety and fun narration as your filming the spiders. Look forward to ur 3rd video! Subbed to ur channel. Have a great weekend!!!
Ok thanks Bob. I'm an OTR trucker from Lancaster PA. "The girl" spider living in my big rig likes to come out at night and bite along my undergarment belly line. I will stuff a mouse trap down there with peanut butter before I sleep tonight!
Morning PA Truckster! I think I have seen you make a comment before on my spider channel, but I might be mistaken. Are you pulling my leg? I've never heard of such a spider "undercover" night-bite like that b4. Sounds like a conspiracy theory? Your revenge attack may work for a mouse, but I don't think it will have very much success on a spider! lol. If you do try that, I would like to see a follow-up comment on how it goes! Will it be self mutilation...or dead mouse in the house-pants! You made me smile today! Fun...if you are getting bit, I don't think its from the spider... Just sayin'
@@BobTheSpiderHunter Well it's definitely not a Brazilian Wondering Spyder cuz if it was I'd be walking around with a grin on my face like "Smiling Bob" from the Enzyte commercial 😂
They just fired me today. Before I left I asked them for a sharpie to leave a message for next driver SPIDER IN TRUCK. I'm sure the big juicy spider will miss me 👍🕷️
Now the switch spider was a great idea However I think my wife and my kids would have given alot of sympathy looks
Now my grand kids would have thoughts
of how cool is PAPA. Keep going strong
Spider Bob you've got fresh ideas !!
There's a picture of St. Seraphim of him hand feeding and petting a bear. And the quote below it is: "He is only a wild beast when treated as a wild beast."
I believe that most animals are capable of having personality and much deeper intelligence and emotion than we tend to attribute to them. We had a pair of cats for about 17 years that were unlike any others. Their personality, understanding, and connection to us was indescribably strong. I also had several beta fish growing up that also developed personalities and would interact with us in ways we'd never expect a fish of being capable of. And for me, that even extended to spiders and insects. The spider in my picture is one I had for over a year. I caught him or her at the very tail end of fall in Wisconsin, so it was too cold to put it outside, so I did my best to keep it warm and fed. When spring finally rolled around I had developed enough of an affinity for it that I didn't want to see it go. So it stayed with me all the way through to the following spring. At that point it was big and strong from being well fed and cared for, and I finally released it to the back patio. I also had caught what I later found out to be a Larder Beetle. Initially it was going to be spider food, but there was something about the way it moved and behaved that I quickly took a liking to it. I ended up making it a pretty sizable enclosure, and I used some cardboard tubes to make him some little housings, kind of like the old rounded airplane hangars. Larder beetles do this thing where they lay on their back when eating, and I always enjoyed watching him. And he'd often walk up to the top of his little hangar to look over his private little kingdom. I had him for over a year as well I think.
It's not just in your mind. If you felt a real connection with this spider, it's because one really existed. I don't imagine that most spiders or any animal for that matter gets to live their life to it's natural end. Most are taken by predators, disease, starvation, or exposure. I hope you feel as good as I do knowing that you gave that spider a most rare and special life. So few others have ever been genuinely cared for. It's always bittersweet at best when the animals we have a connection with have shorter lifespans than we do, but you did a good thing. And I haven't the slightest doubt that Brownie understood that.
WOW! I enjoyed your spider and insect story, and agree with you that sometimes we humans can interact with animals that sometimes transcends what we have come to understand as normal interaction. Perhaps, such occurrences would occur more if we took the time and interest to interact with nature and observe animals' behaviors and instincts and learn from them. I have closely observed, and loved my dog Tanzi and have learned some interesting things from her just by closely observing her behaviors.
Hey Bob just want to say thank you for your channel. I use to watch your videos 14 years ago. You got me interested in jumping spiders haha. Good to see you’re still putting out great content. Cheers
Hey thx! I've been taking some time off from production to deal with some family medical issues. Had to cancel a trip to the Caribbean for some much needed vacation and spider hunting. So stuck in Michigan and snow coming tomorrow. Nice spring weather. lol.
@@BobTheSpiderHunter hope all is well with you 💗💗
Good video.
Thx so much AK!
