# Tanzanian Tailess Whipscorpion



## Brian S (Jan 6, 2005)

I finally got one these lil' creepy crawlies. Can anyone tell me the life span on these?


----------



## galeogirl (Jan 6, 2005)

I can't offer any advice, I'm just drooling over the pretty picture.  Don't mind me.   :drool:


----------



## Wade (Jan 6, 2005)

I suspect they're relatively long lived when compared to most arachnids, because they molt after reaching maturity. I doubt they live as long as female tarantulas, but probably longer than most other spiders. 

Wade


----------



## Brian S (Jan 6, 2005)

galeogirl said:
			
		

> I can't offer any advice, I'm just drooling over the pretty picture.  Don't mind me.   :drool:


You are the first person to drool over this.  
Everyone else that has seen says it is the most disgusting thing they have ever seen.

Thanks Wade  This one is supposed to be a female. I might try to find her a boyfriend before long. I need to set up the enclosure first. I have temporarily set up in a deli cup.


----------



## Kaulback (Jan 6, 2005)

Hey Brian, is the care of those babies identical to the care of real scorps? You've got me interested


----------



## jdcarrel (Jan 6, 2005)

I don't know too much about    "african cave dwelling spiders"   besides that they are tasty.


----------



## Brian S (Jan 6, 2005)

Kaulback said:
			
		

> Hey Brian, is the care of those babies identical to the care of real scorps? You've got me interested


They are supposed to be real easy to care for. I can't say from experience since this is my first one. They are supposed to be set up in an arboreal type enclosure according to what I have read.


----------



## Brian S (Jan 6, 2005)

kornordie said:
			
		

> I don't know too much about    "african cave dwelling spiders"   besides that they are tasty.


yeah, especially when covered in chocolate


----------



## Goliath (Jan 6, 2005)

Very nice Brian, I love TWS!    All I have left at the moment is a large male, I am hoping to get some more soon.  Average lifespan is about 4 to 7 years, with the males living as long as the females.  More than likely that is a females, the palps do not look long enough to be a male, assuming she is mature, but the positive way to check is to look at the underside.  I have attached a couple posts that may help.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=30663&highlight=Damon+diadema 
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=26068&highlight=diadema 
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=29687&highlight=Damon 
Thanks,
Mike


----------



## NYbirdEater (Jan 6, 2005)

Anyone feel bad when they had a pool table covered with these things on fear factor and the contestants were eating them alive?


----------



## cricket54 (Jan 7, 2005)

Ewwwwww, I'm glad I didn't see that. It would be too cruel. I hate it when they do stuff with live arachnids on that show.

Sharon


----------



## Wade (Jan 7, 2005)

They are pretty easy to care for, but apparently they need a good amount of cage height in order to molt properly. They hang from a piece of bark (or whatever) and drop down out of their old exoskeleton. They seem to need a decent amount of space to accomplish this. I once read that containers twice the height of their "whip span" are recomended, but mine seem to get by in containers smaller than that.

I keep my females in bigger cages than the males, only because I breed them by introducing the male to the female's cage and I want them to have room to manuver or stay away from one annother. My current set up for females is a tall sterilite "show off" file box. They're about 12" tall, 12" long and 8" wide. Inside I have severeal pieces of more-or-less flat cork bark arranged vertically. I offer a water dish, although I'm not sure if they actually drink from it, but water evaporating from the surface raises the humidity. There's a lot of rocks in the dish to keep them from falling in and drowning (not sure how likley that is, however). Babies WILL drown in a dish, so if babies are present I rely on light misting and substrate mosisture. When I first got them, I was under the impression they needed really high humidity, but since then I'ce come to doubt that. Even when I've accidently allowed the water bowls to totally dry out, they've been fine. I assume babies need higher levels, but I could be wrong.

Although theys guys will live together fine when they're all about the same size, they can and will attack one annother when molting, so I keep the seperate except for breeding. I usually wait until the female molts to introduce the male. Both males and females molt after maturity, so you also have to keep an eye on him, as I lost a male last year when he molted while in a female's cage.

