Pet brown recluse spiders are a great choice for experienced spider owners. This is because even though these gentle spiders are rarely known to bite humans, their venom, if injected in large amounts, can cause serious symptoms such as organ damage, and in rare cases even death. Pet brown recluse spiders are not suited for homes with small children or other small pets, as they could suffer serious consequences if bitten. But this is very unlikely as your pet brown recluse spider is not the aggressive sort.
Most brown recluse spiders grow to anywhere between 6 – 20 mm in size, or maybe slightly larger. Though mostly brown, some brown recluse spiders have also been known to have a deep yellow coloration. A distinguishing feature is a black line starting from the cephalothorax till the rear of the spider, which is shaped like a violin. Hence, these spiders are also known as violin spider, or fiddleback spider. Another very unique characteristic is that brown recluse spiders have 6 eyes, unlike most other spiders which have 8 eyes.
Known to prefer dark places, your pet brown recluse spider will prefer a habitat which is dark and dry. They can often be found hiding behind pictures, under rarely used sheets, in cupboards, garages and other similar places. In the wild, they often make tree barks their home, and are known to build irregular webs. So while creating a pet spider habitat for these spiders, you will need to make sure you keep the container in a dark place, or keep them in cardboard boxes, which they favor.
Like most spider your pet brown recluse spider will also eat insects smaller than itself, thus crickets, which are well-fed, flies, moths and other critters are good food options for them. Also, do not try to introduce your pet brown recluse spider to your other pets, or put another spider into its habitat. Spiders are excessively predatory, and will not tolerate the presence of another spider within their habitat.
Brown recluse spiders are extremely shy and do not like to interact with humans. They are also not very aggressive and will not bite unless they feel threatened, so do not handle your pet brown recluse spider too much, and be careful to keep it safely out of reach of children and other pets. Just a few precautions will ensure that you have the best experience with your pet brown recluse spider.