Trap Doors

KyuZo

Arachnoprince
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same species?

very nice pictures. sharp!
are red and black trap doors the same species? just different color morphs?
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Rocking Traps! Here's one I found in my house crawling across the kitchen floor here in c tx. I still don't know the ID. It might be what is called a
"folding door spider". If anyone knows from the pic, please let me know. Nice spider pics.

 

common spider

Arachnobaron
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Mar 10, 2005
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You found that in your house????:drool:


Lucky you now why can't that happen to me????
 

Selenops

Arachnoangel
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Great pic of a rearing up Red Trap Door. Thanks for sharing them with us.

The other day, I was checking out plastic dried spaghetti/pasta storage containers and immediately thought about these awesome spiders.
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Do those Red doors come from Australia? If I remember correctly, someone was advertising that they were from Australia:?
 

RVS

Arachnobaron
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Philth, the second picture looks like what I've seen sold as "shiny gray tunneling spider" (Family: Barychelidae).
 

Gigas

Arachnoprince
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Philth, the second picture looks like what I've seen sold as "shiny gray tunneling spider" (Family: Barychelidae).
do you mean 3rd spider? A person i know in Sweden believes them to be Cyphonisia sp.
 

buthus

Arachnoprince
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Traps are another specie I have always wanted to get into. I like spiders that you occasionally see.

How many species are available to the hobby?

I see the black and reds along with some posts showing lesser sought out "local" species, but thats about it. There was a moment where those strange looking "rubber stamp" for an abdomin specie was available. Totally otherworldly.
 

Selenops

Arachnoangel
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True spiders are one of my favorite invertebrate subjects. Up til now I've only had a peripheral interest in Trap Doors though I always thought they were amongst the coolest spiders around. They're fascinating, admirable, and can be quite long lived.

Question, Red Trap Door Spiders. The three most common species that has been offered in the hobby are Stasimopus (from Ctenizidae) and Idiops and Gorgyrella (from Idiopidae). And these three offerings appear very similar. Are there any obvious visual differences or aides in IDing?

Apologies, I haven't exactly become an info dump on these species of Mygalomorphaes but am currently pursuing more knowledge every day.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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this spider was sold to me as a black trap door. i got it as a large juvenile and it has molted at least twice for me. iirc, when i got it, it was not as leggy


zoom

i think it is some kind of tunnelling spider, but i haven't done any research on it at all. the thing looks like the devil when it moves around in its burrow system
 

Selenops

Arachnoangel
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Beautiful pics guys. I am ready to take the plunge.

*insert cool smilie here*
 

luna

Arachnoknight
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I bought one that look almost identical to Philth's first one at the White Plains show last weekend. It was just labeled Red Trap Door ... no scientific name. Gave it a new home and took some pictures last night. If I get I chance, maybe I'll post them. It eagerly ate as soon as I stopped taking those pictures. Love that spider already!
 

roo

Arachnopeon
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Dec 11, 2006
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Well I am thoroughly stoked with the African red TD I got a few weeks ago. The only thing that bothers me about it is its nasty habit of squirting its poo through the screen top of the enclosure and onto the wall. I actually had to put up some plastic (on the wall) to prevent it from staining the wall. Judging by the splatter marks, there is quite a bit of force behind that turd.

Some other observations …

It built its hole in the shallow end of the enclosure – only 4” deep on that end - but I did one day peek inside and saw that the hole runs off horizontally a bit. Most of the time if you disturb it, it pulls the trap door down tight and if you try and force the door open, it pulls the lid down harder.

One thing interesting about the location of the hole is that it’s in one corners of the 2.5G tank and the lid opens with the hinge on the side facing the middle of the tank. In other words, when the door opens, the spider is facing the corner of the tank. Actually a good call on the spider’s part. When feeders get put into the tank, they initially look for a way out and follow the walls of the tank – eventually stumbling across the trap door. I throw a dozen .25” crix in each week and they are usually all gone 2-4 days later.

I did one night feed it a king worm so I could watch the kill and it actually came almost completely out of the hole to get it – the whole process was super fast.

It definitely has a “hunt mode” where it has the door open a pinch – enough to see its red legs.

I read a couple posts where people said to start the whole up against the glass and cover the glass with paper so you can see the hole/tunnel. Really pointless to try since it will cover the glass with web and debris – it basically doesn’t care about the glass and covers it up regardless. As mentioned, the hole for mine is in a corner, up against the glass and I can’t see anything.

Definitely a fun critter.

-roo
 
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