# Wild Aphonopelma in Southern California



## GQ.

I took a little walk yesterday and found this girl still had an open burrow.  I poured a tiny bit of water on her to get her to come to the entrance.  I teased her the rest of the way out by tickling her rump.  (My signature move.  )  She promptly came out and did a U-turn.  She had a huge rump akin to a well fed captive.  I was too slow to photograph her before she headed back inside.  I've been keeping an eye on this burrow since 2002.  I can't say it is the same female, but there is a good chance it is.  Below is a photo of her at her burrow entrance






I stopped by for another look today and she had sealed up her burrow.  This might be sealed up for the year, but I can't say for sure.  The nights are cooling off quite a bit, but today it was 87 degrees!






I noticed this little packet of bones outside her entrance.  This little bundle of bones is less than half the diameter of a dime.  It may be a lizard of the _Uta_ or _Sceloporous_ genus.  Unfortunately I couldn't find the skull or I'd have sent the whole thing to lucanidae for reconstruction.


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## rex_arachne

cool pics.


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## pinkzebra

Great pics! I'd love to be able to go looking for/studying Ts in their natural environment! It would be interesting to know what those bones are from too. Thanks for sharing!


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## GQ.

Thank you!  I still feel like a little kid every time I see a tarantula in the wild.  I'm lucky to live in the midst of them.


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## Crotalus

Thanks for posting! Is it eutylenum or something like that (too lazy to check) ?
And a interesting find, them bones.

/Lelle


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## GQ.

Lelle,

     I talked to a few people when I first started finding these.  The consensus back then is that it was a problematic species.  It had been named _Aphonopelma 'eutylenum type'_.  I know color isn't a species determining characteristic, but they look quite a bit different than _Aphonopelma eutylenum_.  _A. eutylenum_ are typically a  uniform rich dark chocolate color.  _A. 'eutylenum type' _ has more of a  three tone coloration.  The legs are brown, the carapace is a light tan coloration, and their rump is a darker brown with reddish orange setae.  They are truly beautiful after a fresh molt.  I don't know of any work that has formally described them.

-Gilbert


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## Tegenaria

Fantastic to be able to see thse in the wild, so lucky!
BTW, what are the red/brown objects near the bones?Also one at bottom of the pic.


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## lucanidae

> Unfortunately I couldn't find the skull or I'd have sent the whole thing to lucanidae for reconstruction.


   Thanks! Haha, I would have loved too!

I think it's cool that the spider chomped that vertebrate.


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## GQ.

Tegenaria said:


> BTW, what are the red/brown objects near the bones?Also one at bottom of the pic.


Those are old sun bleached beetle shells.  The newer shells are the typical black of a tenebrionid beetle.  The area around their burrows are usually littered with them.

The dirt mound around their burrows are also usually full of old exuvia.  Numerous white flecks of dried fecal matter round out the typical burrow debris.  I have also found the remains of _Anuroctonus pococki_ scorpions and _Bothriocyrtum californicum_ (California trapdoor spider) mixed in with the other detritus.  I once found the remains of a male _Aphonopelma_ in the debris pile at a female's burrow.  It was easily identifiable by the tibial spur on one leg.


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## GQ.

lucanidae said:


> Thanks! Haha, I would have loved too!


You just may get a box of micro bones if I ever see a skull in with the mix.  I hope you have good eyes.


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## Tegenaria

GQ. said:


> Those are old sun bleached beetle shells.  The newer shells are the typical black of a tenebrionid beetle.  The area around their burrows are usually littered with them.
> 
> I have also found the remains of _Anuroctonus pococki_ scorpions and _Bothriocyrtum californicum_ (California trapdoor spider) mixed in with the other detritus.  I once found the remains of a male _Aphonopelma_ in the debris pile at a female's burrow.  It was easily identifiable by the tibial spur on one leg.


Very cool!


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## GQ.

Took another walk today in the same general area.  We found several open burrows.  I decided to tickle one out for a couple of photos.  It wasn't all that happy to see me.  This fellow put on a fair impression of a _T. blondi_.  It flicked hairs several times before I could get a photo taken.  These _Aphonopelma 'eutylenum type'_ tarantulas typically raise their rump in the air and spread their chelicerae wide when disturbed.  This is the first time I have had one flick hairs.







Habitat


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## Crotalus

Beautiful spider! Have you seen any slings on your walks?


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## GQ.