What a wonderful video. I can tell you really bonded with that spider. What a treat to have had her for 3 years! I'm sure she appreciated you as well. That was so neat how you were able to communicate with her through a simple warm breath! I'm sure that towards the end, when her vision was poor, that warm breath must have been so reassuring! She knew that she was safe, and on top of that, she was getting served "breakfast-in-bed!"
I know spiders generally don't have "friends," but you were certainly a true friend to the very end for her!
Thanks for sharing.
RIP, "Brownie."
Thx so very much for the touching comment! She truly was one amazing spider.
@@BobTheSpiderHunter
Hello, Bob! I see you haven't uploaded any more videos since this one. I certainly hope that everything is okay, and that you are in good health.
Prayers and kind regards to you and your family from me and mine. Hopefully your okay and enjoying life. I am certainly looking forward to seeing more of your spider-hunting adventures in the future!
Take care, my friend! 🙏 ❤
Kind regards,
-Your neighbor from across the lake (Chicago-area)
rip Brownie 💗 she was a sweet girl who lived a long life
Thank you, I couldn't agree with you more! She was amazing.
My fave part was the sunbathing (and lens cleaning) segment. I think it's because I want to do the same. lol
Haha, nice comment Linda. Some times us "human" animals carry out similar behaviors as the other animals we share this world with...we just don't watch them enough to see the similarities! lol
Happy New Year, Bob! She is a beautiful spider, and so calm and trusting! I've said it once before but will again, it's thanks to your videos that has turned my arachnophobia around! I now seek out and enjoy these little 8 legged friends! The old me would be horrified by some of the spiders I've gently handled! lol :) Keep up the great videos Bob, I've also dropped your TH-cam on /r/spiders on Reddit to help aid folks fear of spiders :)
Hey thanks so much SL, I really appreciate your comments, and how my stuff has helped you put your fear of spiders behind you. Also thx for the Reddit drop! Never hurts to get people interested from other viewing sites. Happy New Year!
This is the most beautiful video I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you for documenting and sharing your amazing time with such a wonderful and unique spider
Sorry for the late reply! Been planning out a vacation with my teenage grand-kids. Thx so much CCA, for those encouraging and thoughtful words! She really was one of a kind, and I doubt if I'll ever find another like her in my lifetime! Appreciate your watching and leaving me a comment. Have a great summer!
Love your video's Bob!
Thank you for sharing! ^_^
Luv UR comments, my spider friend!
After watching this video, even i'm a little sad to know she passed and i never knew her .
I totally get it, growing attached to a spider friend, i've been there too, twice .
I often have spiders building webs in my bathroom, the two main species are little False Widows (Steatoda) and Cellar Spiders.
The first time i decided to allow one to build her web close to my toilet, she ended up living there for over a year and a half, i had named her Emma and she was catching quite a few bugs in the summer but in the winter i would sometimes drop a bug here and there in her web to help her survive the winter. She would drink water from the walls after i took a hot shower and the steam settled.
One morning, as i wake up, i noticed there was another spider, bigger than Emma, stuck under Emma's web and Emma was dangling from a thread and she didn't look well, she wasn't moving much but i could see she was trying to move.
I knew she had probably been bit by the other spider, probably while trying to catch it. Emma was used to catching and eating other spiders that roamed around the house, at least the ones that ended up passing under her web.
I ended up taking Emma in the palm of my hand and watching her for a long time, hoping she would recover but she pretty much died in my hand.
After she passed, i placed her on a tissue paper and left her there for several weeks, hoping that she might recover from the venom of the other spider.
I know some species have a paralyzing venom and sometimes their victims can recover if they don't get eaten so i hoped for several weeks but Emma never came back.
The following summer, there was another two of the same species as Emma, one of them wandered around quite a bit and i lost her after a while but one stayed for another year and half and i named that one Ruby.
Ruby was very much like Emma in many ways but this one ended up passing while i was away for a weekend and i never knew what killed her.
I found her dead under her web when i came back from the cottage, despite the fact that i had left her a water dish close to her web since i knew she wouldn't be able to drink from my shower steam as she usually did.
This year i don't have any False Widow friends but i have a Cellar Spider occupant in my bathroom, i named her Scilla and she's been there for 3 months i think. She is always moving from one corner to another.
There is also another one in my bedroom, she lives on the side of a box on the floor lol.
All that to say, i feel for your loss.
