Brown Widow Spider Care Sheet

Brown Widow Spider
ADULT FEMALE
Specimen provided by Mike O'Malley.
Photo taken by Jon Fouskaris.

The Brown Widow Spider is a great tropical spider to be kept in captivity. It's not as dangerous as some other widow spiders because the Brown Widow Spider is less likely to bite someone, and has less toxic venom. It is a venomous creature, and must be handled with respect. Brown Widow Spiders usually curl up into a ball, and drop to the ground as a primary defense. The only time that a Brown Widow Spider will definitely try to bite someone, is if she is guarding her eggsac. The Brown Widow Spider is one of the species with the infamous "red hourglass" marking on the underside of it's abdomen. Only the females are dangerous when it comes to any species of widow spider because the much smaller males do not bite. When keeping any species of widow spider in captivity, make sure that the tank it is in is escape-proof, and can not be shaken or dropped easily because widow spiders are very fragile, and their large abdomens can burst easily, which will cause death. Females live up to 3 years, while the males only live from 6 months to 1 year. Brown Widow Spiders do adapt to captivity well. They make incredible pet arachnids for people who have them. Brown Widow Spiders should only be kept by mature, responsible, experienced people.

Range	Throughout the world's tropical and semi-tropical regions, has been introduced into southern Texas and central and southern Florida.
Type	Arboreal.
Diet	Spiderlings eat flightless fruit flies, and pinhead crickets. Adults eat crickets, and other large insects.
Full Grown Size	1 to 1.5 inches.
Growth	Fast speed.
Temperature	75 to 90° F.
Humidity	60 to 75%.
Temperament	Semi-docile and nervous.
Housing	Spiderlings can live in a small clear plastic container with a hole in the center of the lid that is stuffed with a piece of cotton. Adults can live in a 2.5-gallon tank. Height is more important than floor space.
Substrate	1 inch of peat moss, potting soil, sand, or vermiculite.
Decor	Branches, vines, air plants, etc. make good hiding places and provide a base for the web.
Other Names	N/A.

*Please note that ALL true spiders have a certain amount of venom. This species happens to have very strong venom. If you get bitten by it, there is a slim chance that you will die. This is one of the reasons that people should not handle this true spider. Affects of this true spiders' natural defenses may vary between people. This true spider is dangerous, so be very careful!