Thus far, I've had crappy luck keeping the babies alive, mainly due to mistakes on my part. I learned about the waterbowl thing the hard way! One of my females has a batch of babies right now, hopefully they'll do better.

Wade


----------



## Arachne (Jan 7, 2005)

NYbirdEater said:
			
		

> Anyone feel bad when they had a pool table covered with these things on fear factor and the contestants were eating them alive?


YES, that sucked!  I switched the channel becuase that was really upsetting.  Especially when the stupid twit crunched on one for a bit, then spit it out, half-maimed, THEN picked it back up again and finished the deed.  

 
Ara


----------



## NYbirdEater (Jan 7, 2005)

Arachne said:
			
		

> YES, that sucked!  I switched the channel becuase that was really upsetting.  Especially when the stupid twit crunched on one for a bit, then spit it out, half-maimed, THEN picked it back up again and finished the deed.
> 
> 
> Ara


Personally, I think they should use live mammals on fear factor instead of arachnids. It would be more interesting to see contestants try and chew live mice than a whip scorpion, and also there's more chance for personal injury as mice have sharp teeth and claws. I think it would get better ratings, plus it would be interesting to see a mouse or gerbil gnaw it's way through someone's cheek LIVE on national TV. Don't think the ASPCA would be too pleased, they must think arahcnids have no nerve endings or something.

On a more serous note, I am actually thinking of getting one of these tailess whip scorps as they look like something out of science fiction. But I guess all our pets do, at least on this forum. I will do a search but I would like to know if you guys know any communal species. I have a 40 gallon tank that is now empty and would like to fill it ASAP. I think I read somewhere that certain species of these can live together with few problems.


----------



## Brian S (Jan 16, 2005)

I woke up a few minutes ago to feed this thing and here is the picture I snapped


----------



## swatc1h (Jan 16, 2005)

YUMMY  :drool:  ive seen one episode of fear factor of three players had to much down those tailless whipscorpion in order to gain vegas chips ahhahahha. But hey i dont mind caring for a creature like that g1


----------



## demolitionlover (Jan 17, 2005)

I picked up 3 of these at the white plains show. They are very very small. I hope I can get them to eat. On the way home.. 1 molted. : )


----------



## NYbirdEater (Jan 17, 2005)

DAMN! I couldn't make the show, wanted to get some. Oh Well.


----------



## Brian S (Jan 17, 2005)

demolitionlover said:
			
		

> I picked up 3 of these at the white plains show. They are very very small. I hope I can get them to eat. On the way home.. 1 molted. : )


That's cool  
If they are like mine, it will eat quite well


----------



## Kittycat784 (Jan 19, 2005)

does anyone have any idea where to buy one of these.  I have wanted one for a very long time but so far can't find any.  please help if you have any ideas.
thanks


----------



## Elytra and Antenna (Jan 20, 2005)

Kittycat784 said:
			
		

> does anyone have any idea where to buy one of these.  I have wanted one for a very long time but so far can't find any.  please help if you have any ideas.
> thanks


I have some babies that should be ready in a month.


----------



## Kittycat784 (Jan 24, 2005)

really? cool how much a peice would you want for one?  any idea on shipping costs as well? I never bought anything that needed to be mailed.  I am still interested in buying one you can always PM me or e-mail me if you would like.


----------



## IrishLad17 (Jan 31, 2005)

I think Tanzanian Tailless Whipscorpions are really interesting inverts. Which is why it was even more difficult to see them devoured on primetime television.   
On a lighter note...


			
				Brian S said:
			
		

> You are the first person to drool over this.
> Everyone else that has seen says it is the most disgusting thing they have ever seen.


I wouldnt say that they are disgusting, just odd. But that adds to their charm. When I showed a picture of one to my mom she shocked me. She said that they were actually "pretty"    Mind you this woman is disgusted by hamsters.    lol


----------



## NewGriot (Jan 31, 2005)

*Whips*

Uuuhh....nice pic.

