Aphonmpelma enclosure

[ErinM31]

It was only during August when we went.
There were four total people. We checked each GPS location for our surrounding area, which consisted of driving a few hundred miles day and night to get to them. There are several other locations we could not make it to, however these are the particular ones that are empty:
-0.59 miles E US-277 on FM-693
-7.8 miles W Hwy-131 on Hwy-90 (W of Brackettville)
-4.6 miles ESE Eagle Pass (jct US-57) on US-277
-off dirt road near Hwy-277
-1.93 miles NE Zavala County Line on FM-481
-Uvalde, near Nueces River
-0.25 miles N Kinney County Line on Hwy-277
-4.3 miles E Loop-20 on US-59 at Los Tios Creek
-10.15 miles SE Maverick County Line on Eagle Pass Rd
There are a few more spots we checked, however I cannot find them on the revision for some reason. One was a picnic area S. HWY 277.
We could only spend a few days there because of work schedules. However during that short amount of time, we did cover a lot of ground, both day and night. With four very experienced T hunters, we didn't miss much. However, the locations above, do not have moderatum anymore. Unless we came during a bad time of the year?

Another thought -- we had REALLY heavy rain earlier this year. Could many have been flooded out of their burrows and forced to relocate? I don't know where to but...

 

[ErinM31]

It differs from species to species. Some locals and other hobbyists told me that you would only be able to find adult moderatum during May-July. After that the adults plug their burrows up. Which makes absolutely no sense to me. Not sure I can entirely believe that.
The time we went was probably the worse time to go though. The thickness of the grass was almost impeccable, and up to your thighs or higher. Going earlier in the year would be a better idea as it would not be as thick.

Certain Aphonopelma species, mostly dwarf species, can only be found during September-November in the surround AZ areas. Months before and after those dates, the burrows are plugged. It is very interesting to me.

All hope is not lost then. Maybe if only for the grass they will be findable in the late spring/early summer? Perhaps the population took a hit from over-collecting (and maybe the heavy rain too?) but hopefully, they are doing better than they appeared when you looked in August.

Thank you for the info!

 

[dopamine]

I can literally name a few names as to who wiped them out..

Put them on blast. Who are they?

 

[ErinM31]

Put them on blast. Who are they?

I asked @Austin S. and they're collecting evidence and info.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

We could only spend a few days there because of work schedules. However during that short amount of time, we did cover a lot of ground, both day and night. With four very experienced T hunters, we didn't miss much. However, the locations above, do not have moderatum anymore. Unless we came during a bad time of the year?

It's possible you did go at a bad time of the year. I had to ask how many field trips it took to determine your conclusion that the areas you mentioned have been wiped out because tarantula populations do experience seasonal fluctuations as you pointed out with the dwarf species in AZ areas. Here in the Dallas area, A. hentzi also do this. During the mating season that begins at the beginning of June, adults can be found everywhere in their isolated populations then taper off later in the year to when August comes around, adults are scarce while only smaller immatures can be found. It's amazing to watch a busy thriving group of giant spiders suddenly disappear like they do. This is similar to what you described for your trip finding A. moderatum. I keep track of two specific populations of A. hentzi here in Dallas and I was only able to determine that they were stable after several years of keeping track of their numbers and visiting them at different times of the year. One month too early or late and they can't be found giving a false positive that an area doesn't harbor tarantulas.

It differs from species to species. Some locals and other hobbyists told me that you would only be able to find adult moderatum during May-July. After that the adults plug their burrows up. Which makes absolutely no sense to me. Not sure I can entirely believe that.

Certain Aphonopelma species, mostly dwarf species, can only be found during September-November in the surround AZ areas. Months before and after those dates, the burrows are plugged. It is very interesting to me.

What doesn't make sense about seasonal burrow plugging in A. moderatum? You pointed it out for the AZ dwarfs below, why wouldn't you think it happens for the species with spring/ early summer mating season? I'm kind of confused on that one. A. hentzi have the same mating season as A. moderatum and I can tell you for certain they plug their burrows starting in July. They even plug and unplug burrows off and on throughout the summer which makes their population numbers seem like they vary. From my observations, it seems the hotter it gets the more burrows are plugged.

I hope you don't take any of this as harsh criticism or anything like that. I'm very interested in the seasonal activity of Aphonopelma moderatum and wish to know more about their habitat and how similar they are in habit to their North Texas cousins. It is just that one can't make a conclusion of a tarantula population's numbers based on one field trip because of burrow plugging and unplugging through out the year. It doesn't matter how experienced a tarantula hunter is, once those burrows are plugged they can't be found at all!

 

[ErinM31]

It's possible you did go at a bad time of the year. I had to ask how many field trips it took to determine your conclusion that the areas you mentioned have been wiped out because tarantula populations do experience seasonal fluctuations as you pointed out with the dwarf species in AZ areas. Here in the Dallas area, A. hentzi also do this. During the mating season that begins at the beginning of June, adults can be found everywhere in their isolated populations then taper off later in the year to when August comes around, adults are scarce while only smaller immatures can be found. It's amazing to watch a busy thriving group of giant spiders suddenly disappear like they do. This is similar to what you described for your trip finding A. moderatum. I keep track of two specific populations of A. hentzi here in Dallas and I was only able to determine that they were stable after several years of keeping track of their numbers and visiting them at different times of the year. One month too early or late and they can't be found giving a false positive that an area doesn't harbor tarantulas.



