Gorgyrella sp. - black pictures and observation

[Ambly]

Hello All,
Attached are a couple pictures of my newly acquired Gorgyrella sp. black trapdoor spider. After a while of interest and research, I picked em up from a local show. Sold in a small vial, I rehomed the spider and it is almost 3 days rehomed. It has not yet tunneled, and until today has remained barely active. This morning I found it wandering about it's enclosure and hope to find it burrowed into the 10' of substrate it has available. Until then, the spider is being left entirely alone. Here I'll post pics, videos, and observations in my experience with trapdoor spiders and, with hope, some pictures and videos from trapdoors and purse-webs in the wild this coming spring. I encourage you all to post your own observations and experiences.


Hope you enjoy.

 

[Shrike]

Great looking spider! Keep us posted.

 

[spiderengineer]

I find with most trapdoor and burrowing spider a way to help speed up the digging process and getting a faster adjustment period is to make premade burrows. of course some will just take for ever, but most usually will take to it. all my black took to their premade burrow that very night I introduce them to their new home.

 

[KingBaboon85]

I once had I Red trapdoor never accepted any burrow I made wouldn't ever attempt to make one then it died 2 weeks later


But it did make What look like a sperm web .. But why did it die so fast?
I have other type of trapdoors and there fine so I'm confused lol

Cheers Angelo

 

[spiderengineer]

I once had I Red trapdoor never accepted any burrow I made wouldn't ever attempt to make one then it died 2 weeks later


But it did make What look like a sperm web .. But why did it die so fast?
I have other type of trapdoors and there fine so I'm confused lol

Cheers Angelo

was it a MM when you purchase it.

 

[Ciphor]

I once had I Red trapdoor never accepted any burrow I made wouldn't ever attempt to make one then it died 2 weeks later


But it did make What look like a sperm web .. But why did it die so fast?
I have other type of trapdoors and there fine so I'm confused lol

Cheers Angelo

Males do not make new homes. If its a mature male OBT, it wont make a new web, MM funnel-web, wont make funnel-web. And in your case, MM trapdoor, wont make a burrow.

They have one goal and one goal alone; Finding a female.

Mature male mygalids often do not even eat, which means this guy likely had not eaten in awhile, and died of a lack of nutrients.

Kinda messed up if someone sold you the aged mature male without making you aware of its short lifespan and lack of burrowing. Honestly mature males in Idiopinae should live around 2-6 months depending on how much extra food was in their belly before they molted into maturity IIRC.

 

[KingBaboon85]

Thanks Ciphor

I dont think the wholesaler I know to much about trapdoors but he send me another one huge and fat and now there verification is a female

She just settled in the hole I made her and put some leaflitter to aid in construting a lid for the trap

Cheers Angelo

 

[Ambly]

So far, the spider has not burrowed but does seem more active. Yesterday afternoon I removed the spider and created an artificial burrow I hope it will take to. I am a bit concerned. Possibly it does not like the substrate: loose coconut (very fine) mixed with a slight bit of sand and a handful of pulverized, dried live oak leaves. The substrate is far from moist, but not lacking water all together.

 

[spiderengineer]

some times trapdoor just take forever to burrow nothing you can about it. If you are worried you might want to try peat moss instead of coconut coir. I mainly use peat moss I like how it holds compared to the other substrates around. another option you can try is to put it in a dark place so very little light is available and just leave them in their for a day or two. I have done that to two of my trapdoors because, the were being stubborn and that seem to make them start burrowing.

 

[Ciphor]

So far, the spider has not burrowed but does seem more active. Yesterday afternoon I removed the spider and created an artificial burrow I hope it will take to. I am a bit concerned. Possibly it does not like the substrate: loose coconut (very fine) mixed with a slight bit of sand and a handful of pulverized, dried live oak leaves. The substrate is far from moist, but not lacking water all together.

Sometimes they can take over a month to re-burrow/take a pre-dug burrow.

 

[Ambly]

thanks guys - yeah I've heard it can take a while, that's why I am trying to leave it alone as much as possible. Trying to make a burrow was all I was willing to do. If it doesn't burrow in a few weeks, I'll rehome for substrate reasons. I have tried putting it in a dark room for a few days, little help. I'll keep you all updated

 

[Ciphor]

thanks guys - yeah I've heard it can take a while, that's why I am trying to leave it alone as much as possible. Trying to make a burrow was all I was willing to do. If it doesn't burrow in a few weeks, I'll rehome for substrate reasons. I have tried putting it in a dark room for a few days, little help. I'll keep you all updated

Put it in a closet for a week. Trust me, 7 days can make a world of difference.

