Finns increasingly choose jumping spiders as pets

Demand for jumping spiders as pets has surged in Finland, with pet stores reporting growing interest and sold-out stock of popular species like Phidippus sp.

Tiia Korpikaija of Jurva keeps a two-year-old jumping spider named Mauri, an unusually long-lived specimen for the species. Once active and agile, Mauri now lives in a small container with limited mobility, fed mealworms for easier eating.

Korpikaija, who once feared spiders, now considers Mauri a full member of the family. The spider has traveled with the family, including a stay in a Helsinki hotel terrarium. She says the size, number of legs, or diet of a pet does not diminish the bond one can form with it.

Pet stores attribute the rising popularity to the spiders’ small size, low maintenance, and curious behavior. Many find them more appealing than tarantulas. Korpikaija has waited since February for a rare jumping spider species to restock her terrarium.

Her initial fear of spiders faded after following the story of a jumping spider named Rose on social media. Mauri, like Rose, even has its own social media account, drawing unexpected attention during live streams.

Sami Karjalainen, author of a book on Finland’s native jumping spiders, welcomes the growing awareness. He notes that while imported species are kept as pets, Finland’s native jumping spiders are adapted to the wild and do not survive indoors. He emphasizes their ecological benefit, as they prey on small household pests and pose no harm to humans.