How to Care for a Johnson’s Jumping Spider (Phidippus johnsoni)
Jumping spiders as pets have been increasing in popularity over the years, and for good reason! They are cute and intelligent and easy to care for. As more species become available on the market, it is important to give proper care to each unique species.
General Info on the Species
P. johnsoni,otherwise known as the red back or johnson’s jumping spider, is common in the western United States, parts of Baja California, and parts of western Canada. They are most often found in the Spring. This species is fairly small compared to other commonly kept species in the hobby with adult females ranging from 9.0–14.2mm long and adult males ranging from 6.2 to 10.7mm long. They can be easily identified by their jet-black cephalothorax (head) and legs, and their teal blue chelicerae (the shiny colored portion above their fangs). They are sexually dimorphic meaning that males look different than females. Males usually have an all-red abdomen and enlarged pedipalps as adults while females have a black stripe down their red abdomen. Some individuals are orange or even yellow but red is the most common.
Housing
Despite their small size, these spiders are very active and curious so I recommend giving them as much space as possible. I use BigFatPhids spider condos that are 4x4x8.5 inches as a minimum for my adult johnsonis because their ventilation is safe for even the smallest of spiders but allows for plenty of room to explore. You can choose to have substrate or not. For substrate, chose something that does not hold too much humidity like coco-fiber, sand-based soil, etc. Decorate with a variety of items to climb, web, and explore. I use cork bark and fake plants primarily.
Feeding and Water
As most jumping spiders, this species eats a variety of bugs. They can eat prey up to 1.5 times their size but try to keep their prey around half to 1 times the size of your jumper. As a spiderling, fruit flies are a good option. Adults can eat a variety of common pet prey such as small crickets, dubia roaches, fly larvae, small meal worms, etc. Feed when their abdomen is slender. This is usually once or twice a week. Slings will need to eat more frequently.
This species does not do well with humidity so do not mist their enclosure frequently. They will obtain most of their fluids from their food but you can offer water by lightly misting one small part of their enclosure once a week (avoiding spraying the spider directly) or even using a small dropper/pipette to put a couple of small drops of water in front of the spider to see if it will want a sip. For slings, make sure water droplets are small enough to avoid drowning. It may be easier to give a small damp paper towel piece once a week to provide water for babies.
Handling
Jumping spiders are kind and curious in nature so you can handle this species and have a connection with your pet. They are small and fast so handle at your own risk but none of my P. johnsoni’s have every tried to bite me. Females seem to have a connection with people more and prefer handling. You can use small mealworms in the palm of your hand to gain trust in your spider an have them come out on their own. For the most part these are better to just observe in their enclosures but they are so cute and fascinating to watch.
You will love keeping this species!
