# Big trapdoor spider in KY?



## Pactolus (May 29, 2011)

Hi all. I wasn't sure what forum to ask this on, but after searching around a bit I figured you guys are experts on this stuff.

Earlier today, I was hiking around at the Red River Gorge in Powell co. Kentucky. I was in the vicinity of the Clifty Wilderness area, and I decided to take a random unmarked trail. It took me a little over an hour, but eventually I got to the end of the trail and I was way out in the boonies. There was an ENORMOUS rock shelter, I'm not sure if you guys know what they are, but they're fascinating geological features (go look on google images). Being a spider buff, I of course had to look around inside and around the shelter. There was tons of Agelenopsis sp. with webs everywhere on the rocks, and I saw a couple Lycosa sp. scurrying around.

But as I was saying, the rock shelter went back about 20 feet and it was very dark at the back. It was almost like a cave. After looking around at the back for a bit, I was about to turn back when I noticed a strange formation in the sand a couple feet away from me. I'm not sure how to describe it, it was sort of a circular depression in the sand, like a tiny crater, and it had some webbing around it. From end to end, it was about 10 in. wide and long, about 3 in. deep, and it had what looked like a typical trapdoor spider "door" in the center made out of sand. I was actually quite scared because I was way back inside the rock shelter crouched down, and if this took a turn for the worse that was a very bad place to be. I grabbed a long stick, walked several feet away, and prodded the "door". At first nothing happened, but when I prodded a second time underneath the "door" with more force, a huge (well, not HUGE but much bigger than the spiders I'm accustomed to seeing) spider emerged from the burrow and didn't move for around for a couple seconds. Then it ZOOMED off and disappeared beneath a rock shelf.

Needless to say, I was speechless. I know there's pursewebs, and a couple other small mygalomorphs in Kentucky but I had never heard or known of any large trapdoor species. However, the locals in Slade have told stories of giant 12 inch spiders that dig burrows and eat lizards, so maybe those tales aren't completely based in myth. 

You have to understand that the light at the back of the rock shelter was very dim, and though I didn't get a CLOSE look at the spider, I did get a pretty look at it for those 2 seconds. It looked dark-brown, it had a stocky body and relatively long legs, not the short legs typically associated with trapdoor spiders. It's body was around 2 in., and it's legspan was about 6 in., maybe a little longer.

I apologize for the wall of text, but does anyone here have any idea what this could have been?


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## Chris_Skeleton (May 30, 2011)

I'm pretty sure there are no mygalomorphs in this area that could attain a size of 6". You are probably overestimating the size.

Tarantulas would be the only mygalomorphs to reach those sizes. And without a picture we are not going to be able to tell you what it was.


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## Tcrazy (May 30, 2011)

wafer trapdoor spiders  Myrmekiaphila (Cyrtaucheniidae)   sub family Mygalomorphae,   they get about 2.165 inches  with looking bulky they can be mistaking for being bigger.  they range in and around the Appalachian Mountains.  the males of this sp have a modified Palpal tibia which distinguishes them from other mygalomorphs


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## Chris_Skeleton (May 30, 2011)

Tcrazy said:


> wafer trapdoor spiders  Myrmekiaphila (Cyrtaucheniidae)   sub family Mygalomorphae,   they get about 2.165 inches  with looking bulky they can be mistaking for being bigger.  they range in and around the Appalachian Mountains.  the males of this sp have a modified Palpal tibia which distinguishes them from other mygalomorphs


I actually have four small Myrmekiaphila species. 

Check the pics in my threads and see if they look similar:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=202346
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=200173


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## Tcrazy (May 30, 2011)

post some pictures. i love seeing these...


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## CRX (May 31, 2011)

I too would like to see some pics, because I've hiked alot in the Gorge and I've never seen anything like that.


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## Tcrazy (May 31, 2011)

Chris_Skeleton said:


> I actually have four small Myrmekiaphila species.
> 
> Check the pics in my threads and see if they look similar:
> http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=202346
> http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=200173


nice pics of them... i like to go and find me some.. there a neat little trap door


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## packrat1 (Apr 2, 2015)

I know this is an old post but I just happened upon it.

Do you think that it could have been a Geolycosa missouriensis (Burrowing Wolf Spider)?


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## Naes (Nov 2, 2016)

Pactolus said:


> Hi all. I wasn't sure what forum to ask this on, but after searching around a bit I figured you guys are experts on this stuff.
> 
> Earlier today, I was hiking around at the Red River Gorge in Powell co. Kentucky. I was in the vicinity of the Clifty Wilderness area, and I decided to take a random unmarked trail. It took me a little over an hour, but eventually I got to the end of the trail and I was way out in the boonies. There was an ENORMOUS rock shelter, I'm not sure if you guys know what they are, but they're fascinating geological features (go look on google images). Being a spider buff, I of course had to look around inside and around the shelter. There was tons of Agelenopsis sp. with webs everywhere on the rocks, and I saw a couple Lycosa sp. scurrying around.
> 
> ...


I'll be honest... I saw a huge spider and almost thought it was a crab.  Crabs in KY lmao 
That's how I knew that this was real and they do exist.  How do you think I stumbled across this.  I don't want to tell the full experience on here.  It is unbelievable and a hospital bill occurred from this incident.  If you want to contact me about this live situation... Please do email srian0003@gmail.com


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