Roxie Baggot

“Roxie has been interested in studying animal husbandry for the Regal Jumping spider due to their popularity on social media, and prevalence in various research studies. Since then, they have been studying the impacts of several variables in juvenile development.”

Major Questions

How does rearing environment impact juvenile development in Phidippus regius, specifically in their physical activity, behavioral activity, and physical abnormalities?

To answer the above question, the project cultivates different rearing environments and uses a combination of behavioral assays, and physical measurements to determine the impacts of rearing environment on juvenile development. By looking at the impacts of size of enclosure, maternal presence, and enrichment, we can gain a better understanding of the care that Regius need in both a laboratory setting and beyond. This has major research implications for future projects that intend to use lab-reared jumping spiders.