Camel Spider Wont Eat

Mooglet

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 4, 2018
Messages
3
Recently, I've gotten a camel spider. He's less then an inch long (about 2/3 of an inch) and behaves rather normally, though he doesn't seem interested in any food items I've thrown in his enclosure (dead or alive). What are the possible reasons behind this and how would I fix said reasons if possible?
We caught him running around in our house about 2-3 days ago, so could it just be him getting used to his enclosure, or is it something else?
I am a first timer with this, so please bear with me if I've made a stupid mistake.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
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Jun 27, 2010
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2,231
Best of luck! Solifugids are really tough to keep alive long-term. I've been trying for years, but the longest I've ever been able to keep one was maybe 5 or 6 months - and they spent a significant portion of that time in premolt. They don't seem to be to picky about food - when they're eating. They're voracious little beasts, tearing into crickets or cockroach nymphs with equal enthusiasm - if they'll eat for you at all - but I've also had some that refused to eat for some reason. I even had one that was gravid when I caught her, and despite being offered (and accepting) plenty of feeders, she devoured her entire clutch of eggs immediately after laying them. That night they were there in her cage - and in the morning they were all gone.

What kind of enclosure and substrate are you keeping him on? I've had my best luck in a larger enclosure, with deep sand/dirt substrate that's damp at the bottom so they can dig down for moisture. Of course, the downside to allowing burrowing is you don't actually see them very much - just sometimes late at night.
 

boina

Lady of the mites
Active Member
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Mar 25, 2015
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2,214
If you cought it wild in your area I would let it go. As @chanda said they are practiacally impossible to keep alive long term. It will just waste away and die.
 

Mooglet

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 4, 2018
Messages
3
What kind of enclosure and substrate are you keeping him on? I've had my best luck in a larger enclosure, with deep sand/dirt substrate that's damp at the bottom so they can dig down for moisture. Of course, the downside to allowing burrowing is you don't actually see them very much - just sometimes late at night.
I've used a sandy substrate for him and his enclosure is about 9"x6" in width and length, I figured it'd be fine for now, since he's so small. He does really like to burrow, he's made himself a little place to hide under a particularly flat rock that i've put in the enclosure. His burrowing is mainly why I try to feed him at night, since He's more active and probably hunting.
He seems to acknowledge the food is there, he'll touch it, pick it up, move it, then leave it alone and never touch it again.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,231
I've used a sandy substrate for him and his enclosure is about 9"x6" in width and length, I figured it'd be fine for now, since he's so small. He does really like to burrow, he's made himself a little place to hide under a particularly flat rock that i've put in the enclosure. His burrowing is mainly why I try to feed him at night, since He's more active and probably hunting.
He seems to acknowledge the food is there, he'll touch it, pick it up, move it, then leave it alone and never touch it again.
I haven't noticed any of mine to scavenge on prekilled - those that fed for me preferred live prey - though I've heard that they will scavenge. If he doesn't eat for you in the next couple of days, you should probably just let him go. I've gone mostly catch-and-release with these guys, collecting a couple each summer to bring in and show my students for a week or two, then putting them back where I found them.
 

Mooglet

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 4, 2018
Messages
3
I haven't noticed any of mine to scavenge on prekilled - those that fed for me preferred live prey - though I've heard that they will scavenge. If he doesn't eat for you in the next couple of days, you should probably just let him go. I've gone mostly catch-and-release with these guys, collecting a couple each summer to bring in and show my students for a week or two, then putting them back where I found them.
If you cought it wild in your area I would let it go. As @chanda said they are practiacally impossible to keep alive long term. It will just waste away and die.
It was caught wild in my living room. I get your point though and if he still refuses to eat after a few days, then I'll release him into the backyard.
 
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