Can camel spiders be fed grasshoppers?

[Villagecreep]

im not sure if this is in the right category, but I recently caught a juvenile camel spider (not sexed yet) and have absolutely LOVED taking care of it (I named it Sam so it will work for either gender). I have a lot of grass hoppers around my house about the same size (and don’t worry we don’t use pesticides and neither do are neighbors) and I was wondering if it’s okay for Sam to eat them. I really don’t want to accidentally injure it so all advice is appreciated!!

 

[chanda]

Even though you and your neighbors don't use pesticides, that does not absolutely guarantee that any grasshoppers in your yard are completely chemical-free and safe to feed off - particularly if they are mature grasshoppers and capable of flying. They can cover a fair bit of distance when they want to, so you might be getting grasshoppers that were eating pesticide-laced plants a block away or more. There are also a number of products (including some systemic fertilizers) that contain insecticides, that you might not think of as "pesticides" because they are not applied solely to control bugs - and recently-acquired plants are frequently treated with pesticides by the growers or nursery, to keep them "pretty" for the consumer. If they contain systemic pesticides, those can remain effective for quite a long time after purchasing the plant. There is always the risk that the grasshopper might have consumed a sub-lethal dose of some sort of chemical or other, which it could then pass on to whatever you feed it to. Even a sub-lethal dose can be harmful to your pet, particularly if it is more susceptible to the chemicals in question - or through accumulation of toxins from multiple feeders over time. In addition to pesticides, there is also the risk that any wild-caught feeders might host parasites or might be sick, either of which might not be immediately evident when you catch it.

Besides the issue of whether the wild-caught grasshoppers might be toxic or infested/infected, there is also the question of size. Grasshoppers can get quite a bit larger than our domestic solifugids. Even if you are able to find grasshoppers about the same size as your new pet, there is considerable risk that they might injure or even kill your pet while struggling to avoid being eaten. Solifugids are not venomous and do not produce silk, so they must rely on brute force to subdue their prey - which can be difficult with a prey item that is close to your own size, particularly a prey item that may be kicking and biting vigorously. Whenever I have solifugids (usually catch-and-release so I can show them to my students, then return them to their native habitat after a few days or weeks) I try to offer feeders (crickets or cockroach nymphs) that are less than half the size of the solifugid in question.

Solifugids are difficult to keep alive in captivity for any length of time. Good luck!

 

[bulbophyllum]

Sure. I do it all the time with my tarantulas and have for many years. Just be careful where you collect.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I would not feed any Wild caught feeders to a T purchased or wild caught however feeding it to another wild caught specimen from the same area there should not be any issues as these would be the normal feeders for the solifugids In the area and most likely have built up a tolerance

 

[schmiggle]

Besides the question of wild caught feeders, which I think @chanda laid out quite nicely, according to what I've read a solifugid will happily go for insects larger than it can really comfortably take on. So be careful about that. I've had animals get injured before trying to feed them prey that was really too big for them, but which they attacked anyway.

 

[chanda]

I would not feed any Wild caught feeders to a T purchased or wild caught however feeding it to another wild caught specimen from the same area there should not be any issues as these would be the normal feeders for the solifugids In the area and most likely have built up a tolerance

So you are suggesting that the native species in my area will have built up a tolerance for any pesticides that people may have introduced, and will not be harmed be them? Sorry, but that sounds pretty ridiculous to me.

It is far more likely that you've just been lucky - so far - in the game of pesticide roulette. Obviously you would not select dead, dying, or visibly sick/disoriented feeders, which eliminates those that have been exposed to fast-acting pesticides or large doses - but slower acting pesticides or low (sub-lethal) doses will not be immediately obvious. The cricket or roach or grasshopper or whatever may appear perfectly fine - but still deliver a small dose of toxins to your pet. Over time, these toxins can accumulate, eventually harming your pet. Also, some creature - like cockroaches - may have greater tolerance for pesticides than do the creatures to which you might feed them. What constitutes a sub-lethal dose of pesticides to a roach might be fatal to another arthropod.

Of course, not all bugs in a given area will have consumed or otherwise been exposed to pesticides, but I wouldn't want to risk my pets' lives on it. Better to just buy feeders that I know are free of pesticides and parasites than gamble on the wild ones being safe.

 

[Villagecreep]

Even though you and your neighbors don't use pesticides, that does not absolutely guarantee that any grasshoppers in your yard are completely chemical-free and safe to feed off - particularly if they are mature grasshoppers and capable of flying. They can cover a fair bit of distance when they want to, so you might be getting grasshoppers that were eating pesticide-laced plants a block away or more. There are also a number of products (including some systemic fertilizers) that contain insecticides, that you might not think of as "pesticides" because they are not applied solely to control bugs - and recently-acquired plants are frequently treated with pesticides by the growers or nursery, to keep them "pretty" for the consumer. If they contain systemic pesticides, those can remain effective for quite a long time after purchasing the plant. There is always the risk that the grasshopper might have consumed a sub-lethal dose of some sort of chemical or other, which it could then pass on to whatever you feed it to. Even a sub-lethal dose can be harmful to your pet, particularly if it is more susceptible to the chemicals in question - or through accumulation of toxins from multiple feeders over time. In addition to pesticides, there is also the risk that any wild-caught feeders might host parasites or might be sick, either of which might not be immediately evident when you catch it.

Besides the issue of whether the wild-caught grasshoppers might be toxic or infested/infected, there is also the question of size. Grasshoppers can get quite a bit larger than our domestic solifugids. Even if you are able to find grasshoppers about the same size as your new pet, there is considerable risk that they might injure or even kill your pet while struggling to avoid being eaten. Solifugids are not venomous and do not produce silk, so they must rely on brute force to subdue their prey - which can be difficult with a prey item that is close to your own size, particularly a prey item that may be kicking and biting vigorously. Whenever I have solifugids (usually catch-and-release so I can show them to my students, then return them to their native habitat after a few days or weeks) I try to offer feeders (crickets or cockroach nymphs) that are less than half the size of the solifugid in question.

Solifugids are difficult to keep alive in captivity for any length of time. Good luck!

Thank you!! This helps a ton!!