# Phrynus whitei husbandry



## Michrich (Feb 12, 2020)

Just brought home a Phrynus whitei and I know it needs higher humidity than other species of tailless whip scorpions, but I can’t seem to find much else regarding husbandry!


----------



## mantisfan101 (Feb 13, 2020)

Wrong section to post in but @wizentrop can help

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## wizentrop (Feb 13, 2020)

I rate _Phrynus whitei_ among the easiest amblypygid species to keep. They tolerate various humidity conditions (don't let it dry out completely though), and can even survive brief cold periods. However, it is important to remember that _P. whitei_ is a polymorphic species and regarded as a species complex in much need of revision. The ones I keep come from Honduras, and they do not look like your typical _P. whitei_, lacking the bright spots near the lateral eyes and sporting a jet black color. They may very well be a different species. Yours seem to originate from a Costa Rican or a Guatemalan population.
Generally speaking,the same conditions that are good for keeping _Phrynus barbadensis_ can be applied for _Phrynus whitei_.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


----------



## mantisfan101 (Feb 13, 2020)

Michrich said:


> Just brought home a Phrynus whitei and I know it needs higher humidity than other species of tailless whip scorpions, but I can’t seem to find much else regarding husbandry!


Also, how did you manage to get whitei in the us? The only species I’ve seen are marginemaculatus, carolynae, medius, and diadema.


----------



## Michrich (Feb 13, 2020)

wizentrop said:


> I rate _Phrynus whitei_ among the easiest amblypygid species to keep. They tolerate various humidity conditions (don't let it dry out completely though), and can even survive brief cold periods. However, it is important to remember that _P. whitei_ is a polymorphic species and regarded as a species complex in much need of revision. The ones I keep come from Honduras, and they do not look like your typical _P. whitei_, lacking the bright spots near the lateral eyes and sporting a jet black color. They may very well be a different species. Yours seem to originate from a Costa Rican or a Guatemalan population.
> Generally speaking,the same conditions that are good for keeping _Phrynus barbadensis_ can be applied for _Phrynus whitei_.


Great, thank you! I have it in my warm and humid room with my more tropical tarantula species so it should be perfect in there. Do they move around their enclosures much? I have it in a pretty small container right now (5x5x8) but it never really moves from behind it’s cork bark so I was wondering if it was fine in that or if it would do better with more room to roam?


----------



## Michrich (Feb 13, 2020)

mantisfan101 said:


> Also, how did you manage to get whitei in the us? The only species I’ve seen are marginemaculatus, carolynae, medius, and diadema.


I found it unlabeled at an expo in NY  snatched it right up

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## wizentrop (Feb 13, 2020)

Michrich said:


> Do they move around their enclosures much?


No, _P. whitei_ are some of the most compact species! They barely move at all and prefer to stay in one spot.


----------



## Albireo Wulfbooper (Feb 13, 2020)

Michrich said:


> Great, thank you! I have it in my warm and humid room with my more tropical tarantula species so it should be perfect in there. Do they move around their enclosures much? I have it in a pretty small container right now (5x5x8) but it never really moves from behind it’s cork bark so I was wondering if it was fine in that or if it would do better with more room to roam?


I have mine in a 6"x4"x9" tall food storage container and it's happy as a pig in poop. Rarely moves, except to wave those whips around or nab a cricket. I keep its substrate moist but not soaked, and have a small (~1.5" square) wire screen vent on top. No additional heating or humidity, just room temperature. I add water to its substrate if I see it hanging out closer to the bottom. Easy-peasy.


----------



## mantisfan101 (Feb 13, 2020)

Seems that paraphrynus and phrynus species are becoming more popular here in the states. I’ve heard reports that there’s even some cubensis available now! Hopefully we can get more people to start keeping these guys, I’d love to establish these in the hobby and stop having to collect damon medius and whatnot from the wild.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## wizentrop (Feb 14, 2020)

_Paraphrynus cubensis_ is VERY easy, not something I would say about other _Paraphrynus _species.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## mantisfan101 (Feb 14, 2020)

Don’t mean to derail the thread, but what makes the other paraphrynus difficult to care for? How about P. carolynae? I’ve seen those for sale occasionally but couldn’t find much care info about them.