Lelle,

     In the past I have spotted quite a few slings lining the entrances to burrows.  Occasionally the mom will be sitting a few inches lower down in the burrow.  Most of the time I see slings the mom is out of sight.  It may be that she is down at the bottom guarding the remaining slings.  I find discarded egg sacks more often than I see slings.  I have even found burrows with several discarded egg sacks from years past.

     I have found quite a few small burrows.  The smallest burrows I have been able to find for _Aphonopelma 'euytlenum type'_ were about the diameter of a pencil eraser.  I don't recall finding any smaller than that in this area.  I have tracked the growth of a few of them from that size to the size of an adult burrow.  They just keep enlarging the burrow as needed.  After a rain there is typically evidence of fresh excavations.  The mound of dirt around a burrow is usually piled high after a rain.

     The smallest burrow I have ever found was in Payson, Arizona.  I lifted a flat rock to see a tiny burrow.  It didn't look any larger than three mm.  I dribbled a drop of water into it and out popped a tiny sling.  It looked like it was at most a second instar tarantula.


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## RottweilExpress

Thanks for sharing and describing your finds. I liked the descriptions of leftovers outside the burrows.


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## dtknow

Amazing the slings part! So how long did it take to go from sling to adult? AT what time of year did you see females with the slings in their burrows?

Wherever you go you must go alot and their must be a strong population of tarantulas.


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## GQ.

I only tracked one tarantula from one inch to about 3.5 to 4.0 inches.  It took about three years.  That burrow is no longer there.  It was situated next to a little gully that overflowed and flooded out when we had record setting rains.  The tarantula probably left the burrow during the flooding.  It may also have molted into a male and left to go spread its genes.  At the time I had little free time and didn't visit it as often when I first found it.

There are plenty of tarantulas in the area.  I have a notebook stashed away in storage somewhere with a lot of dates recorded.  I haven't logged any of my observations in a long time.  Nowadays I just head out with the kids and casually take a peek at a few burrows.  I'm not as hard core as I used to be as I don't have as much free time these days.  It is also a bit hard to record field notes with a restless baby in tow.    I probably take a quick thirty minute hike a couple times a month.

G


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## dtknow

Interesting. So it probably takes around 5-7 years for these guys to mature.

Any companion observations of any you have in captivity if you ever collected any? Your photos look pretty similar to the ones we have here(3 tone color etc.)


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## GQ.

I don't have any in captivity.  I'd say 5 to 7 years would be good guess as to how long it takes them to mature.  I might keep a pair if I ever move out of state.  I'm content to see them in the wild for now.  They are only a few minutes from home.  I think I'll head over there right now!


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## padkison

I was out in San Diego and took a hike in the mountains.  Looked around for Ts and saw holes in the ground, but had no idea if they were T burrows.  Nothing came out when teased.  I had no idea what to look for as I haven't done this before.


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## GQ.

There are tons of holes in this area as well.  Only a small majority are actually tarantula burrows.  Most of the holes you will see are rodent burrows.  It takes seeing a couple to develop an eye for what a tarantula burrow looks like.  After awhile it becomes hard to miss them.  The easiest ones to find have a thin layer of silk covering the burrow entrance.  You will be able to spot the uncovered burrows after you get a feel for what they look like.

With more field experience you can spot scorpion burrows, trapdoor spider burrows, and tarantula burrows without breaking a sweat.    Okay, this is the desert so you may break a sweat a few months out of the year.


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## Timmy

how do tarantula burrows look like, and how do you tease them? Do you just drop some water in the hole?


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## GQ.

Timmy,

     Here are a few photos for you.

Tarantula burrow with thin layer of webbing over the entrance.  There are ants in the area and this layer effectively prevents ants and other small insects from entering.  Notice the debris pile of dirt, white flecks of dried poop, and pieces of molted exoskeleton.






Tarantula burrow open and ready for guests.  Notice the tarantula legs visible a few inches below the entrance.  This one does not have a huge debris pile, but there is webbing lining the entrance.






This is a rodent hole.  Notice the lack of any webbing lining the sides.  There is no debris pile around the entrance.  Many burrows look similar to this after a rain washes away the debris pile.  A closer inspection quickly reveals whether a tarantula is in residence or not.


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## Crotalus

Gil, I noticed the rodent holes in AZ most of the times had a small trail leading to the hole and lots of poop all around it


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## GQ.