If there was ever a spider who discovered "friendship", it would have to be Brownie. 🙂
Hey, KU, haha, its you again! Glad you visited and left another, very entertaining spider story for me to read. How cool was your experience with those two spiders. I currently have a female Bold jumping spider I encountered on the monkey bars at a local park I take my dog to each morning for our walk. Brought her home to film. She's getting fat as I catch her a few flies each day and she wastes no time pouncing on them! My next series that will be released soon for the summer is about a Black Widow spider I rescued from a persons garage who didn't want a widow living there. She winterized with me, I fed her, and she produced an egg sac. From that sac I couldn't stop the spiderlings from hatching and a hard Michigan winter made it impossible to feed the spiderlings. So, survival of the fittest left me with a young female spiderling who was the lone survivor of the 180 or so babies. She is now a full grown female, larger than her mother was and has a cobweb in the upper corner of a slider-door that opens to my deck. She has free roam but stays put as she gets watered and fed daily. She is handled fairly often and will be releasing this week back into the wild to go find a boyfriend! lol.
@@BobTheSpiderHunter Nice !
I'm eager to see the videos for sure , can't wait 🙂
I LOVE ORB WEVER SPIDERS BUT ALL SPIDERS R COOL
Micah, I agree with you...I have favorites, but I LOVE ALL SPIDERS too!
😊❤😢
Thx for the shared emotions, and for watching this vid!
This whole serie was just really good, relaxing and enjoyable. Congrats for the production! Happy New Year to you too sir :)
Thx so much! I really appreciate ur comment and encouragement!
Sir I would like to ask you a question about jumping spiders. Do specific species have different lifespans or are they all relatively the same? One of my jumping spiders named Toast passed away this weekend, but I only had her for 2 years, meanwhile another one I have named Cinnamon I've had for 4 years, she's had multiple egg sacs hatch, and she's still as active as when I got her.
They're about the same, so if your "jumping" spider is 4 years old, that's amazing!
@@BobTheSpiderHunter Update sir, she's still going!
This is beautiful!
Thx so much, she was a real special spider indeed! Just yesterday I was out looking at the old stump in my backyard and remembering the good times I had at that stump with my "Brownie"!
Happy belated New Year!
Such a beautiful tribute to a beautiful spider. 🥰 Rest easy, Brownie.
I love that she was a family member and not “just a spider.” Goes to show that fishing spiders aren't the “vicious monsters”so many people seem to think they are.
I currently have a little juvenile fishing spider that was found in the bathroom back in late November/early December. It was (and has been) too cold to release it so it has a little enclosure and regularly gets flies to eat. (Which are almost the same body length as this tiny spider! Lol)
I'm not 100% sure of the species, but it may be D. albineus, the White Banded Fishing Spider. Hopefully, it will get its full adult colors in another molt or two. It has darkened up just a little since its first molt with me though. So pretty.
I actually found this account recently while searching for information on how often to feed it. Didn't find anything solid. But if you have any advice on how often to feed a 1/4” - 5/8” (~6mm or so) body-length fishing spider juvie, I'm all ears! Much of the sparse info I’ve found is conflicting.
It's ALWAYS ready to eat, but I worry about overfeeding so giving 2-3 small houseflies per week, on average.
Anyway, love your videos! They're always so relaxing to watch while also being educational.
Thx so much for your comment, I enjoyed reading it. You must live somewhere warm to still have access to house flies. It's winter here in Michigan, very cold and lots of snow currently on the ground. Sounds like you doing all the right things. I usually try and move spiderlings outside as soon as they get ready to leave on their own (they'll begin ballooning attempts). Winter of course would throw that all off! I wouldn't worry about over feeding a spider. If they are not hungry, they will avoid prey and eating all on they own. Or they may kill the prey and not eat it. Your feeding schedule looks to be working just fine, as long as you can find the flies. Good luck on the youngster, and let me know how it all works out!
@@BobTheSpiderHunter Thanks for the reply! I appreciate it so much. :)
I’m over in Pennsylvania myself. It’s very cold here too, but I was able to order housefly “spikes” before it got bitter cold and hatch them at home. Very handy.
Especially because I also have a small Larinioides cornutus male who showed up in the bathroom around late November missing some legs. He has appreciated the flies too.
