Purse webs in captivity?

WithCerberus

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 31, 2003
Messages
259
I was wondering if anyone here keeps any Atypus or Sphodros species. Sphodros rufipes is probably the most striking Mygalomorph i have ever seen pictures of.
 

dotdman

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
323
I have two young Sphodros niger at the moment. They're only half an inch long now, but they're fairly impressive looking once they grow up a bit. Very cool spiders. I found an S. rufipes once, newly molted, but that was years ago. Not having anything to keep it in at the time, I just let it go on its way.

Regards,

Kevin P.
 

Mendi

Arachnowolf
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
1,385
Do you have a picture... You've made me at least want to see it, or a link that I can click, or are you wanting to just string us all along until we feel the need to Google it :p :eek:

I'm up most all night and by thie time, I'm looking for the easy way out of searching ;) :? {D
 

WithCerberus

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 31, 2003
Messages
259
You lucky duck :) How did you find them? Were you searching for them or accidentally came across them? I know there is a paper out now on which trees S.rufipes prefers but I haven't been able to get a hold of it yet. Do you know what trees you found your S.niger at and how far from a stream they were? How long have you had your S.nigers? Have they hade their pursewebs yet?.......

........A newly molted Sphodros rufipes, i'm so jealous.

Bobby
 

dotdman

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
323
WithCerberus said:
You lucky duck :) How did you find them? Were you searching for them or accidentally came across them? I know there is a paper out now on which trees S.rufipes prefers but I haven't been able to get a hold of it yet. Do you know what trees you found your S.niger at and how far from a stream they were? How long have you had your S.nigers? Have they hade their pursewebs yet?.......

........A newly molted Sphodros rufipes, i'm so jealous.

Bobby
My apologies on taking so long to reply. I found the two I had in the sporatic woods around my house, one in a Lat mac web (I saved it :) ) and one who had a lengthy purseweb constructed on a tree trunk nearby. I had to let both of them go soon thereafter, as they appeared to be having troubles adapting to captivity (wouldn't eat, etc.). They were both released around the same general area where I found them. We have an irrigation system, and they were living probably five feet or so from where the majority of the runoff goes when I found them. I suppose it's easier for them to live in moist areas, because digging in the local soil gets rather difficult when it's completely dried out.

And indeed, the S. rufipes was rather pretty, but not nearly as big as the fully grown S. niger I found soon thereafter ^_^. All of the ones I've seen look fairly impressive to say the least. They are fairly difficult to come by, outmatched in rarity only by a trapdoor species that apparantly lives in the area (all I've seen of it is a rather large and highly pissed off male that was wandering across my grandmother's back yard).

Kindest regards,

Kevin P.
 
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