Lelle,

     Good point Lelle.  I noticed the same thing in Arizona.  I see the same thing in a few of the burrows here.  I also noticed that there are significantly more burrows of all types in this area.  Perhaps many of the ones I see are no longer in service.  I can't say for sure. Many of the ones around here don't have the trails leading to and from them.   I really need to brush up on my mammals.


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## GQ.

Here are a few other burrows in the area that are NOT tarantula burrows.  Sorry, I'm in a posting mood.  

Wolf Spider Burrow? California






Wolf Spider Burrow - _Lycosidae_ -  This one was spotted north of Phoenix, Arizona.  They were fairly plentiful in all of the places I explored.






California Trapdoor Spider Burrow - _Bothriocyrtum californicum_






Scorpion Burrow - _Anuroctonus pococki_






Old Rodent Burrow with Snake Tenant - _Lampropeltis getula californiae_


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## Crotalus

Great stuff Gil! Keep posting!! 
That californian wolf spider burrow (?) reminds me of funnel web burrows I have seen pictures of
Did you managed to lure the trapdoor out?


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## GQ.

Crotalus said:


> Great stuff Gil! Keep posting!!
> That californian wolf spider burrow (?) reminds me of funnel web burrows I have seen pictures of
> Did you managed to lure the trapdoor out?



I took someone on a hike spefically to find a couple trapdoor spiders for him to keep.  We dug up two.   This is the only way I have ever been able to see one.  I have never been able to tease one out with a blade of grass.  They will not come to the surface with flooding.  The only one I dug out previously was a specimen that had a burrow mostly washed out on the side of a road.  About six inches (15cm) of the tube portion was sticking out of the roadside with the round base of the burrow still in the hillside.  I wiggled it with a bit of hand digging and the whole burrow popped out.  It looked just like a dirt vase.  I wish I had photos of it.

Below is one of the two we dug up.  I didn't get any fantastic photos of them.
California Trapdoor Spider - _Bothriocyrtum californicum_






I have a photo of one of those spiders I teased out of the "Wolf Spider Burrow? California.  I just can't find it right now.  I don't really know what it is.  I will post it when I find the photo.


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## Doezsha

That looks like some Habitats in parts of Northern Cali now im cerious to see if theres any wild T's in my area. We have have a nice Regional park in my city and alot of nice habitat in the sarounding hills... wen it warms up im going to more hikeing and exploreing.


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## Timmy

Thanks a lot GQ, that's really helpfull. That trapdoor spider is a trip! I didn't know they had urticating hairs, big fangs, and venom! Looks like a tarantula with a bald butt.


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## Crotalus

Timmy said:


> Thanks a lot GQ, that's really helpfull. That trapdoor spider is a trip! I didn't know they had urticating hairs, big fangs, and venom!


They do have venom and fangs but no urticating hair to my knowledge


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## sntcruzan

In my experience,the slope needs to be south facing and not in the shade.We went collecting in the hills south of  Shaver Lake and higher elevation.We collected 15 T's between the 11 of us.September /October work best when the grasses are drier and that makes it easier to locate the silk covered  burrows.

Fred


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## GQ.

Timmy,

     I forgot to add what teasing them out means.  Teasing them out simply means trying to lure them out with a blade of grass.  I try to imitate a small insect struggling at the burrow entrance.  Occasionally they fall for it and come rushing up to grab it.

     I'm with Lelle on the trapdoor spider.  I don't know that they have urticating hairs.

Doezsha,

     Don't forget your camera when you hit the hills!

stncruzan,

     I haven't noticed any burrow preference for slopes in this area.  I have found them on North, South, West, and East facing slopes as well as on flat land.  The flat land burrows have been fewer.  The majority of them are found on hillsides.  We are at a low elevation so that may be different than higher elevation areas.  I don't know.  I did find one high elevation tarantula in Arizona on a North facing slope.


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## atavuss

Doezsha said:


> That looks like some Habitats in parts of Northern Cali now im cerious to see if theres any wild T's in my area. We have have a nice Regional park in my city and alot of nice habitat in the sarounding hills... wen it warms up im going to more hikeing and exploreing.


you should have lots of t's in your area, for instance there are t's at Mt. Diablo, but since it is a park you cannot take them.  I used to find lots of wandering males behind Livermore on Mines road in the fall.  please be aware of rattlesnakes too!  this would not be the best time to go looking for any critters though, spring and fall would be best I would imagine.
have you been to East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley?  they usually have a few inverts although they can be a bit pricey.  if you like herps EBV is the place to be!
also, have you been to the Bone Room in Berkeley?  if you like bones, skulls, mounted insects you would be interested in this place.