And he’s doing much better now; all healed up, webbing and catching flies just fine, but no molt yet. Hopefully he has another molt or two left so he can get his legs back. He has his “grown up” pedipalps already, but he’s pretty small yet so, fingers crossed. (Yes, I take in stray and injured spiders like “normal” people take in stray cats. Lol)
The little fishing spider molted again and it’s a boy! He has just about doubled in size but he’s still only a little over an inch from toe-to-toe. Handsome little dude though.
He seems a little too big for his “emergency enclosure,” now (modified Tupperware container that I put screen vents into), and it’s still well below freezing out, so I broke down and ordered him a bigger enclosure. He’ll have lots of space to climb, explore, and hunt at least. And as soon as the weather warms up enough, he has a well overgrown creek surrounded by woods waiting for him just outside.
yes i cant wait !
Won't be long now!!!
WHY U STOPPED POSTING,?
Hey a few of you guys have noticed! Including TH-cam! I have been working at starting a new job and it has taken my interest away for a bit...my spider channel is my hobby, it does not pay the bills! I have filmed lots of raw footage that will soon be produced into new spider videos. Also have been thinking of trying a few new things, like "shorts." Guess that's what the younger generations like better than longer stories! But don't worry I will be back very soon now, at least before the snow flys in Michigan! Thx for caring!!!
Hey there Bob! Hope you're doing well. I'm a huge long time fan here and I grew up watching you. I also have a strong passion for spiders and i'm from Ontario, Canada so we share a lot of similar species. I recently managed to catch a dolomedes tenebrosus and dolomedes scriptus from a cottage trip earlier this summer. Both are about 1-2 inches in leg span but nowhere near as big as the one you have here. Would you be so kind enough to help me out a bit on some husbandry tips so I can make sure both my spiders continue to thrive and live for as long as possible. Currently i've got the scriptus in a 2 gallon 50/50 aquatic terrarium and the tenebrosus is in 2 gallon tub with soil and bark. Can you please tell me exactly how you took care of your spider in order for it to live this long because as far as I know their max lifespan is 2 years with hibernation and in this video you say you had her for 3 years but she seems to be close to an adult when you caught her which would make her estimated lifespan almost 4 years which is beyond impressive.
I always enjoy connecting with fellow spider enthusiasts! Sorry it took me so long to get back with you! Just curious, are you the guy who contacted me awhile back trying to determine how exactly to ID the Dolomedes scriptus and the triton, or tenebrosus? Anyway, you are correct the normal life span is 2 years in the wild and potential 3 in captivity if cared for properly. So my girl was caught in an outhouse in the woods, and I can only guess, but believe she was in her first year of life. So I had at home with me late in her first year and then two more years after that. So guessing she was 3 yrs old, not 4. Now care. You have made the right choices for habitat. Tenebrosus, will camp out in woods near a pond but does not need water to be content. Scriptus, on the other hand, enjoys being in water and land, and enjoys hunting for tadpoles, small minnows, and yes...small goldfish from the pet store. If you want the spider happy (?) (content better word choice), provide it 2-3 inches deep of water with a rock or two to rest on, or a leaf (real of plastic). It likes to sit on a leaf and tangle a couple leg-toes into the water. It attacks quick and accurately when hungry and hunting. If she does have a male to fertilize and produces an egg sac, she will use the cool or warm water to control the temp of her eggsac. Important for the spiderlings survival thru their instar. The spider may lay on the water for 20-30 minutes or more with her egg (either completely submerged - or just the eggsac submerged. It can chase prey and stay under water for up to 30 minutes in its silver underwater air bubble. As the air runs out the bubble it will turn from silver to the color of the spider and them you can observe a few little jerky movements just before it will quickly make for the surface and a breath of air! It will take some playing around with the habitat to get a little depth of water (that will be good for small fish, and try to keep it simple enough to make it easy to keep the water clean. Contaminated water with waste left in it will bring a quick demise to your spider! Both of these species of Dolomedes would enjoy times of lengthy sunbathing, and times of shade. Check back and let me know how its going, or if you have more questions!
Hi Bob !
I hope everything is going well for you, you haven't posted anything in a long time.
I'm "Krawll Unchained" on a separate channel that i made for my other passion which is spiders and bugs in general.
Krawll Unchained is my gaming channel.
