Trap-door spider - sneaky and patient hunter
Baku, April 30, AZERTAC
The trap-door spider is a truly sneaky and patient predator, which can surprise you with its unique hunting strategy.
Being a member of the spider family Ctenizidae, trap-door spiders construct burrows in the ground. At the entrance, they build a silken-hinged door.
The spider feeds by quickly opening the trap door and grabbing an insect that is passing close by.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the ctenizids, the best-known trap-door spiders, have a special row of teeth adapted for digging.
The body, 2.5 cm (one inch) or more in length, is usually dull brown in colour, with legs being relatively short.
Ctenizids are common in the southwestern United States and in tropical and subtropical regions.
Despite their effective hunting strategy, the trap-door spiders are timid and quickly retreat in the shelter, a tunnel in a form a tube, if frightened.
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