Handling Guide

Most jumping spiders tolerate gentle handling, and many seem to enjoy climbing onto a hand — but handling is always optional, and a great relationship doesn't require it.

Before you pick up your spood

• Timing matters: never handle during premolt, within a few days after a molt, or right after a meal.
• Low and slow: handle near a soft surface. A fall of even a foot can injure a jumper.
• Clean and still: wash and fully dry your hands; no lotion, perfume, or soap residue.

The soft approach

1. Put your hand flat and still in the enclosure, fingers together.
2. Let the spood walk onto you — most will explore upward out of curiosity.
3. Keep your other hand below as a landing platform as they move.
4. Return them home the same way: hand low in the enclosure, let them step off.

Never grab, pinch, or lift a spood by the legs. If they jump off, stay calm — guide them back rather than snatching.

Reading consent

Jumping spiders tell you their mood:

• Willing: they step onto your hand readily, explore, groom.
• Declining: they retreat, hide, or jump away repeatedly. Respect it — try another day.
• Stressed: they flick their abdomens, run to a corner, or hold their legs up defensively. End the session.

Short, positive sessions build trust. Five minutes of calm exploration beats thirty minutes of pursuit.

Who shouldn't handle

• Freshly molted or premolt spoods.
• Spoods you've just brought home — give them a week to settle.
• Slings: their legs and bodies are far too delicate; most keepers handle only from late juvenile onward.

It's okay to never handle

Some keepers prefer hands-off observation, and their spoods live full, happy lives. Feeding, misting, and watching a hunt offer connection enough. In Polly's Web, handling is just one observation you can log — never a requirement for good care.