On my latest video from this channel, i show a new fishing spider that i found in my laundry room and her appearance makes identifying it very difficult for me and i would like to have your opinion.
I know you have seen both D. scriptus and D. tenebrosus up close before whereas i don't believe that i have ever seen D. scriptus up close before.
This new girl i found is showing some similarities to D. tenebrosus but she is different to every other specimen i have seen before and i currently am keeping one that i know for sure is D. tenebrosus and when i look at both of them side by side, the differences are significant enough to where i really cannot confirm the ID of the second one.
I don't expect you to be able to confirm it's ID 100% but i value your opinion as a spider enthusiast like me and i am very curious to know which of the two species you would lean towards for this one.
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi KK! I will take a look at what you have on your channel and see if I might be able to help you. I had made a few mistakes myself in ID-ing the two species you have mentioned. Give me a couple days to check out your pics/vids and then I'll do my best to help you make an ID and share some of the tricks to watch for in these two species. I took a sabbatical from posting new spider vids for a time but was still filming raw material, just not aggressively. Life was taking me off on other interests, but I will be returning with a new intro, hopefully many "shorts" (as most younger generations won't stick around to watch longer vids)! I will be back, most likely this fall and I will need a whole new video editing program as well. I have a couple summer speaking engagements that I really enjoy doing.
Can you provide me with links to pics or videos of the spiders in question? I saw two vids and didn't know if that was all you have?
so when will u start to make vids again NOT to b rude
You're not rude at all Micah! I took a bit of a sabbatical, other life issues were more pressing and I needed a break. Have lots of new raw footage, and have renewed my interest again. Had a few large speaking engagements and conducted a few live hunting adventures with some up-coming, young apprentice spider hunters! I have a short series on a black widow and two generations! Also had two large Florida Trichonephila, clavipes living in one corner of my livingroom that will make it into a short series. Plus I'm toying with some new intros and intro music, and shorts which I have never done. What do you think about my current music and opener? Let me know. I will be back this fall. Thx for asking!
iv been making vids
Hi bob. There's still fresh spider webs being spun in my big rig. I've personally seen the spider but unable to catch him. Do you have any insight on how I can lure him out of his hiding spot?
Thank you ahead of time
Hi BS, hmmm, that doesn't sound very good...Hi Blake! Well, might I suggest ur spider is a girl instead of a boy. Why don't you just enjoy the girl, and know that shes keeping ur big rig, free of annoying insects and flies! If she is making an orb web, then she will be dead and gone as fall progresses. No need to "kick her out!" lol. If ur really that concerned, she may well be a nocturnal spider and may come out at night to wait in her web for some food. Best wishes! Treat the girl right! PS: what part of the country do you live in? PSS: Dang, I got myself hooked on watching ice road truckers on TV! But its fun and entertaining...
I JUST MADE MY 2 VID
Hey Micah, just watched your 2nd spider vid. Nice job! I couldn't leave you a comment (comments are turned off) so I'll leave you a comment here. Good introduction, nice variety and fun narration as your filming the spiders. Look forward to ur 3rd video! Subbed to ur channel. Have a great weekend!!!
@@BobTheSpiderHunter THINK U I TURNED COMMENTS ON BUT THEY JUST TURNED OFF
Ok thanks Bob. I'm an OTR trucker from Lancaster PA. "The girl" spider living in my big rig likes to come out at night and bite along my undergarment belly line. I will stuff a mouse trap down there with peanut butter before I sleep tonight!
Morning PA Truckster! I think I have seen you make a comment before on my spider channel, but I might be mistaken. Are you pulling my leg? I've never heard of such a spider "undercover" night-bite like that b4. Sounds like a conspiracy theory? Your revenge attack may work for a mouse, but I don't think it will have very much success on a spider! lol. If you do try that, I would like to see a follow-up comment on how it goes! Will it be self mutilation...or dead mouse in the house-pants! You made me smile today! Fun...if you are getting bit, I don't think its from the spider... Just sayin'
@@BobTheSpiderHunter
Well it's definitely not a Brazilian Wondering Spyder cuz if it was I'd be walking around with a grin on my face like "Smiling Bob" from the Enzyte commercial 😂
They just fired me today. Before I left I asked them for a sharpie to leave a message for next driver SPIDER IN TRUCK. I'm sure the big juicy spider will miss me 👍🕷️