Anyone able to sex my amblipyid?

[beccapenny]

I believe it is a Damon medius, but no idea of it's sex. I'm guessing female from the length of it's palps but definitely not sure! No ventral pic at the moment as it's only been with me a couple of days so don't want to disturb it!

 

[that1ocelot]

Damon Medius - yes. Female - likely yes.

They're easy to sex at maturity. I believe most, if not all Phrynichidae have little red hairs by their genitals if female.
Make sure to give this animal tons of humidity and leave it alone - the whip it's missing will come back if it makes it to molt but they come in ROUGH

 

[beccapenny]

Great, thank you! I will definitely leave her alone. She's got a large enclosure (40 x 40 x 35) and I will make sure the humidity is kept well up! Fingers crossed she does well, they are such incredible creatures!

 

[CRX]

Great, thank you! I will definitely leave her alone. She's got a large enclosure (40 x 40 x 35) and I will make sure the humidity is kept well up! Fingers crossed she does well, they are such incredible creatures!

You really cannot overestimate how much humidity these guys need. The substrate needs to be waterlogged, and the the lid or whatever opening you use needs to be restricted somewhat from airflow. (NOT completely I hope you understand I mean, enough to keep in humidity and moisture)

 

[beccapenny]

You really cannot overestimate how much humidity these guys need. The substrate needs to be waterlogged, and the the lid or whatever opening you use needs to be restricted somewhat from airflow. (NOT completely I hope you understand I mean, enough to keep in humidity and moisture)

She's in a plastic storage container which I've put ventilation holes in. There are a few around the sides, but only 4 spaced well out on the lid so should keep the humidity well up. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

She's in a plastic storage container which I've put ventilation holes in. There are a few around the sides, but only 4 spaced well out on the lid so should keep the humidity well up. Thanks again for your help!

If you'd like to post photos of the enclosure setup we can provide feedback and correct any issues if needed before they cause problems for your animal

 

[beccapenny]

If you'd like to post photos of the enclosure setup we can provide feedback and correct any issues if needed before they cause problems for your animal

Ok, so here is her current set up.
The substrate is a mix of coco fibre and orchid bark. I'm keeping it very moist to keep the humidity up. She's currently sat at the back of a cork bark piece. Any tips, advice or changes will be gratefully received! Thank you!

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Overall, a good start. You obviously did some homework before setting this up

I think this might be the first time I’ve ever said this about a Damon enclosure, but you might actually want a little more ventilation than this. I generally recommend cutting a 2-3cm square out of the lid and covering it with steel mesh.

You will need more height than this as she grows - can’t tell how big she is now, but they need a fair bit of vertical space for safe moulting. You can make the most of this enclosure by getting some taller climbing surfaces. If you’re not fussed about aesthetics, plain styrofoam panels are perfect for building climbing and moulting surfaces for amblypygi, and give you a bit more control than cork, since you can cut the height you need. Styrofoam is a safe and very grippy surface for them, and many species actually prefer it to cork. If you were to add a couple of taller pieces that take advantage of the full height of the enclosure, your animal will appreciate the growing room. You can even glue a styrofoam panel to the underside of the lid, though obviously this would necessitate a bit more care when opening the enclosure.

Eventually I recommend trying to find or build something a bit more vertically-oriented. They don’t much use floor space, just walls and ceilings, so optimizing the enclosure for them is a lot easier when you’re starting with an already-vertical box. You don’t need to run right out and buy a different box though - this will certainly do the trick for now with a few minor adjustments. It’ll just make life easier as the animal gets bigger.

 

[beccapenny]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply in such depth! I will definitely make all the improvements you have suggested But it's reassuring to hear I am on the right track. I want to give her the best possible enclosure I can, to ensure she has the best life I can give her!