Coco or peat, doesn't mater which, should be semi-moist, not damp or dry. How hard it is packed makes no difference. Depth is important, it should have at least 6 inches of depth.

If it has 6 inches, if substrate is semi-moist, just do the 7 days undisturbed thing. If no response, probably give it another 7 days. They can go months & months without food.

 

[catfishrod69]

You know i never thought of telling you this earlier. But you could force the spider into the premade hole. Then sit a empty waterdish or something similar that it cant lift up, over top the hole. Then just leave it there for a few days. Maybe then it will take to it, and within those few days will have webbed up the tunnel a little. Good luck.

 

[spiderengineer]

You know i never thought of telling you this earlier. But you could force the spider into the premade hole. Then sit a empty waterdish or something similar that it cant lift up, over top the hole. Then just leave it there for a few days. Maybe then it will take to it, and within those few days will have webbed up the tunnel a little. Good luck.

I would just like to chime and say I have tried this and you have to be very careful, because since this is a trapdoor they are not prawn to movement like other spiders. they have three settings. setting one the don't budge or only move a leg but not their body, setting two they freak out and run around for a few second until they think they are safe, and finally setting three threat posture. so I just want to stress if you can't get it nudge in their after a few tries. then don't continue because, you will ultimately be stressing the heck out of it.

 

[catfishrod69]

Yeah that makes sense. Although sometimes a little stress is better than to let them lose the will to thrive. But like you said trapdoors are wierd creatures.

I would just like to chime and say I have tried this and you have to be very careful, because since this is a trapdoor they are not prawn to movement like other spiders. they have three settings. setting one the don't budge or only move a leg but not their body, setting two they freak out and run around for a few second until they think they are safe, and finally setting three threat posture. so I just want to stress if you can't get it nudge in their after a few tries. then don't continue because, you will ultimately be stressing the heck out of it.

 

[The Snark]

Sure seems like potential spider buyers should be schooled a little. Ask the dealer for a warranty against the purchase being a MM. A dealer that isn't just out to make quick bucks should try to accommodate the buyer.

 

[spiderengineer]

Sure seems like potential spider buyers should be schooled a little. Ask the dealer for a warranty against the purchase being a MM. A dealer that isn't just out to make quick bucks should try to accommodate the buyer.

what makes you think its a male?

 

[Ambly]

I do not think it is a mature male - someone else mentioned they experienced receiving a mature male. Though I don't know the age of the spider, it was tunneled up when I purchased it and the vendor told me it was quick to burrow. My instincts say it's just taking a while to burrow. I will leave it in the closet for a good while. My intentions here were only to post some pictures, my observations, and gain insight from those who have kept the spider before - not to panic because I didn't do my homework and my spider is likely stressed from moving from a small vial to an enclosure and taking some time to do his thing.

 

[spiderengineer]

I do not think it is a mature male - someone else mentioned they experienced receiving a mature male. Though I don't know the age of the spider, it was tunneled up when I purchased it and the vendor told me it was quick to burrow. My instincts say it's just taking a while to burrow. I will leave it in the closet for a good while. My intentions here were only to post some pictures, my observations, and gain insight from those who have kept the spider before - not to panic because I didn't do my homework and my spider is likely stressed from moving from a small vial to an enclosure and taking some time to do his thing.

their are only two possibilities right now for it. possibility one is that its a juvenile (I don't know how big they get so it could still be young). the other possibility is its not and if that is the case then its definitely female. in either case in should burrow just will take some time. also like you said it was in a pit when you got it so it had burrow before.

 

[Ambly]

Well... it was nice while it lasted. Now I have pet dirt. The spider had gone into the burrow a few times, returning to the surface to wander, and after about 2 weeks being mostly left alone in dark closet, it began creating the trap door. I was actually lucky enough to watch it applying some silk, holding leaves and eventually putting them in place. I am going to give it a bit to settle in then feed. All said in done, it took from 11/30/2012 to 12/18/2012 to get settled in, though I removed the spider to mix in sand and a bit of moisture to the substrate two weeks in. I'll post videos if any are worth while

Sean