# Amblypygid (Damon spp.) Questions



## MrCrackerpants (Mar 7, 2012)

I have read all of the threads on amblypygids (Damon spp.) and I am getting conflicting information. 

1. Can multiple adult amblypygids (Damon spp.) be kept together without being cannibalized during a molt?

2. Do you keep a water dish with the amblypygids (Damon spp.) or just mist and let them drink the drops? 

3. How do the babies feed? Does the mother shred prey items for the babies or do the babies hunt? Do the babies only begin to eat after leaving the mother? 

4. Can babies to fed fresh killed roaches or small living roaches?

THANKS!!!


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## Michiel (Mar 8, 2012)

MrCrackerpants said:


> I have read all of the threads on amblypygids (Damon spp.) and I am getting conflicting information.
> 
> 1. Can multiple adult amblypygids (Damon spp.) be kept together without being cannibalized during a molt?
> 
> ...


Hi, 

1. No, not 100 garanteed
2. I do both with my D.annulatipes, but I keep them not too humid and hot yet..
3. On their own, I never read about or heard YET, of mothers capturing prey for young. Maybe Michael can explain more.
4. Very small ones..I feed pinhead crix...

Cheers, 
Michiel

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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 8, 2012)

Michiel said:


> Hi,
> 
> 1. No, not 100 garanteed
> 2. I do both with my D.annulatipes, but I keep them not too humid and hot yet..
> ...


THANKS!!! so much for this info. 

So would you recommend a water dish? Have you seen them drink from it? 

Do you keep a single amblypygid in one cage and then introduce a male and female when you want babies? If not, what is the living arrangement of your amblypygids? THANKS!!


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## zonbonzovi (Mar 8, 2012)

Waterdish- some do, some don't.  I use one because my bug room gets quite dry and it's a nice backup just in case I don't get in for a few days to check the substrate moisture.  I've never seen mine drink from the dish but have seen them hang around wood/rock that is in proximity to wet substrate often.  

Like Michiel said, there's no guarantee.  However, I've never had an issue with adult pairs living together though I have had an older female kill a younger one.  Obviously, a fair supply of food at all times will reduce the chances of cannibalization.


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## Banshee05 (Mar 9, 2012)

MrCrackerpants said:


> 3. How do the babies feed? Does the mother shred prey items for the babies or do the babies hunt? Do the babies only begin to eat after leaving the mother?


they can hunt alone after the first molt. BUT their are some mother-offspring interaction known from D.diadema... this could be called "semi social" or so... read the following papers (free avaible in the net):
WALSH, R. E. & L. S. RAYOR. 2008. Kin discrimination in the amblypygid, Damon diadema. Journal of Arachnology, 36: 336-343.
RAYOR, L. S. & L. A. TAYLOR. 2006. Social behavior in amblypygids, and a reassessment of arachnid social patterns. Journal of Arachnology, 34: 399-421.
RAYOR, L. S. 2002. Family Ties: Unexpected social behavior in an improbable arachnid, the whip spiders. Hatural History Magazine, 116: 38-44.


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## MrCrackerpants (Mar 9, 2012)

Banshee05 said:


> they can hunt alone after the first molt. BUT their are some mother-offspring interaction known from D.diadema... this could be called "semi social" or so... read the following papers (free avaible in the net):
> WALSH, R. E. & L. S. RAYOR. 2008. Kin discrimination in the amblypygid, Damon diadema. Journal of Arachnology, 36: 336-343.
> RAYOR, L. S. & L. A. TAYLOR. 2006. Social behavior in amblypygids, and a reassessment of arachnid social patterns. Journal of Arachnology, 34: 399-421.
> RAYOR, L. S. 2002. Family Ties: Unexpected social behavior in an improbable arachnid, the whip spiders. Hatural History Magazine, 116: 38-44.


Thanks. Thanks.  
Thanks. Thanks.


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 2, 2012)

My female Damon spp. now has the babies on her abdomen. She was in an enclosure with another adult female and the father. I removed the other adult female and the father from the enclosure so it is just her and the babies. Is this correct? Will the babies remain on her abdomen until their first molt and then begin to venture off of her? Do I need to feed them before their first molt? Will the babies (after their first molt) eat fresh killed crickets or roaches if I do not have pinhead crickets? How often do you feed? THANKS!!!


