Any beginning trapdoor species suitable for a teen?

[phillipthephiddipus]

I've had experience with fast arboreal and ground spiders so anything not overly aggressive or dangerous?

 

[Python]

Most of the trapdoors I've dealt with were pretty defensive but they do stay buried. The downside to trapdoors is that since they cover up the hole they aren't even a pet hole, just pet dirt. Considering how reluctant they are to be seen, I wouldn't have any worries about anyone keeping any of them. As long as the only contact they have is when the cricket god drops their manna, I don't think there's anything to worry about. Another option, you can always just fill a tank with dirt and pretend you have one. No one would ever know the difference.

 

[sschind]

I had a tank of pet dirt once. In a year I think I only saw it take a cricket two or three times. The little bugger seemed to know when I was watching. I would drop a cricket in and stand back several feet and just wait for 10 minutes and nothing would happen. I'd go answer the phone or do something else and come back 3 minutes later and the cricket was gone. This happened so many time I finally got tired of it and got rid of it. Usually I'm fine with not seeing my animals but this was ridiculous. To not even be able to watch him spring out and grab his food (which is why most people get trapdoors right) would have been sufficient but mine was even too smart to let me see him do that. I guess I should move this into the thread about clever tarantulas. When I finally sold him I pulled out tube of silk over a foot long that he lined his burrow with. It looked like a long skinny tube sock.

 

[chanda]

Yeah, I gotta agree on this one. I had one of these and the only times I ever saw it was when I did an occasional life-check or the time I evicted it from its hole to show my students. (I pulled out his tube - it looked like a really dirty little sock - and dumped him out of it so the kids could at least see what he looked like.) As pet spiders go, this one was a huge disappointment. They're really cool to look at in those nature documentaries, but as a pet? There are lots of more active choices - including tarantulas, wolf spiders, huntsmen, jumpers, lynx spiders, widows...

 

[phillipthephiddipus]

Maybe a burrowing wolf spider under the genus Geolycosa?

 

[Grimmdreadly]

I plan on buying a trapdoor spider, but the previous comments are all correct. You will probably see it, maybe ten times in its entire life. But you'll cherish the times you do catch a glimpse.

 

[Smokehound714]

You could try Cyclocosmia. those are really neat. Lots of people sell em.

 

[Ungoliant]

Yeah, I gotta agree on this one. I had one of these and the only times I ever saw it was when I did an occasional life-check or the time I evicted it from its hole to show my students. . . . As pet spiders go, this one was a huge disappointment.

I'm reminded of the adage about owning a boat: the only times you see it are when you buy it and when you sell it.

 

[basin79]

I know this was started a while ago having recently bought one I'd highly recommend an Idiothele mira instead of a true trapdoor.

They make a trapdoor and unlike a true they come out. Mine girl is often out at night. Obviously it's a T but I will post a recent feeding video of mine.

 

[Grimmdreadly]

I know this was started a while ago having recently bought one I'd highly recommend an Idiothele mira instead of a true trapdoor.

They make a trapdoor and unlike a true they come out. Mine girl is often out at night. Obviously it's a T but I will post a recent feeding video of mine.

As I always say, why not both?

 

[IamKrush]

I had a tank of pet dirt once. In a year I think I only saw it take a cricket two or three times. The little bugger seemed to know when I was watching. I would drop a cricket in and stand back several feet and just wait for 10 minutes and nothing would happen. I'd go answer the phone or do something else and come back 3 minutes later and the cricket was gone. This happened so many time I finally got tired of it and got rid of it. Usually I'm fine with not seeing my animals but this was ridiculous. To not even be able to watch him spring out and grab his food (which is why most people get trapdoors right) would have been sufficient but mine was even too smart to let me see him do that. I guess I should move this into the thread about clever tarantulas. When I finally sold him I pulled out tube of silk over a foot long that he lined his burrow with. It looked like a long skinny tube sock.

Takes longer then 10minutes sometimes. I waiting 20-30 minutes for my I.mira to eat

 

[basin79]

Takes longer then 10minutes sometimes. I waiting 20-30 minutes for my I.mira to eat

My girl eats as soon as she detects a prey item. And if she's really hungry she leaves her burrow and hunts on the surface.

 

[IamKrush]

My girl eats as soon as she detects a prey item. And if she's really hungry she leaves her burrow and hunts on the surface.

Sometimes mine is quick to eat as well. Sometimes not so much lol