# Giant vinegaroons



## Herp13 (Aug 3, 2006)

Does anyone here keep them? I have seen them online and at zoo's and considering i am becoming very interested in inverts yet my mother will not allow me to get venomous creatures, they look like a good option along with solfugids. So, where can i get them, got any pics of your own? Plus personal experiances


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## Galapoheros (Aug 3, 2006)

Vinegaroons are interesting.  I've had several and there has been allot of input and experiences posted on the forum.  I'd use the "search" option on this forum.  Just type in "vinegaroon" and then try "vinegarone".  You will get allot of info.


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## tyrel (Aug 3, 2006)

Mine is nice and active, almost always out of his hide. They sometime have trouble catching insects though, so you might have to disable the crickets, depending on the individual. 

They are very interesting when they move the subtrate, they will take a large "armful" of dirt or sand, and rove it backwards out of thier burrow, dump it, and repeat.


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## Herp13 (Aug 3, 2006)

Got any pics?


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## Natco (Aug 3, 2006)

They are very nice, and easy to feed.  Like little front end loaders, so make sure you have plent of substrate.  Constantly on the go.  I will work on pics if I remember, although I know there are plenty of others on the boards if you look.  Good luck!


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## Herp13 (Aug 3, 2006)

Yeah, it must be interesting watching them move about How often do they eat?


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## rex_arachne (Aug 3, 2006)

*longevity*

how long do vinegaroons live?


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## Herp13 (Aug 3, 2006)

Good question, how long do they live?


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## zinto (Aug 4, 2006)

How big is a typical enclosure for these guys?


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## tyrel (Aug 4, 2006)

Herp13 said:
			
		

> Got any pics?


Here is mine!







A five gallon tank should be fine, and I feed mine one cricket a week.


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## Wade (Aug 4, 2006)

Since captive breeding is a relatively recent phenomenon (most in the trade are wild caught) nobody is quite sure, but WC adults typically live 2-4 years. I'm raising some juvies I collected in '02 (I'm thinking they were yearlings) and they are still a molt or so away from adulthood (and they only molt once a year in the winter) so I'd guess the total lifespan is something like eight to ten years.

Wade


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## Wade (Aug 4, 2006)

zinto said:
			
		

> How big is a typical enclosure for these guys?


I'm currently keeping my adult females in 2.5 gallon aquariums half full of slightly moist sand/peat mix (they're burrowers), but as soon as one of my males reach maturity I'll move them into something bigger for breeding.

Wade


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## kin-inam (Aug 4, 2006)

Are they communal?


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## Herp13 (Aug 4, 2006)

Is peat like basically natrual soil? Could i use coco-fiber instead of peat? I'm still gonna mix it, but coco-fiber has the same kinda consistancy of dirt so they could still tunnel.
Also, your vinegaroon is very nice looking, how long have you had it?


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## Wade (Aug 4, 2006)

The US species, M. giganteus, isn't communal and they will readily eat each other, although sometimes they can be kept together for breeding purposes. However, some of the Asia species are said to be more tolerant of each other. I have no first-hand experience with any species other than M. giganteus so I can't speak from experience about the Asian ones.You might have a local species there in the Philippines, at least I feel like I've seen a species offered for sale from there.

Wade


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## Wade (Aug 4, 2006)

Herp13 said:
			
		

> Is peat like basically natrual soil? Could i use coco-fiber instead of peat? I'm still gonna mix it, but coco-fiber has the same kinda consistancy of dirt so they could still tunnel.
> Also, your vinegaroon is very nice looking, how long have you had it?


Cocofiber will work, but it tends to mold when moist. IME, vinegaroons do better kept slightly moist. Peat is fairly acidic and is more mold resistant, although I sometimes use it AND cocofiber AND sand as it makes for good burrow construction. Peat is availble from almost any store that sells garden supplies and looks more or less like dirt. It's pretty inexpensive compared to coconut fiber. 

Even though they are usually found in desert regions (with the exception of the ones in Florida!) they seek out moist microbitats. I've collected them many times in AZ and I've ALWAYS found them in areas where the soil is moist, often along riverbanks and under logs in wooded areas.

I also provide a flat rock for them to burrow under. In order to prevent them frum undermining the whole thing resulting in a colapse, I bury smaller rocks underneath to make a sort of rock table they can burrow under. Typically, most of mine seal themselves underground for the winter.

The picture is not mine, but I've been keeping vinegaroons for about eight years. The longest I've had a WC adult live was four years, but the three juvies I have are now 4 years in my possession, so maybe I'll have a more accurate estimate as to lifespan in a few years! I have four other WC adults (all female, I think) and I'm hoping to breed one of the juvie males to one of the adult females as soon as one reache adulthood which may not happen until next spring.

Wade


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## Herp13 (Aug 4, 2006)

How does the breeding process work?


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## tyrel (Aug 4, 2006)

Herp13 said:
			
		

> Also, your vinegaroon is very nice looking, how long have you had it?


Thanks! I've only had him for a few months, and I have no regrets about getting him.


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## Herp13 (Aug 4, 2006)

Thats good, if i get anything i'm really happy about the fact that they can live in a 2.5 gal to a 5.5 gal, or i can divide my existing tanks


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## Kevin_Davies (Aug 4, 2006)

I keep a Vinegaroon, a M.giganteus, Ive had it for around a year now, I feed it a few crickets a week, I keep it on coir substrate with moss.


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## Herp13 (Aug 4, 2006)

Oh, thats pretty


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## Herp13 (Aug 4, 2006)

How much do you pay for those in Europe?


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## Kevin_Davies (Aug 4, 2006)

Herp13 said:
			
		

> How much do you pay for those in Europe?


I cant remember exactly? It was around €15-20 altogether.


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## tyrel (Aug 4, 2006)

Kevin, Is that one in your picture female?


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## Kevin_Davies (Aug 4, 2006)

tyrel said:
			
		

> Kevin, Is that one in your picture female?


Im not sure? I wasnt told when I bought it, is there a way I could tell?


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## Herp13 (Aug 5, 2006)

Are they kinda like soiders in the sense that the bigger abdomen means it's a female and the smaller abdomen means it's male?


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## Wade (Aug 5, 2006)

Herp13 said:
			
		

> Are they kinda like soiders in the sense that the bigger abdomen means it's a female and the smaller abdomen means it's male?


Nope. Abdomen size only reflects how much they've eaten! That's trure for most spiders too, although adult males of many species are overall smaller than females.

Typically, adult male vinegaroons will have much bigger pedipalps ("claws") than the female, although this is not very obvious on immature specimens. A better way to check is by examining the underside of the abdomen. The first segment of the male's is pointed and overlaps the second segment while the females is more rounded. There's a good thread (but old) here somewhere that has photos (that's where I learned this method).

There are some more recent threads showing courtship, breeding, eggsacs and babies! Try the "search this forum" button. There's been some good stuff on vinegaroons recently.

Wade


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## Herp13 (Aug 5, 2006)

Oh, ok, i was just guessing. I'm kinda new to inverts anyways


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