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 3, 2012)

Anybody got any info on the post "My female Damon spp. now has the babies on her abdomen. She was in an enclosure with another adult female and the father. I removed the other adult female and the father from the enclosure so it is just her and the babies. Is this correct? Will the babies remain on her abdomen until their first molt and then begin to venture off of her? Do I need to feed them before their first molt? Will the babies (after their first molt) eat fresh killed crickets or roaches if I do not have pinhead crickets? How often do you feed? THANKS!!!"


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## J Morningstar (Apr 3, 2012)

I can say that mine I kept together till "adult" size then separated them. It's been about a year and I put my remaining three back together in a LARGE communal tank. I have witnessed three mating attempts, all with spermataphores left behind. I do use a waterbowl and, yes they will drink from it. If you do wet the sides of the tank they will drink this too. I have been trying for young for almost two years now, one had an infertile sack and ate it (I'll assume) I have read (especially in the cool social behavior article) but as well from others, feed the mother and she will have bits for them and the Flightless fruit flies work good for early meals, I fed mine these for months till they were big enough for tiny tiny crickets.. They will remail communal (mostly) till getting to semi adult size with little cannibalism.
This is my experience anyway.

Reactions: Like 1


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 3, 2012)

J Morningstar said:


> I can say that mine I kept together till "adult" size then separated them. It's been about a year and I put my remaining three back together in a LARGE communal tank. I have witnessed three mating attempts, all with spermataphores left behind. I do use a waterbowl and, yes they will drink from it. If you do wet the sides of the tank they will drink this too. I have been trying for young for almost two years now, one had an infertile sack and ate it (I'll assume) I have read (especially in the cool social behavior article) but as well from others, feed the mother and she will have bits for them and the Flightless fruit flies work good for early meals, I fed mine these for months till they were big enough for tiny tiny crickets.. They will remail communal (mostly) till getting to semi adult size with little cannibalism.
> This is my experience anyway.


Thanks. This really helps. Just to clarify, the mother will also feed the babies if she gets food such as a dubia roach?


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## Michiel (Apr 3, 2012)

They stay on her back untill the first molt, no need to feed them before they leave the mother and as far as I know the females don't aid the young, that's why you need plenty of small food items...yes, separating them was a good idea...

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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 3, 2012)

Michiel said:


> They stay on her back untill the first molt, no need to feed them before they leave the mother and as far as I know the females don't aid the young, that's why you need plenty of small food items...yes, separating them was a good idea...
> 
> Verstuurd van mijn GT-I9001 met Tapatalk


Thanks. Have you seen them feed on fresh killed prey items such as small crickets and roaches?

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## lizardminion (Apr 3, 2012)

Amblypygids are actually social arachnids. Not only do mothers communicate with their babies, but an experiment was preformed where two siblings were separated in an unfamiliar space. After some time, scientist found that they would seek out and find one-another. I believe it's actually healthier if they are kept together.


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## BQC123 (Apr 3, 2012)

I have only kept D. diadema. The babies have fed well on pinheads and flightless D. hydei. I am currently breeding bean weevils and hoping those will work as well on the next brood. 

Michiel has everything corrrect by my experience.

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## cacoseraph (Apr 3, 2012)

SOME amblys are social / conspecifically tolerant but not all.  basically i've only read papers indicating that Damon species are not particularly tolerant when they are adults.  There are some little amblys from FL that show very good indications that they are social in a paper i read.  one way you can kind of gauge this is by the distance the critters keep from each other when given ample opportunity to spread out.  staying clustered together voluntarily is good indication of high tolerance or even communalism


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## BQC123 (Apr 3, 2012)

My pair came from a group of 5, and were the only two remaining. They have done well in the same tank, and she even carried young while together with no issues..


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## Michiel (Apr 4, 2012)

Yes, I have raised Phrynus marginemaculatus, Phrynus barbadensis and am raising Damon annulatipes on microcrix....no problems...just be shure I raise everything separate....

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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 4, 2012)

Thanks for all the great info. I had read somewhere that the babies will eat large springtails? Anybody tried this? Anybody seen them eat isopods (e.g., roly polys)? My baby vinegaroons ate isopods.

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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 6, 2012)

So, I just added a bunch of giant springtails. The babies are still on the mother's abdomen.


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## Michiel (Apr 7, 2012)

what´s the use of putting feeders in while they are still on mommy´s back?


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 7, 2012)

Michiel said:


> what´s the use of putting feeders in while they are still on mommy´s back?


I will not be able to look in on them until Monday so I put them in there just in case they molt and come off of mom's back before then.


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## Michiel (Apr 7, 2012)

After they molt they stay on their mothers back, because their exoskeletons need to harden up, before they leave mommy and are able to hunt on their own....so I understand why you did it, but it wasn´t necessary


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## Michiel (Apr 8, 2012)

Don't take this the wrong way, but you are askings things that are already answered in this thread....

