Red trapdoor spider (Latin name: Stasimopus robertsi), also known as the African trapdoor spider or red trapdoor spider, is distributed in southern Africa. It is a spider with unique habits. They can build nests underground up to one meter deep and construct a movable door cover with soil and silk threads at the entrance. They also set up several silk threads as sensors near the entrance. The red trapdoor spider waits under the door cover and when prey passes by and triggers the sensor threads, it quickly pounces out of the entrance to drag the prey into the nest with precision. After eating, it discards the remains around the nest. This spider has a fierce temperament and will assume an attack posture at any movement. It will not hesitate to launch an attack if threatened. In general, red trapdoor spiders are not suitable for beginners to handle.
The red trapdoor spider is a very strong spider with legs that can reach about 5-7 centimeters when extended. It has specially adapted legs for digging soil. Its body color is orange or rust red, smooth throughout with a few stiff hairs. The proportion of its venomous fangs is long, but the toxicity is unknown.
The red trapdoor spiders currently introduced are all wild individuals, so it is not easy to keep them for a long time. Their nests require very deep soil. It is recommended to use at least 15 centimeters to 30 centimeters deep of ZooMed sterile substrate or coconut fiber soil as the substrate in artificial environments. A water dish is essential. In terms of temperature, it is recommended to maintain it at 25-30 degrees Celsius and keep the humidity relatively high, preferably around 70%-80%. This species is nervous and spiders in the Theraphosidae family are known to have strong venom. Therefore, special attention should be paid to their management. If possible, it is best to move their entire nest, which they have already constructed, to a new container when changing the environment. If well cared for, the red trapdoor spider can live for 15 years or more.
Red trapdoor spider (Latin name: Stasimopus robertsi), also known as the African trapdoor spider or red trapdoor spider, is a spider species with unique habits. They are able to build nests underground up to one meter deep. They are primarily distributed in southern Africa. This spider is very strong, with legs that can reach approximately 5-7 cm in length. Their legs have special structures to facilitate digging. They have an orange or rusty red body color, smooth texture with a few bristles, and long venomous fangs, although the toxicity is unknown.
Spider enthusiasts who enjoy keeping climbing and bird-catching spiders suggest raising the red trapdoor spider. This spider has a fierce temperament and will assume an attacking posture at the slightest movement. If it encounters a threat, it will not hesitate to launch an attack. Basically, the red trapdoor spider is not a species suitable for beginners to handle.
1. Emaciation Disease
When you find that the spider's body becomes dull and the epidermis begins to dry and turn yellow, it is likely that emaciation disease has occurred. This condition is generally caused by the spider not eating well, resulting in malnutrition.
2. Enteritis
Conversely, this is caused by overeating. Constantly feeding the spider or feeding it with food at a low temperature can cause bloating and abdominal pain, eventually leading to enteritis.
3. Hemiplegia
Spiders do not require a high environmental temperature, but when the temperature is too high, especially in summer, with high temperatures and humidity, if the spider's cage is far from the ventilation opening, the spider may experience heatstroke-like symptoms and its legs may become paralyzed, resulting in hemiplegia.
4. Constipation
The most common cause of constipation is lack of water. In addition to eating, spiders also need to drink water. If the owner only feeds the spider but does not provide water, the spider's body will not receive the necessary water from the food.
5. Black Decay Disease
Not eating or moving, decreased vitality, and the appearance of black ulcerative lesions on the abdomen are signs of black decay disease in spiders. The cause of this condition is eating stale or contaminated food. Spiders can contract black decay disease if they consume food contaminated with bacteria, which can lead to death in severe cases.
6. Mold Disease
Especially in the south, spiders in hot and humid weather are prone to bacterial invasion on their bodies. As a result, the spider's joints become stiffer and its body becomes increasingly damp. Bacteria thrive and reproduce in this type of environment, causing mold spots to appear on the spider's body.
7. Parasites
Parasites are perhaps the most disgusting disease for spiders. If it is a small insect, it is not too bad, but those aggressive parasites crawling on the spider's body are extremely nauseating. This not only affects the spider's rest, but may also carry other viruses, causing multiple infections and threatening the spider's life.
Currently, all the red trapdoor spiders introduced to Taiwan are wild individuals, so it is not easy to raise this species for a long time. The main challenge is that they require very deep soil for nest construction. In artificial environments, it is recommended to have at least 15 centimeters (cm) to 30 centimeters (cm) of depth, using ZooMed sterile substrate or coconut fiber soil. A water dish is essential. In terms of temperature, it is recommended to maintain it at 25-30 degrees Celsius, with higher humidity around 70-80%. This species is nervous and the venom of the Mygalomorphae spiders is quite potent, so special attention should be paid to their management. If possible, it is best to move their established burrows entirely to a new container when changing the environment. With proper care, the red trapdoor spider can live for 15 years or more.
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