amblypigid (Tailless Whip Scorpion) Questions

PaleoLisa

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
4
I just bought an amblypigid at a pet store. They don't know what kind it is because someone just dropped her off on the counter and left. I'm guessing she's female because her pedipalps don't read the first joint of the first walking leg. What I don't know is how to set up her home - especially since I don't know what kind she is. Google images don't seem to show enough detail for me to tell.

She is in a temporary home right now. I am going to put coconut fiber on one side of the tank and play sand in the other. I'm thinking a heating pad under the tank might be better than a hot rock. She has a small cricket to eat but has ignored it so far (4 days). She also has a shell to hide under and I'm going to give her a spider plant and a stick to climb.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for her? Her name is Amelia.
 

Deroplatys

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
688
D.diadema is the most commonly available species.
They need to be kept on an arboreal style enclosure, taller than it is wide ideally. The cocofibre will be good another so loose the sand, they need to be kept humid. Room temperatures are fine. Also the pedipalps extending beyond the first knee's is only a good way of sexing some species, not all of them. Also juvenile males could have the same length pedipalps as the females.
 

PaleoLisa

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
4
I'll get some pictures with a scale bar as soon as I get her in a terrarium with better light, hopefully tomorrow. It has been too cold to get her to work!
 

Trogdora

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
102
Welcome to the wonderful world of amblypygi! :) Looks like you have a Damon diadema juvenile there, still too small to sex by looking at the pedipalps. How tall is the enclosure? Tall enough to put some vertical pieces of cork bark in? These guys molt hanging vertically so eventually it will need a vertical surface to climb and hang on.

I'd also suggest losing the heating pad, I find these guys do better at room temps (70's) than higher temperatures. When mine have been exposed to higher temps (air conditioner broke two summers ago) they've gotten stressed out. Unless your home is colder than mine I really don't think you need an additional heat source.
 
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