Anyone own camel spiders ?......

[Blue Tarantula]

I'm starting to get interested in camel spiders and i was wondering if anyone had tips on keeping them and how long they live and I have heard they only live a few months but I'm not sure and what species is there I seen black ones and fluffy ones.... Any help ?

 

[le-thomas]

By "camel spiders", do you mean solifugids? If so, refer to them as that on here just for the sake of specificity.

I know that they are non-venomous, not (or, at least, not commonly, as far as I know) bred in captivity, are carnivorous, and are not spiders nor scorpions, but in an arachnid order of their own – Solifugae.

I have no information to offer as far as care goes, sorry :biggrin:

 

[Blue Tarantula]

I knew that they are solifugids but I'm just not sure about the requirements to owning one... But thank you I will see what
Others say...

 

[Smokehound714]

The most commonly seen genera available for sale tend to be Galeodes, usually G granti.

Solifugae lifespans vary tremendously in the wild. Some live longer than others, maturing late in the year, others mature very early, before summer is over.

The notion that they live for only a few months is generally due to the fact that most you find for sale are either sub-adults, or mature. Solifugae take quite a while to develop from the egg, they will enter a diapause period when in premolt, seal themselves off, and become dormant for several weeks, then they will enter a strange pupa-like 'rest' stage, where they hold all their legs backward. this stage tends to take an additional four-six weeks. It's very important that the substrate is stable enough to prevent collapses, which will interrupt the process and cause injury and malformed legs. I just recently lost two Eremocosta titania this way.. i failed to use enough clay in the sand, and their enclosures got bumped, killing both.


You can artificially 'prolong' their lifespan by giving them dormant cool periods, however this doesnt really prolong their lifespan, but moreso places them in stasis, where everything is simply 'paused'. This is generally a bad idea, though. Most people claiming their specimens lived for a few years were merely delaying their normal lifespan. A few, like eremocosta, based on my experiences, will live a bit longer than a year, but in the wild, or without a diapause period, most will perish at or before one year of age.

Some solifugae- hemerotrecha, for example- are diurnal, and have a remarkably short lifespan, probably three-four months max.

Care varies by species.. some, like ultra psammophiles- Chanbria being one notable genus, are alot easier, and do fine with pure sand- the finer, the better. One corner saturated will provide them with stable substrate to seal themselves off in. It's very important that their enclosure be strong, stout plastic, or plexiglass/acrylic, otherwise it will cause collapses.

Also, keep in mind, many solifugae are excellent climbers, using the adherent discs on their pedipalps to climb. Genera with slim skinny palps will have a harder time scaling smooth surfaces than genera with thick palps.

Eremocosta, eremobates, eremotheria, eremorhax, and a few other north american genera are all capable of climbing smooth surfaces, and must be prevented from doing so, otherwise they will ceaselessly climb, fall, and injure themselves.

Placing vaseline along the inside of the enclosure will create a barrier they cannot climb past, as their adherent discs will be unable to use suction on the slippery surface.


They are voracious eaters, and require large amounts of food, if they ever appear skinny, feed them immediately, but dont over-feed, or else it can lead to ruptured organs.


Also, whatever species you have, be sure to leave an inch of fine loose sand on the surface of the substrate, they use this to groom and clean their chelicerae.

 

[Blue Tarantula]

Whoa very interesting I didn't know all that thank you you have helped me

 

[Smokehound714]

Happy to help. You're welcome.

 

[aragogthemonster]

The most commonly seen genera available for sale tend to be Galeodes, usually G granti.

Solifugae lifespans vary tremendously in the wild. Some live longer than others, maturing late in the year, others mature very early, before summer is over.

The notion that they live for only a few months is generally due to the fact that most you find for sale are either sub-adults, or mature. Solifugae take quite a while to develop from the egg, they will enter a diapause period when in premolt, seal themselves off, and become dormant for several weeks, then they will enter a strange pupa-like 'rest' stage, where they hold all their legs backward. this stage tends to take an additional four-six weeks. It's very important that the substrate is stable enough to prevent collapses, which will interrupt the process and cause injury and malformed legs. I just recently lost two Eremocosta titania this way.. i failed to use enough clay in the sand, and their enclosures got bumped, killing both.


You can artificially 'prolong' their lifespan by giving them dormant cool periods, however this doesnt really prolong their lifespan, but moreso places them in stasis, where everything is simply 'paused'. This is generally a bad idea, though. Most people claiming their specimens lived for a few years were merely delaying their normal lifespan. A few, like eremocosta, based on my experiences, will live a bit longer than a year, but in the wild, or without a diapause period, most will perish at or before one year of age.

Some solifugae- hemerotrecha, for example- are diurnal, and have a remarkably short lifespan, probably three-four months max.

Care varies by species.. some, like ultra psammophiles- Chanbria being one notable genus, are alot easier, and do fine with pure sand- the finer, the better. One corner saturated will provide them with stable substrate to seal themselves off in. It's very important that their enclosure be strong, stout plastic, or plexiglass/acrylic, otherwise it will cause collapses.

Also, keep in mind, many solifugae are excellent climbers, using the adherent discs on their pedipalps to climb. Genera with slim skinny palps will have a harder time scaling smooth surfaces than genera with thick palps.

Eremocosta, eremobates, eremotheria, eremorhax, and a few other north american genera are all capable of climbing smooth surfaces, and must be prevented from doing so, otherwise they will ceaselessly climb, fall, and injure themselves.

Placing vaseline along the inside of the enclosure will create a barrier they cannot climb past, as their adherent discs will be unable to use suction on the slippery surface.


They are voracious eaters, and require large amounts of food, if they ever appear skinny, feed them immediately, but dont over-feed, or else it can lead to ruptured organs.


Also, whatever species you have, be sure to leave an inch of fine loose sand on the surface of the substrate, they use this to groom and clean their chelicerae.

I disagree with the fact that you must feed them alot since it will drastically shorten their lifespan not more than a medium size bug once a week tops should be fine if you do decide to keep em warm it will also shorten theur lifrspan. Do not expect to keep em long unless you wish to preserve them like pinning them

 

[attenboroughii]

I disagree with the fact that you must feed them alot since it will drastically shorten their lifespan not more than a medium size bug once a week tops should be fine if you do decide to keep em warm it will also shorten theur lifrspan. Do not expect to keep em long unless you wish to preserve them like pinning them

Solifugae have an active and a dormant season, and they grow while repeating the cycle of activity, dormancy, and molting several times a year.
During the dormant stage, they do not feed and die when fed. The active period is limited, so it is necessary to feed them as much as possible during this time. Solifugae are in a rhythm of growth, feeling the temperature changes throughout the year. For example, if they are kept at a constant temperature, they will remain dormant for years without breaking their dormancy.

I have created a thread on this subject, which you can find here.

Breeding solfugid(Rhagodes sp.)

Hello all. I have had solfugids for 4 years. Before long,I will succeed in the captive breeding of Rhagodidae(Rhagodes sp.) came from Egypt. I would like to share information on breeding.:D

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