Questions About Keeing Trapdoors

[RezonantVoid]

Hey guys, I'm from Australia and just saved 6 female M.Rapax trapdoor spiders from a jobsite. They have adjusted well to plastic containers with coco peat, but i have a few questions nonetheless about keeping them (and any trapdoor species really) since i haven't kept any before:

1. The containers arent very big. Should i transfer them to setups where they can borrow deeper?

2. How often should i feed? I've been doing it practically every time i see their hole unsealed (my species dont actually make a trapdoor), but is that a good amount to do it?

3. Should the substrate be changed regularly? I read they like to stash the remains of food at the bottom of the burrow and i dont want any mold outbreaks.

Any help would be great, here is a pic

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

For the trapdoor I had. It was in what’s called a amac box around 4x4 and maybe 8” deep. I had it almost full of substrate. With a starter burrow to help the spider. I think I fed too often. A good meal every 2 weeks I think is fine unless they’re juvenile Spiders.

As for being worried about mold I’d just feed the spider what you are certain it will finish.

Also wouldn’t the spider leave the burrow in search of another suitable place if something was wrong with its home? Idk maybe spiders aren’t as smart as I think they are.
Mine was around 1.5” maybe 2 and it’s burrow was around 5-6” deep.
Hope I helped in some way.

 

[RezonantVoid]

For the trapdoor I had. It was in what’s called a amac box around 4x4 and maybe 8” deep. I had it almost full of substrate. With a starter burrow to help the spider. I think I fed too often. A good meal every 2 weeks I think is fine unless they’re juvenile Spiders.

As for being worried about mold I’d just feed the spider what you are certain it will finish.

Also wouldn’t the spider leave the burrow in search of another suitable place if something was wrong with its home? Idk maybe spiders aren’t as smart as I think they are.
Mine was around 1.5” maybe 2 and it’s burrow was around 5-6” deep.
Hope I helped in some way.

Thx for the info, ill keep an eye out in case they do that, seems like so far im doing the right thing.

 

[Wild Wonambi]

Hey guys, I'm from Australia and just saved 6 female M.Rapax trapdoor spiders from a jobsite. They have adjusted well to plastic containers with coco peat, but i have a few questions nonetheless about keeping them (and any trapdoor species really) since i haven't kept any before:

1. The containers arent very big. Should i transfer them to setups where they can borrow deeper?

2. How often should i feed? I've been doing it practically every time i see their hole unsealed (my species dont actually make a trapdoor), but is that a good amount to do it?

3. Should the substrate be changed regularly? I read they like to stash the remains of food at the bottom of the burrow and i dont want any mold outbreaks.

Any help would be great, here is a pic

How did you catch them? What is the easiest way?

 

[RezonantVoid]

How did you catch them? What is the easiest way?

For my method you will need 3 things: a piece of fork grass or 'Y' shaped grass, something like sharp pencil with the lead snapped off, and patience.

When youve found some holes approach them with soft footsteps. Tear off one of the forks in the grass and gently poke the rest of it about 3-5cm down the hole. Usually after about 20 seconds of gentle poking they rush up and try to grab the grass. If you can lure them close enough to the entrance or out of the hole, quickly push the pencil through the ground and block off the hole. Then you just get something like a small stick to scoop them into a catch cup. This method works noticeably better with smaller holes. Hope i was able to help!

 

[cold blood]

Should the substrate be changed regularly

Sub does not go bad.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Sub does not go bad.

Good to know, thx

 

[RezonantVoid]

For the trapdoor I had. It was in what’s called a amac box around 4x4 and maybe 8” deep. I had it almost full of substrate. With a starter burrow to help the spider. I think I fed too often. A good meal every 2 weeks I think is fine unless they’re juvenile Spiders.

As for being worried about mold I’d just feed the spider what you are certain it will finish.

Also wouldn’t the spider leave the burrow in search of another suitable place if something was wrong with its home? Idk maybe spiders aren’t as smart as I think they are.
Mine was around 1.5” maybe 2 and it’s burrow was around 5-6” deep.
Hope I helped in some way.

Hey, one of my traps decided to lay an eggsack. In really excited because it means I can get some males from it, but have no idea what I should do once they hatch. Do you have any experience with Trapdoors and their eggs?

 

[Mini8leggedfreak]

Wow that’s awesome but no I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with any eggsacks.

Now you’ve got me interested in how trapdoors take care of there young.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Now you’ve got me interested in how trapdoors take care of there young.

No worries, looks like I'll be doing it solo I do have an experimental plan for housing them after they hatch, gonna put their container inside another larger one with the substrate level with the top of theirs. This species has a very low dispersion rate so they often make a whole right next to their mothers one. Hopefully I'll end up with a colony of them similar to how i found them in the wild. If it works out anyway. Time will tell. Hopefully I can get a pic with the slings on her back as well

Wow that’s awesome but no I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with any eggsacks.

Now you’ve got me interested in how trapdoors take care of there young.

Hi, not sure if it still interested but the slings finally crawled out of the sack today. With regards to how she cared for them, she was extremely defensive to anything that came even close to the burrow entrance (even though it was sealed), and would pull the tunnel closed with her fangs if i tried poking it with tweezers. Several times I caught her tapping the eggsack with her feet, but I'm not sure what purpose this served. Anyway, interesting stuff

She also has not eaten since laying the eggs