How to Care for a Carolina Wolf Spider

The Carolina wolf spider (Hogna carolinensis) is a good display specimen for any collection. It is not very poisonous, but the Carolina wolf spider is somewhat nervous and very fast, so you shouldn't handle it. The following steps will help you care for this spider.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Select a female over males. Female Carolina wolf spiders can live more than 3 years, but males have a much shorter lifespan. Females can produce many egg sacs over their lifetime. The sacs are carried on the female's back until the eggs hatch.
2. Use a 2 1/2- to 5-gallon tank. Height is not as important as floor space, and females can reach a leg span of 4 inches. The Carolina wolf spider does not climb particularly well, so tank security is not as important as it is for arboreal species.
3. Lay down 3 to 6 inches of substrate such as peat moss or potting soil. The Carolina wolf spider is a hunting spider but can burrow to some extent. No decorations are really needed because this spider does not normally web.
4. Keep the enclosure for this spider warm (75 to 85 degrees) and humid (75 to 80 percent). Humidity should be monitored and can be increased by covering the top of the enclosure with plastic wrap.
5. Provide crickets or other large insects as live prey. Use a shallow container as a water dish. Spiderlings should be kept separately and given a cotton ball soaked in water to prevent drowning.

Tips & Warnings

• All spiders have some venom, but this species is not considered dangerous. However, its bite has caused necrosis lesions in sensitive individuals.