I remember reading about trapdoor spiders when I was in school, but I had never seen a real trapdoor spider's home until this year on our Trinidad Trip. During a trek we made through a rainforest, our guide stopped along the trail to point out this fascinating creation. He took his jackknife from his pocket and gently flipped opened the "lid" of this spider hole. The spider fashions its trap and sits beneath its hinged door, sensitive to movement above (made by its prey) and ready to pop open the door and lunge out to grab a meal. Our guide said we wouldn't meet the spider who lived here because it was resting that time of day, which was just fine with me, thank you very much. Still, I was highly intrigued by the features of its dwelling.
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