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## Timmy

Thanks, next time I go to the lake, I'm going to tease me a tarantula.


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## dtknow

Hmmm how do you tell the wolfy burrows from T burrows? The only major difference I see is the silk looks a tad different.

Some guy who lived right next to where I caught one that I have says he thinks they prefer disturbed ground(sections of roadcuts). I noticed lots of grasshoppers hopping around where I found mine.

Now wouldn't be a bad time of year to find them, my dad says he nearly ran over a male a few days ago.


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## flamingo-kid1

*Great Job*

This thread is absolutely FASCINATING.. thank you for posting it! 

I am near Chicago, the winters are COLD, my pet t's are all fat and sassy, (27 girls) and it was a REAL treat to see your pictures and read the descriptions. 

Living here, real tarantula habitat is hard to imagine.. my girls are a LOT safer in their jars!

BEAUTIFUL job, and please keep it up!


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## GQ.

dtknow said:


> Hmmm how do you tell the wolfy burrows from T burrows? The only major difference I see is the silk looks a tad different.


dtknow,

     I'm sorry for the slow response.  I forgot all about this thread.  Yes, the silk looks very different in person.  It is easy to determine the difference between a wolf spider burrow and tarantula burrow after you have examined both types in real life.  Some wolf spiders also incorporate small pieces of twigs into their burrow opening turret.

flamingo-kid1,

     Thanks.  I do feel very fortunate to live in close proximity to a lot of wild critters.  It is amazing that most people live their entire lives in the same area and never know of any of these critters that live around them.  The biggest key to finding a lot of invertebrates and other wildlife is just getting out in the field.  I have made some great finds on quick fifteen minute hikes.


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## SouthernStyle

What area of SoCal are you in? I've been auround the LA area out in the hills and havn't seen anything to the effect of any sort of spider burrows, And my Little brother goes up to the hills out there pretty often since he lives out that way...Just curious so I could send him out to go take a gander at some of the Local T's


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## GQ.

I'm in San Diego. The open hillsides around LA are much the same as they are down here.


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## dtknow

Southernstyle: Just ask around. Doesn't have to be any particular nature person as the males are pretty conspicious when they cross roads.

GQ: Do you have vinegaroons or anything else in your area in SoCal?


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## cacoseraph

in southern CA there are about 10-15 species of Aphonopelma tarantula, another 10-15 non-theraphosidae mygalomorphae spiders, hundreds of true spider species, something like 15 species and subspecies of scorpions, 4-5 species of giant centipedes, pepsis or hemipepsis wasps, dozens or hundreds of ant species, dozens or hundreds of stone centipedes...

it's might expensive to live out here.... but WELL worth it!

check out this thread for links to google image searches for a lot of the non-thera myg's in CA
http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14075


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## Ewok

wow you are lucky to have all those tarantula and scorpion species out there in CA!


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## WYSIWYG

*Aphonopelma eutylenum Sling*



dtknow said:


> Interesting. So it probably takes around 5-7 years for these guys to mature.
> 
> Any companion observations of any you have in captivity if you ever collected any? Your photos look pretty similar to the ones we have here(3 tone color etc.)


I have what is supposedly a captive bred aphonopelma eutylenum sling I bought about 6 or 7 YEARS ago.  It is still a sling after all this time.  I rarely see it eat, but it's growing and its abdomen is pretty hefty.  He/she is getting ready to molt again.  It's maybe an inch now, but it was only only about 1/8 of an inch when I first bought it.  I'd heard they are really slow growers, but I didn't expect to still have a sling after all this time.  

Would be cool if it turned out to be female.


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## radjess331

WYSIWYG said:


> I have what is supposedly a captive bred aphonopelma eutylenum sling I bought about 6 or 7 YEARS ago.  It is still a sling after all this time.  I rarely see it eat, but it's growing and its abdomen is pretty hefty.  He/she is getting ready to molt again.  It's maybe an inch now, but it was only only about 1/8 of an inch when I first bought it.  I'd heard they are really slow growers, but I didn't expect to still have a sling after all this time.
> 
> Would be cool if it turned out to be female.


7 years and is still a sling? thats crazy


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