Solifugae eating patterns?

[silverfish]

Hi all,
I got a small egyptian solifugae from the shithole that is our local uncared for exotic pets store months ago.

I have only observed it to eat once. Each time I put a cricket in the enclosure, or try to offer a pre-killed food the solifugae runs away or does a threat/defensive posture. How often do people here feed their sun spiders? I don't know how I can ensure it is eating properly but each time I seem to offer food, it has no interest in eating. I also do not feel comfortable leaving a cricket in the enclosure, for I've had a bad experience long ago of a cricket attacking one of my arachnids. This solifugae I have is rather young, so I only offer the smallest crickets I can buy. It still seems uninterested/defensive. Even my amblypygid seemed more enthusiastic about food than this...

I am not familiar with solifugae being popular as captive/ wc species (and that's a good thing imo) but I wanted to bring this one individual out of the pit of despair that is the exotic pet store, so it has been home with me for some months now. I have observed it to move around/be semi active, so I suppose that is a good sign.

Thanks

 

[Lordosteous]

I'm no expert in Solifugae, but I do know that they go through periods of inactivity where they don't eat or drink for months, and this is a normal part of their life cycle. During these times, they will refuse food, and are best left alone, as stress is the easiest way to kill them. They are probably the most difficult arachnid to keep in captivity, so best of luck!

 

[attenboroughii]

Hi all,
I got a small egyptian solifugae from the shithole that is our local uncared for exotic pets store months ago.

I have only observed it to eat once. Each time I put a cricket in the enclosure, or try to offer a pre-killed food the solifugae runs away or does a threat/defensive posture. How often do people here feed their sun spiders? I don't know how I can ensure it is eating properly but each time I seem to offer food, it has no interest in eating. I also do not feel comfortable leaving a cricket in the enclosure, for I've had a bad experience long ago of a cricket attacking one of my arachnids. This solifugae I have is rather young, so I only offer the smallest crickets I can buy. It still seems uninterested/defensive. Even my amblypygid seemed more enthusiastic about food than this...

I am not familiar with solifugae being popular as captive/ wc species (and that's a good thing imo) but I wanted to bring this one individual out of the pit of despair that is the exotic pet store, so it has been home with me for some months now. I have observed it to move around/be semi active, so I suppose that is a good sign.

Thanks

Solifugae grow by switching between active and dormant seasons several times during the year.
At the end of dormancy, they molt and become active again.
The active season is very short, lasting only a few weeks, and then the solifugae goes dormant again. During dormancy, they do not feed, so if the amount of food they eat during the active period is low, there is a high possibility that they will not molt successfully and will die.
Because of their special nature of feeding only during their very short active period, if the pet store does not feed them enough, there is a possibility that they will not be kept well even after purchase. For solifugae that have been in the store for a long time, it is better to buy one with a somewhat larger abdominal bulge.

If they are not too thin, they will eventually begin to molt if left in a dry state.