Amblypygy (whipscorpions) help

SimonN

Arachnopeon
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Sep 6, 2010
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I've just started keeping amblypygids. I just couldn't resist when i saw them.
But it's not a very common pet in my country so there's a lack of info on them. I do now how to keep them and what to feed them, but i was wondering if anybody know about how to breed these guys (and ladys :b)
I keep a pair of D. diadema and i think they might have mated during the night, 'cause when i woke up i saw something that might could have been the spermatophore, but i am totally new so everything i can do is guessing
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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May 22, 2006
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Check out the Amblypygi (Whip spiders, not whip scorpions) section of the website: The Venomlist. There is a short caresheet of D.diadema there.:D

The spermatophores look like little mushrooms, deposited on the surface (backwall, cork bark etc).

I also just started keeping whip spiders (Phrynus marginemaculatus and P.barbadensis) , after doing my homework for a couple of weeks. You will not find many caresheets on the web, but there are many publications to be found on the net. I posted a list of those on here a couple of weeks ago, look a couple of threads down.

Cheers, Michiel
 
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SimonN

Arachnopeon
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Sep 6, 2010
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3
Thanks for the reply. Could you suggest something from that list? Not about mating and how they do it, but after that. What I do when the eggs start to hatch, how long does it take, when should i remove them from theyr mother and should I remove the male
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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May 22, 2006
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Thanks for the reply. Could you suggest something from that list? Not about mating and how they do it, but after that. What I do when the eggs start to hatch, how long does it take, when should i remove them from theyr mother and should I remove the male
Hi,

I think you misunderstood, there is a website called The Venomlist (www.venomlist.com), and it has a "non-venomous animals section". In this section there is a Amblypgyi subforum and you can find a caresheet there.

You never remove an invert from the mother, they come off there mothers' back when the time is right. You can keep the juveniles together (communal) for a while, but there agression towards eachother becomes more when the animals grow older, so keeping them in separate enclosures is the best thing to do (learned this from literature and other peoples experience).

So, You do nothing when the "eggs hatch", and only when the young come off, you put them together or you separate them. Yes, you should remove the male, because he could see his offspring as fast food and cannibalize them. I don't know the gestation period, but I read that it takes a month or three after mating, this akso depends on the captive conditions.
 

SimonN

Arachnopeon
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Sep 6, 2010
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Thanks. No I didn't misunderstood, I was just talking about the list you said you posted in here
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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May 22, 2006
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Thanks. No I didn't misunderstood, I was just talking about the list you said you posted in here
Okay, then I misunderstood.:D If I would suggest reading Weygoldt, 2000 whip spiders their morphology, biology etc etc. Great book!
 

smashtoad

Arachnopeon
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Sep 12, 2010
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28
Hi SimonN,

Just so you know...I had two gravid female diadema last year. Once I positively identified that there were eggs in there (you could see them starting to develop inside the abdomen...weird), I seperated the females.

It appears that this freaked them out, because the eggs resorbed and dissapeared. I guess the separation scared them...so next time I'll remove male only.

I have my trio set up in a real nice viv. Once the lights come on, I'll take a pic and post it. Their care is pretty simple...warm, somewhat humid, and reasonably ventilated. An aquarium with a screen top will work well. I use a ZooMed 18 x 18 x 24" tank. It has a low waterfall and a screen top.
 
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Michiel

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Hi Smashtoad,

That's an interesting story, however, the reason why the female absorbed the eggs, could be the stress of the process of separation, not the separation from the other female itself. I mean, she probably did not absorb the eggs because the other female was not there anymore.
If I where you, I would keep a female carrying eggs separate from others (male or female). This is based on what I have read and from discussions with other keepers. Looking forward to see pictures of your enclosure!

Regards, Michiel
 

smashtoad

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Sep 12, 2010
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28
Hi Smashtoad,

That's an interesting story, however, the reason why the female absorbed the eggs, could be the stress of the process of separation, not the separation from the other female itself. I mean, she probably did not absorb the eggs because the other female was not there anymore.
If I where you, I would keep a female carrying eggs separate from others (male or female). This is based on what I have read and from discussions with other keepers. Looking forward to see pictures of your enclosure!

Regards, Michiel
Michiel...the act of physically seperating them is what I meant. I did not mean to insinuate that one female was lonely for the other. That would be somewhat silly for arachnids, no?

Here's their tank. The male and largest female live inside the upper arm of that log during the day. The other female stays behind the piece of corkbark in the back left.

An amazing note on Amblypigid behavior I've observed, though this has probably been described many times before. There is no doubt that not only do Amblypigids sense movement around them with their whips, they also direct prey into their waiting grasp by tapping the ground behind them. I have noticed mine doing this on multiple occasions.

 
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smashtoad

Arachnopeon
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Sep 12, 2010
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28
In reference to the point above I made about diadema tapping prey into their waiting jaws...has anyone heard that described before? There is no doubt it is happening, but I could find no description of it today.

I'm sure I didn't discover it...but just in case...if someone has seen this behavior described in Damon diadema, I'd love to see that work.

Thanks.
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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May 22, 2006
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Hi Smash,

yeah, that was my point that would have been silly:D , I guess I read your post too quick:eek:
Very nice naturallistic enclosure, I'll bet they love it in there, lots of hides, nice and moist....As for the behaviour you described, I faintly remember about reading it in Weygoldts 2000 book. This book is a must have for enthousiast and not that expensive.

I have some .pdf about prey capture in Amblypygids (not in D.diadema) and I could e-mail you the papers I have if you PM me your e-mailadress.

Cheers, Michiel
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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May 22, 2006
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I got a PM from you, but I didn't see your e-mailadress in it :confused:

cheers, Michiel
 
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