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'Tis the Season for HOLIDAY Pet Photos! Show us yours!

Posted by ECO on April 12, 2003 at 21:40:55:

In Reply to: african redtrapdoor spider? posted by abstract on April 08, 2003 at 18:22:57:

You'll find that there's not a lot of captive care info out there on these spiders, but what is out there, and what I've learned from mine can be summed up with this:
Cool spiders, defensively agressive, supposedly they have a stong, but not deadly, poison....(although I have yet to meet ANYONE who has gotten bit) These spiders are not for show. To give them the environment they need automatically makes them useless for "showing off"...unless people like to see a bare cage with a disguised trapdoor in the substrate. I've experimented with several types of substrate, and mine seems to like this mix....25% peat moss, 25% vermiculite, 35% potting soil and 15% sand. It needs to be well mixed and damp enough to hold a "finger-sized hole"...which I poke with my....well, finger! I keep mine in the 2 gallon "hex" tanks...they need depth, not surface area...so my substrate is about 9" deep. AFTER you make the substrate mix and poke a starter hole for it, wait a couple of days so the mix can dry out somewhat...they seem to like it on the dry side...then add the spider. I add some bits of dried spanish moss, tiny twigs and other debris...they use this to help camouflage their trapdoor.
Once the spider settles in-it will ususally adopt the started hole-give it a large cricket 1-2 times a week. If the cricket is still there in the morning, remove it and wait a couple of days before feeding again. Always keep a small shallow water bowl in the cage, and mist lightly 1/10 days. About 1/month, I do a "heavy" mist.
I think it a cool spider, but the only way I know it's still alive is if the crickets are gone in the morning. Don't "dig it out" to check it....reports say (again, unconfirmed) that this species is very prone to stress attacks) Hope this helps, ECO

:any info pics and captive requirments would be great.
:alex

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