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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 12, 2012)

The babies are off of their mother's abdomen. The enclosure has giant springtails and fresh killed dubia in it. I also placed hissing cockroach babies in their for the mother. I can't get pinhead crickets. Any further suggestions? Thanks.


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## J Morningstar (Apr 12, 2012)

Flightless fruit fly from your local pet store or order them online. I raised all of mine from less than 1/4 inch long body to about a centimeter on them. That was until they could get small crickets and the like. I don't have any experience with springtail. But just observe them you should easily see if they hunt them or not with an entier brood to watch.

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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 12, 2012)

J Morningstar said:


> Flightless fruit fly from your local pet store or order them online. I raised all of mine from less than 1/4 inch long body to about a centimeter on them. That was until they could get small crickets and the like. I don't have any experience with springtail. But just observe them you should easily see if they hunt them or not with an entier brood to watch.


Thanks. I will see if I can track down the flightless fruit flies.


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 19, 2012)

UPDATE: They went through their second molt.


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## Pipa (Apr 20, 2012)

I got 1.3 Damon ssp. supposly out of Tanzania. These are small body maybe less than 1/2 inch but extremely long legs, I'm not sure if these are adults or still babies.  I've thought about putting the group in a large plastic tub, possibly 30 - 50 gallon with alot of corkbark pieces. I'm not sure if the Damon ssp. Tanzania are social or not. I'll keep a constant supply of very small dubia roaches and some very small crickets. I will not place a waterdish as I will mist the tub once or twice a week. Does this sound like a successful way of keeping and breeding these ? Has anyone in this site kept Damon ssp. Tanzania ? This is a great / informative thread. Thanks !


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## MrCrackerpants (May 10, 2012)

Update: They are getting bigger. I have a lot. I am not sure how many. I flip the cork bark over and I can't see them because they are so well camouflages.  I mist the cork bark and they run everywhere. : ). Such a cool bug!


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## BQC123 (May 10, 2012)

Pipa said:


> I got 1.3 Damon ssp. supposly out of Tanzania. These are small body maybe less than 1/2 inch but extremely long legs, I'm not sure if these are adults or still babies.  I've thought about putting the group in a large plastic tub, possibly 30 - 50 gallon with alot of corkbark pieces. I'm not sure if the Damon ssp. Tanzania are social or not. I'll keep a constant supply of very small dubia roaches and some very small crickets. I will not place a waterdish as I will mist the tub once or twice a week. Does this sound like a successful way of keeping and breeding these ? Has anyone in this site kept Damon ssp. Tanzania ? This is a great / informative thread. Thanks !


Communal is always a risk. B. dubia are not the best feeders. They tend to stay low and burrow. Just the opposite of the Damon. Crickets and climbing roaches are much better feeders.


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## MrCrackerpants (May 12, 2012)

BQC123 said:


> Communal is always a risk. B. dubia are not the best feeders. They tend to stay low and burrow. Just the opposite of the Damon. Crickets and climbing roaches are much better feeders.


Mine love Madagascar hissing cockroach nymphs as they climb all over the cork bark the amblypygids live on. As the roaches climb, the amblypygids prey on them.


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## J Morningstar (May 14, 2012)

Well after 5 months of co-existance the largest female ate the smaller one...the male is still hanging out but I do believe the female is gravid..So now down to two. But with 5 or 6 spermatifores and many seen mating attempts I am more hopefull this time.


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## MrCrackerpants (May 15, 2012)

J Morningstar said:


> Well after 5 months of co-existance the largest female ate the smaller one...the male is still hanging out but I do believe the female is gravid..So now down to two. But with 5 or 6 spermatifores and many seen mating attempts I am more hopefull this time.


Sorry to hear that. I have separated mine. Seems to be best with the possibility of cannibalism.


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## MrCrackerpants (May 23, 2012)

Another female gave birth so I have another brood on Mom.


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## oldmanofthesea (May 26, 2012)

I just got my first from Arizona yesterday. I believe it is p. mexicanus but not sure. It already ate two small crickets. I am really enjoying this post and thanks for the information. Ron


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## MrCrackerpants (May 26, 2012)

oldmanofthesea said:


> I just got my first from Arizona yesterday. I believe it is p. mexicanus but not sure. It already ate two small crickets. I am really enjoying this post and thanks for the information. Ron


That species is cool. I have seen it in it's natural habitat.


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