Trap Door

Tzatch

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 6, 2003
Messages
87
I got a trap door about 2 weeks ago. I gave him a nice mix of top soil and peat moss about 7 inches deep, not packed too tight. I started a hole for him on the side of the container. He still has not dug a hole. He is nutz too. I moved his cage to get a closer look at him and he went CRAZY! he grabbed a little sponge in his cage turned over on his back and started biting it NON-STOP it really freaked me out he wouldnt stop biting it and thrashing the sponge!!! it was seriously insane, I've never seen such an act of aggression (And I have 7 pede's). Maybe I should take the dampened spounge out of his cage, I dont think he likes it much. He just sits on top of the substrate looking angry, I did put 3 crickets in the cage that were gone the next day. Any idea's would be appreciated.
 

phoenixxavierre

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
1,293
Hi Randy,

She sounds like a pistol! ;)

I've kept some of the gray species that have behaved like this, and the black trapdoors and red trapdoors act this way as well! I keep these in 1 gallon rubbermaid containers that are about 12" tall and 6" wide, perhaps, filled with substrate (peat moss/potting soil mix). Some I keep dryer, some I keep damp. Some I keep with more potting soil, some with more peat. They've gone through various periods of hiding and coming out. Nearly all of them burrowed within the first couple days to as late as a couple of weeks after being introduced into their new containers. They do have good appetites.

For moisture, I mist the substrate with a plant sprayer and/or a pop bottle lid set into the substrate and filled with water for a water dish.

If your specimen was collected in Tanzania, here's some weather info for you: humidities are ranging from 45% to 95% (daytime/nighttime) and temps are ranging from 67F to 89F (nighttime/daytime).

It's currently one of the driest months (1.1" of rain in September on average) in Tanzania with the rainy period picking up with 2.6" of rain in October and 5.2" of rain in November, 4.6" in December and then it mellows down through January and February at 2 and 3 inches of rain. It picks up again in March through May with 5 to nearly 7" of rain, and then dries up until October again. It still gets pretty humid at night but at this time of year no condensation is forming on the ground, and the next 10 days are mostly clear and partly cloudy.

Hope this helps or is of some interest to you.

Peace,

Paul
 

Tzatch

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 6, 2003
Messages
87
Thanks Paul

The info did help a lot, I'll try out some of your techniques. I knew you would probably chime in, maybe the info will help some others also.
 
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