# Black trapdoor spider



## Truffs1178 (Oct 7, 2013)

What are trapdoor spiders like to keep? I realise they are super aggressive and not to be handled but trust me I wouldn't be handling it if I were to get one. I just want to know about the requirements, how often to feed and what the venom is like.


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## MarkmD (Oct 7, 2013)

Trapdoors are pretty good to keep, I have the red trapdoor, they can be defensive and will bite (not all will), once you've got a good setup you wont see it, other than the initial introduction to the enclosure maybe feeding or late at night putting out leftover food.  They like deep substrate 6-9" is decent, I used to feed mine every week but (she doesn't take it) seems every 2-3 weeks they feed (for mine), the temperatures i use are 75-79F is good.


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## jbalboa1981 (Oct 7, 2013)

I didn't have a black trapdoor.  I had a red, gorgyrella sp. I NEVER handled that thing.  I named it Charlotte, but it was the devil.  I kept it in a pretty tall fish tank, I converted.  I made, what I thought was a pretty cool enclosure.  I made, basically a graveyard, with crickets names on tombstones, and crosses, I had her name on a gravestone right in front of her hole, yes, I was bored that day.  They are pretty hardy, I just kept a water dish, and kept it on coco coir, and kept it pretty moist.  I fed it about once a week.  Here is a vid I put on youtube if you wanna see the evil thing.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhV6yfWy5dI

Reactions: Like 1


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## Truffs1178 (Oct 19, 2013)

Does it make the burrow itself or do you have to dig I little bit to give it a place to start. Also why do I keep making two threads? There is a duplicate of this thread with different answers on it.


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## Ambly (Oct 20, 2013)

Trapdoors are easy to keep - most important thing is the right type of substrate/soil.  It needs to be pliable.  They are very adaptable, so they will take to premade holes and other things.  Someone here had a video of their spider digging... I realized I clearly needed a substrate would allow for digging.  I could see his spider actually collecting a ball of dirt and flicking it, with incredible force and distance - out of a pail.  A lot of people say its a pet hole, but I think if you get a good substrate and provide some leaf litter for it to incorporate into it's lid/feel farther, you will have a much more interesting pet.  

in one sentence - I think they are cooler than most think, and even interesting when not feeding - how they modify the environment around them and such...


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## jthorntonwillis (Oct 20, 2013)

Great vid...Love the tombstones!!  




jbalboa1981 said:


> I didn't have a black trapdoor.  I had a red, gorgyrella sp. I NEVER handled that thing.  I named it Charlotte, but it was the devil.  I kept it in a pretty tall fish tank, I converted.  I made, what I thought was a pretty cool enclosure.  I made, basically a graveyard, with crickets names on tombstones, and crosses, I had her name on a gravestone right in front of her hole, yes, I was bored that day.  They are pretty hardy, I just kept a water dish, and kept it on coco coir, and kept it pretty moist.  I fed it about once a week.  Here is a vid I put on youtube if you wanna see the evil thing.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhV6yfWy5dI


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## Truffs1178 (Dec 7, 2013)

How do I give them water? In a small bowl, misting or no water at all.


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## Ambly (Dec 8, 2013)

Make sure the substrate is a bit moist - i.e. what you'd imagine outside soil to be like - clearly retaining a bit of moisture but not as though it is sitting in water.  Slowly water the soil just a bit - little at a time - to hydrate it and that is really it.  They get their water from their prey and other posters have said some species will ball up clay and drink from it.  Doesn't hurt to mist them once in a while.  If they are REALLY hungry they leave their door open, so I'd imagine they'd drink collected water if dehydrated beyond belief.


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## Blinx (Jan 1, 2016)

They look too much like the Australian funnel web, which is deadly. Personally I will stick with tarantulas. Trapdoor spiders are just too much unknown for me. The trapdoors kind of queeze me out a bit just looking at them.


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