----------



## wizentrop (Feb 14, 2020)

They are not difficult to care for, but if you are interested in long-term keeping and breeding there is seasonality and environmental factors that are required as triggers. Many of those are not yet well understood.

Reactions: Helpful 1


----------



## mantisfan101 (May 4, 2020)

wizentrop said:


> They are not difficult to care for, but if you are interested in long-term keeping and breeding there is seasonality and environmental factors that are required as triggers. Many of those are not yet well understood.


Sorry to bring this up but how does breeding go with these guys? Is it easy and are there any conditions that they need to successfully breed? Thanks!


----------



## wizentrop (May 4, 2020)

It doesn't go...
Well, that not accurate. Sometimes it goes and sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the seasonal environmental conditions, the species, and I would even say the actual individuals sometimes. Pairing them seems straightforward but often the eggs go bad later and females discard them. P. cubensis seems to be the easiest, P. viridiceps is the next in rank, maybe P. raptator is the third. But I have a lot of problems with raptator lately, I think my animals are very old.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## mantisfan101 (May 4, 2020)

Ah ok, what conditions do paraphrynus need, and is there anyway to prevent them from going bad? Would reducing moisture/overall humidity help, although that could also dessicate and dehydrate the individuals too


----------



## wizentrop (May 4, 2020)

mantisfan101 said:


> Ah ok, what conditions do paraphrynus need, and is there anyway to prevent them from going bad?


I sure wish I knew


----------



## Banshee05 (May 5, 2020)

let me enter here with some notes on _Paraphrynus _species. 
I have a couple of species since many years in breeding, including the Cuban ones (_cubensis, viridiceps _and _robustus_), _laevifrons _from Panama, _raptator _from wizentrop, _aztecus_, and a new undescribed species from Mexico. Formally I kept _carolynae _and _mexicanus_, and several other species with just 1 or 2 specimens to raise. 
A keeping and raising is with all easy and no big deal, but this is true for nearly all whip spiders once you have captive breed animals. There are just a few exceptions and maybe the whole charinids, except _C. acosta_ (which is easier than easy and together with _E. bacillifer_ the most suitable for any beginner). The issue starts with the reproduction, as Gil correctly said. Some are very fast growing and mating early in life, other take long. e.g. _cubensis _is fast, partly able to be kept in groups, but really at least as adults together. The other cuban one take a lot of time, I raised them always 3-4 years till I had the first succesfull eggsac; but as _cubensis_, raising is very easy. _Paraphrynus aztecus_ is also vey easy, even it is a Mexican species with more saisionality. _P. carolynae _and _mexicanus_ were a mess for me, and especially the former one, hardly hatching any eggsac. Kept them warm and wet, cold and dry, 3 months at 12°C etc, nothing worked out fine. I need once to collect them by myself and check out the environment, getting a better feeling how to keep and trigger them, because they are very colourful. Contrarly to Gil, I have so far no problems with the Central American species, _laevifrons _and _raptator_. A succesfull mating is a bit tricky, because they have dry and wet seasons and usually they have their eggsac in March-April in nature, you need to handle it somehow, but such a big deal. The sp.nov. from Mexico seems to be different, VERY slowly growing, in general a small species, close related to _mexicanus _and the other members of the _aztecus_-group. I struggeled always just to get a few offsprign for the next generation, such as A_. coronatus_. But now I think I have the trigger and the important feature. Not sure now, but currently 5 females are caryyinga an eggsac, and this are 6-years aged females. If it works, I tell you how. 
So generally, members of the genus _Paraphrynus _are a bit more complicated, but for sure worth to give it a try. Easier are by far _Phrynus_, western African _Damon_, and _Charon grayi _from the Philippines. All the rest needs somehow more feeling and timing.

Reactions: Informative 1


----------



## wizentrop (May 5, 2020)

^ words of wisdom up there.
Not only some species are tricky, and sometimes individual animals are simply not successful at breeding, but as you can see results can vary greatly between keepers. We just have to try harder.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Banshee05 (May 6, 2020)

Sure, some generation and even specimens are different. e.g. I struggeled with the the F3 Charon grayi type species, had only one female left, luckily she produced one last eggsac and now I have 30 adult specimens here. One generation goes well another is a mess. Maternal effects?


----------