I like whipspiders so much...
They are easy to keep....ideal for beginners in the spiderhobby.

I allready have 3 species of whipspiders...

-Damon diadema from Tanzania
-Heterophrynus gigantaeus from French Guayana
-Euphrynichus bacillifer from Kenia

And I`m still looking arround for more species...


----------



## Elytra and Antenna (Jan 31, 2005)

I won't post them till they molt. I'd hate to jinx myself and I can't feel good about selling them till then.  Here's a small section of a pic on them molting out from hatchlings (the whole pic will probably be in the next arachnoculture  ).


----------



## Elytra and Antenna (Jan 31, 2005)

These are captive bred, not captive hatched. The mother I reared from a captive hatched I got in 01


----------



## avicularia_reig (Jan 31, 2005)

*?*

how do you sex them? like ts?


----------



## Goliath (Feb 1, 2005)

Very nice job Orin, those babies look real good!  

NewGriot,
Do you have any pictures of the Heterophrynus gigantaeus, or the Euphrynichus bacillifer?
Thanks!

avicularia_reig,
Here is how you sex them.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=26068&highlight=diadema 
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=29687&highlight=Damon 

Mike


----------



## Scorpendra (Mar 2, 2005)

tazanian tail-less whiptail scorpions are very interesting arachnids, but now the public know them as "african cave-dwelling spiders" thanks to fear factor making those people eat them alive. i felt sorry for the whiptails! i have had no experience with any (big surprise), but everyone else says they are easy to keep, why not?


----------



## Rob1985 (Mar 2, 2005)

II am also drooling over it  I want to get one. I first saw them on Fear Factor. They are pretty cool. How much do they run?


----------



## Elytra and Antenna (Mar 10, 2005)

They are taking longer than I had expected. The first one finally started the second molt on March 1st and since that time 7 have molted.


----------



## bagheera (Mar 21, 2005)

galeogirl said:
			
		

> I can't offer any advice, I'm just drooling over the pretty picture.  Don't mind me.   :drool:



I too am drooling. I am _still_ trying to limit the number of critters. It was _supposed_ to be kept to one Tarnatula! It* may have remained so, had my "female" B. smithii not turned out with palps! LOL.  Dean Pittman at NW Inverts got my male, I got back OBT and L. parhybana---I  *almost* asked him send me a TWS, yes he has them! He is great to deal with!

*And I don't think that the rosie that was left in my care _actually_ counts.


----------



## NewGriot (May 7, 2005)

*E.bacilifer*

E.bacilifer spiderling from Kenia.
Only one animal left...


----------



## cacoseraph (May 7, 2005)

awesome
i think there needs to be a horror character with hands like that!


----------



## smalltime (May 8, 2005)

Newgriot...I'm interested to know where you got this species.... And how I can get them....!!!   :worship:  Please PM me...


----------



## brachy (May 9, 2005)

She is my amblypigi. What is her sex ?? I think she is Damon variegatus?? Is that real?? Please help me. Thank.


----------



## NewGriot (May 11, 2005)

*D.variegatus*

Hy brachy

Your D.variegatus is a male.

It`s defenitely a Damon, but I can`t say if its a variegatus or a diadema.
Need my Book of answers, it`s @home right now. 
I try to find it out later...

Greetings

Dan


----------



## Mad Hatter (May 11, 2005)

demolitionlover said:
			
		

> I picked up 3 of these at the white plains show. They are very very small.


Are they really small? I almost got one a year ago at a West Coast Reptile show and it seemed pretty big. I would say a 6 or 7 inch legspan at the least. It was labeled "Tailless Whipscorpion" and they were asking for $7 for it. I've often looked back on that and wished I had gotten it... ah well, guess it's better to stick with what I know - T's.

But for the most part everyone at the show that day was flocking over to view this particular arachnid because it looks so very unique. I know I was impressed by it.

As far as Fear Factor goes, don't even get me started with that show...


----------

