Trapdoor Spiders- Life in the Dark
Trapdoor spiders from the superfamily Ctenizoidea , family Ctenizidae are small - medium sized mygalomorph (spiders who's fangs come down vertically like knives) spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk. Some Conothele species do not build a burrow, but construct a silken tube with trap-door in bark crevices so sometimes the term trapdoor can be misleading. Members of this family vary greatly in overall toxicity, from totally harmless to potentially deadly. Most trapdoors are extremely shy animals that may live out their entire existence in one location. They are severely impacted by habitat destruction and chemicals used in agriculture. Populations in areas of development can become extinct almost overnight. They are commonly preyed upon by, wasps, other spiders, insectivorous mammals such as bandicoots as well as by some birds. Their diet consists mainly of any appropriately sized animal that is foolish enough to pass near their lair, though certain species show preference to certain prey animals. Some species are known to relish beetles or even millipedes which are toxic to other animals.
The categorization into subfamilies follows Dr Robert Raven (1985) one of the worlds foremost mygalomorph researchers.
Key features of trapdoor spider anatomy are a strong and sometimes squat build with short but powerful legs that are perfectly adapted to digging and seizing prey. Most species have less hair than their larger tarantula cousins due to an almost exclusively subterranean lifestyle.
Guide for Keeping Trapdoors.
When housed in captivity they do not however make ideal pets and some factors should be considered. Stress can easily kill some species. They must burrow or construct a shelter or they rapidly expire. Once they have made a new home you are unlikely to see them except the brief flash as they seize prey. Some species can exit their trapdoor, capture their prey and then return to their burrow in a hundredth of a second, hardly registering as a quick visual blur to the human eye. Species belonging to the family Hexathelidae (Funnel Web Spiders) have some of the most potent venoms of any arachnid and are capable of killing an adult in less than an hour. Trapdoors are very fast and very aggressive, lacking a high level of visual perception they react mostly to vibrations that stem from movement, so it is possible for them to mistake hands in their domain as a prey animal.
With this said, they are possible to keep in captivity.
It is important to know if the species you have is arboreal or burrowing.
Provide arboreal species with cork wood or similar alternative that they can construct a burrow in. In this case the hight of the soil is not crucial.
For burrowing species provide a deep are of soil that is bio-typical to their range. Or in other words, desert materials for desert species, rain forest soils that are loamy for rain forest species etc.
Most are ravenous feeders so care must be taken not to overfeed. Crickets, Meal-worm beetles, meal worms and other terrestrial insects are suitable.
Things to note: Standard operating procedures.
When working in the trapdoor terrarium always use the appropriate tools such as tweezers and forceps, never placing your hand in the container.
Always clearly label all containers with species (LATIN) names, not common names only.
Be sure to inform family members or people sharing the house of any dangerous or potentially dangerous species.
Never under any circumstances attempt to handle a trapdoor, even when using gloves. (Some species are quite capable of biting through even leather gloves).
Place the container in an area that has few temperature shifts and is quiet.
Avoid upsetting or needlessly prodding or poking the animal.
Be sure to research the species you have to ensure optimal living conditions.
The categorization into subfamilies follows Dr Robert Raven (1985) one of the worlds foremost mygalomorph researchers.
- Ctenizinae Thorell, 1887
- Bothriocyrtum Simon, 1891 — USA, Mexico, Taiwan
- Cteniza Latreille, 1829 — Europe, Central Asia
- Cyclocosmia Ausserer, 1871 — USA to Guatemala, Thailand, China
- Cyrtocarenum Ausserer, 1871 — Greece, Turkey
- Latouchia Pocock, 1901 — Asia
- Stasimopus Simon, 1892 — South Africa
- Pachylomerinae Simon, 1889
- Conothele Thorell, 1878 — Australian region
- Hebestatis Simon, 1903 — Costa Rica, USA
- Ummidia Thorell, 1875 — America, Mediterranean, Japan, Taiwan
Key features of trapdoor spider anatomy are a strong and sometimes squat build with short but powerful legs that are perfectly adapted to digging and seizing prey. Most species have less hair than their larger tarantula cousins due to an almost exclusively subterranean lifestyle.
Guide for Keeping Trapdoors.
When housed in captivity they do not however make ideal pets and some factors should be considered. Stress can easily kill some species. They must burrow or construct a shelter or they rapidly expire. Once they have made a new home you are unlikely to see them except the brief flash as they seize prey. Some species can exit their trapdoor, capture their prey and then return to their burrow in a hundredth of a second, hardly registering as a quick visual blur to the human eye. Species belonging to the family Hexathelidae (Funnel Web Spiders) have some of the most potent venoms of any arachnid and are capable of killing an adult in less than an hour. Trapdoors are very fast and very aggressive, lacking a high level of visual perception they react mostly to vibrations that stem from movement, so it is possible for them to mistake hands in their domain as a prey animal.
With this said, they are possible to keep in captivity.
It is important to know if the species you have is arboreal or burrowing.
Provide arboreal species with cork wood or similar alternative that they can construct a burrow in. In this case the hight of the soil is not crucial.
For burrowing species provide a deep are of soil that is bio-typical to their range. Or in other words, desert materials for desert species, rain forest soils that are loamy for rain forest species etc.
Most are ravenous feeders so care must be taken not to overfeed. Crickets, Meal-worm beetles, meal worms and other terrestrial insects are suitable.
Things to note: Standard operating procedures.
When working in the trapdoor terrarium always use the appropriate tools such as tweezers and forceps, never placing your hand in the container.
Always clearly label all containers with species (LATIN) names, not common names only.
Be sure to inform family members or people sharing the house of any dangerous or potentially dangerous species.
Never under any circumstances attempt to handle a trapdoor, even when using gloves. (Some species are quite capable of biting through even leather gloves).
Place the container in an area that has few temperature shifts and is quiet.
Avoid upsetting or needlessly prodding or poking the animal.
Be sure to research the species you have to ensure optimal living conditions.
