Just thought you guys might be interested

WithCerberus

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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May 31, 2003
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259
I just did my senior seminar for school on Microhexura montivaga, a very small (.1-.15 in), very endangered diplurid spider that lives in the Smokies on isolated mountain tops. They are a really interesting species that is unfortunately very endangered due to the loss of suitable habitat. Anyways this is an ok article by a fellow who was trying to breed these spiders. I don't think he was successful based on what several people I have talked to have told me.....enjoy 8)

http://endangered.fws.gov/ESB/99/05-06/06-07.pdf
 

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Immortal_sin

Arachnotemptress
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Jul 17, 2002
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very interesting....I can't even imagine what the spiderlings look like (or if you can even see them)!
Thanks for posting the article
 

Mendi

Arachnowolf
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Jul 19, 2002
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I just mentioned this little spider over in the T forum... I'm pretty close to where they are located, but it is too much a hike for me these days, though I've topped LeConte twice many years ago. Course, I doubt I would even find them. Are you from this area, or just interested enough in them to do your paper? I've been reading about these for a couple years now, and sounds like the TN population will be wiped out, and the NC sites not too long afterwards. Thanks for sharing your article!
 

WithCerberus

Arachnoknight
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May 31, 2003
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259
I'm from southern illinois so no i'm not to near to them. I'm just really interested in non theraphosid mygales (although i like T's too). I did my senior presentation on them because I could relate their decline back to forestry. The Mt. Leconte population is supposedly the healthiest population of them. I would love to go there and try and find this species. Speaking of which, this summer there will be a new survey in the great smokey mountains national park for new populations. Should be interesting to find out if anymore are found. As of now the 1999 discovery of the population on Mt. Roan is the newest. If you are really interested in this species you might try to help out with the survey this summer since you live in the area. That would be so much fun.

I bet the spiderlings would be about the size of those pesky mites I find in my T's tank. I can't even imagine how hard those would be to try and raise. There would really be no way to feed them.
 

Mendi

Arachnowolf
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Jul 19, 2002
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I've heard bad things about the Frazir firs several times this past year on the news in the Smokies. Mostly due to acid rain. It was over 10yrs when I last hiked up there, but there was quite a bit of damage then even. Hopefully, these little ones are making due pretty well in their newer rocky areas. You might enjoy the 6 hour hike to get up there if you ever visit this area. All I saw really when I was up ther was a black bear... But back then I didn't keep Ts or really know anything about them, let alone a tiny mini-beast living on the edge

Maybe the slings will accept prekilled items like my T slings do? I read that an eggsac might only have 10 eggs in a sac, so finding something they would eat would be very important. I wonder if anyone has ever thought of some of the feeders that are used for fish fry? Seeing as they are living in moist areas, this type of feeder might work. It's a thought anyways...

Hopefully this new survey they are going to do turns up another colony or two! 4 mountain tops just isn't too comfortable an amount of living space or numbers, no matter how tiny they are :(
 

WithCerberus

Arachnoknight
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Joined
May 31, 2003
Messages
259
I was going to go to the Smokeys over my spring break to get some pictures of healthy spruce-fir and BWA infested spruce-fir but unfortunately it didn't pan out. I really need to go to the area. You are lucky to live so close to such a great place. I would love to do a little spider photography there, although without a guide I really doubt i'd find any spruce-fir moss spiders. That is a good idea about the fish fry food for the spiderlings. I wonder if David Hodge, the fellow who tried breeding them, thought of that. It might be that the moss mats would hold enough itsy bitsy inverts that the slings would do ok. I bet all you would have to do would be keep the humidity at the right levels and maybe add new pieces of moss for fresh populations of prey. Unfortunately I think that the breeding program at louisville zoo is no longer going on. I tried to contact him for my presentation but wasnt able to get a hold of him. Other people that I contacted said they thought it was ended though. 8(
 
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