How to Locate Trapdoor Burrows

Teds ts and Inverts

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
504
Hi all,
Could I get some tips on how to find Trapdoor Spider burrows and where to look for them? I live in Tennessee, and I know that there have to be SOME out here, but I just don’t really know where to start, so I came here! Any advice would be appreciated. Thx :)
 

RezonantVoid

Hollow Knight
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
1,354
At least over here, high moisture, red soil zones are basically 100% guaranteed to have trapdoors of some kind, especially if such zones are in the middle of a dense forest. All you can do is just look super carefully at the ground for the outline of the lids
 

Teds ts and Inverts

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
504
At least over here, high moisture, red soil zones are basically 100% guaranteed to have trapdoors of some kind, especially if such zones are in the middle of a dense forest. All you can do is just look super carefully at the ground for the outline of the lids
Alrighty, there’s a start. By chance do you know the composition of the soil? And if you have any, would you mind posting a picture of an ideal place to look, just so I can get a better feel for it? Thx! :)
 

RezonantVoid

Hollow Knight
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
1,354
Alrighty, there’s a start. By chance do you know the composition of the soil? And if you have any, would you mind posting a picture of an ideal place to look, just so I can get a better feel for it? Thx! :)
I'll try and pull up some photos laters, but mostly clay. My personal hypothesis is that it helps to prevent water soaking into the soil to keep the burrow moist, while also preventing waterlogged soil around the burrow. It's fairly easy to shape as well for the larger species. Here however, we have a vast array of species that pick anyway from treetops to sandy coastlines, hard compact rocky soil to sense rainforests. Considering over you're way doesn't have quite the drastic variations in habitat zones, it's hard for me to say specifically which spots are best. I found a single trapdoor around Jackson Hole, Wyoming on our holiday there 2 months ago, and it was along side a hiking trail with some red soil spots around it
 

Teds ts and Inverts

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
504
Oh, and I don’t know if this matters or not, but it’s worth mentioning: The species local to my area are Ummidia sp., Myrmekiaphila sp., and Cyclocosmia truncata. Just in case the burrowing tendencies vary from species to species.
 

Teds ts and Inverts

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 10, 2017
Messages
504
I'll try and pull up some photos laters, but mostly clay. My personal hypothesis is that it helps to prevent water soaking into the soil to keep the burrow moist, while also preventing waterlogged soil around the burrow. It's fairly easy to shape as well for the larger species. Here however, we have a vast array of species that pick anyway from treetops to sandy coastlines, hard compact rocky soil to sense rainforests. Considering over you're way doesn't have quite the drastic variations in habitat zones, it's hard for me to say specifically which spots are best. I found a single trapdoor around Jackson Hole, Wyoming on our holiday there 2 months ago, and it was along side a hiking trail with some red soil spots around it
Ok, if I manage to find any, I’ll make sure to document it. Thanks man!
 
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