Amblypygid (Damon spp.) Questions

[MrCrackerpants]

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!!!

 

[Michiel]

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!!!

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]

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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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!!

 

[zonbonzovi]

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.

 

[Banshee05]

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.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

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.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

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!!!

 

[MrCrackerpants]

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!!!"

 

[J Morningstar]

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.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

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?

 

[Michiel]

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]

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

 

[lizardminion]

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.

 

[BQC123]

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.

 

[cacoseraph]

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

 

[BQC123]

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..

 

[Michiel]

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]

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.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

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

 

[Michiel]

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