What doesn't make sense about seasonal burrow plugging in A. moderatum? You pointed it out for the AZ dwarfs below, why wouldn't you think it happens for the species with spring/ early summer mating season? I'm kind of confused on that one. A. hentzi have the same mating season as A. moderatum and I can tell you for certain they plug their burrows starting in July. They even plug and unplug burrows off and on throughout the summer which makes their population numbers seem like they vary. From my observations, it seems the hotter it gets the more burrows are plugged.

I hope you don't take any of this as harsh criticism or anything like that. I'm very interested in the seasonal activity of Aphonopelma moderatum and wish to know more about their habitat and how similar they are in habit to their North Texas cousins. It is just that one can't make a conclusion of a tarantula population's numbers based on one field trip because of burrow plugging and unplugging through out the year. It doesn't matter how experienced a tarantula hunter is, once those burrows are plugged they can't be found at all!

Thank you for the information and this is QUITE a relief to hear!!! Since I live on the far west side of San Antonio, it isn't too far of a drive for me to make the trip a few times next spring/early summer and I can let you all know what I find. Granted, I'm not an experienced T hunter but that means that if I can find them, they probably really are doing well indeed!

 

[Austin S.]

It's possible you did go at a bad time of the year. I had to ask how many field trips it took to determine your conclusion that the areas you mentioned have been wiped out because tarantula populations do experience seasonal fluctuations as you pointed out with the dwarf species in AZ areas. Here in the Dallas area, A. hentzi also do this. During the mating season that begins at the beginning of June, adults can be found everywhere in their isolated populations then taper off later in the year to when August comes around, adults are scarce while only smaller immatures can be found. It's amazing to watch a busy thriving group of giant spiders suddenly disappear like they do. This is similar to what you described for your trip finding A. moderatum. I keep track of two specific populations of A. hentzi here in Dallas and I was only able to determine that they were stable after several years of keeping track of their numbers and visiting them at different times of the year. One month too early or late and they can't be found giving a false positive that an area doesn't harbor tarantulas.



What doesn't make sense about seasonal burrow plugging in A. moderatum? You pointed it out for the AZ dwarfs below, why wouldn't you think it happens for the species with spring/ early summer mating season? I'm kind of confused on that one. A. hentzi have the same mating season as A. moderatum and I can tell you for certain they plug their burrows starting in July. They even plug and unplug burrows off and on throughout the summer which makes their population numbers seem like they vary. From my observations, it seems the hotter it gets the more burrows are plugged.

I hope you don't take any of this as harsh criticism or anything like that. I'm very interested in the seasonal activity of Aphonopelma moderatum and wish to know more about their habitat and how similar they are in habit to their North Texas cousins. It is just that one can't make a conclusion of a tarantula population's numbers based on one field trip because of burrow plugging and unplugging through out the year. It doesn't matter how experienced a tarantula hunter is, once those burrows are plugged they can't be found at all!

That is some great news I was looking for.

I myself have three large groups of A. hentzi that I monitor every year, at three different locations. Here in Bartlesville, burrows are open from May-Early October, for each adult hentzi in those groups. I based my moderatum observation on just that. I figured since they are not too far South from here (I know they are a few hundred miles away), I just took it upon myself that the seasons were the same, based on the groups I observe here.

Thank you so much for the very detailed post. It clears up quite a bit for me!
Much appreciated!

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

That is some great news I was looking for.

I myself have three large groups of A. hentzi that I monitor every year, at three different locations. Here in Bartlesville, burrows are open from May-Early October, for each adult hentzi in those groups. I based my moderatum observation on just that. I figured since they are not too far South from here (I know they are a few hundred miles away), I just took it upon myself that the seasons were the same, based on the groups I observe here.

Thank you so much for the very detailed post. It clears up quite a bit for me!
Much appreciated!

See, now that is very interesting to learn about your observations with A. hentzi in Oklahoma. I really enjoy comparing field observations with others to get a better overall view of the yearly habits of different tarantulas in different areas whether they are the same species or not.

I was trying to be very careful in how I composed my response to your statement about A. moderatum being wiped out in the locales you looked in because they may very well have been over collected from those areas. Then again it could be a situation of right place, but wrong time. I've never been to South Texas myself to look for A. moderatum or A. anax so I wouldn't know for sure. I hope you and your team get back down there and search the same areas some more. Also worth mentioning... when it comes to finding populations, always go by what the local residents tell you. They know better than anyone and it's by asking local residents about tarantulas in their neighborhoods that I've been able to find them.

 

[viper69]

@Gods Spartan I personally like to give my Ts of that size a bit more room to walk around. You could go deeper, but I suspect it will be fine.

A 55 gallon trash can is only about 4 feet tall

I hear they are quite fashionable in black, set against the couch arm in the living room serving as both end table and T home.

 

[ScarySpiderM]

Where is a good area that I can go look? I'm in okc

I have to agree. Here in Oklahoma, you can find A. hentzi almost everywhere you look out in the field. Literally theres an adult burrow every 3 ft.

Down there, absolutely no adults anywhere to be found. Four days and an avg. of 31 miles of walking each day, and no adults. Mostly 3/4"-1.5" moderatum. Within 300 yards, you may find one. Very, very sad.