Sonoran tailless whip scorpion (Paraphrynus carolynae) questions

[mellow]

I found another Paraphrynus carolynae,

1 I would like to make an enclosure that I can breed them in with styrofoam instead of cork bark, what should I use for the enclosure?

2 how often do they molt?

3 how do I tell what gender they are?

4 any tips on keeping/breeding these guys?

5 should I get the book on breeding tailless whip scorpions by Orin McMonigle?

 

[pannaking22]

1. I keep mine in 32oz deli cups with a piece of styrofoam and haven't had any issues. For breeding you could put them in something a bit larger with a couple pieces just in case they want to get away from each other for a bit.

2. Molting is varied, it depends on how large/old the whip is. As they get older they slow down a lot.

3. If you can get a clear ventral shot of the abdomen some of the experts should be able to help. It's all in the shape of the operculum. Males more M shaped, females not as much (if I'm remembering phrynids correctly).

4. They're kind of tricky, but as long as there are good spots for males to stick a spermatophore they should be able to figure it out. Then it's just the long gestation wait.

5. Absolutely, wonderful book.

 

[mantisfan101]

I think they need some sort of seasonal cue. As for sexing post pics of the genital operculum. Breeding you can keep them together for a bit and they should do their own thing

 

[mellow]

Here's the best picture I could take.

 

[mellow]

So could any of you guys tell if it's a male or female from the picture? Btw where do you guys buy styrofoam from?

 

[mantisfan101]

Male, I get styrofoam from sellers who use it to insulate their boxes. Cork bark or tiles work too

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Btw where do you guys buy styrofoam from?

I usually just recycle from packaging I get (after cleaning well), but if you have a craft store nearby they'll have sheets of it.

 

[pannaking22]

Local pet stores can have it too, they get glass tanks shipped in then just chuck the styrofoam afterwards.

 

[mellow]

Is this enough ventilation holes or should I add more? Also I should probably keep the substrate mostly dry and add a water dish right? Btw I got my styrofoam from home depot, should I clean the styrofoam before i add it to the enclosure?

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Amblypygi won't generally use a water dish. I'm not familiar with the specific care of this species, but all amblypygi that I'm familiar with will require some moisture in their substrate. They'll sit on the substrate if they're too dry, and climb up otherwise. Hopefully someone well versed in this species will chime in, but I would start them out with at least a small amount of moisture in the substrate and see how they behave.

The ventilation looks fine to me.

I usually give new styrofoam a scrub with water (but no soap) just to remove any dust or residue that may have gotten on it.

 

[mantisfan101]

Looks fine to me, if it helps here’s what I use. Simple, and a piece of styrofoam at an angle is more than enough. I poke airholes on the lid altho this species does better with a bit more moisture

 

[schmiggle]

Looks fine to me, if it helps here’s what I use. Simple, and a piece of styrofoam at an angle is more than enough. I poke airholes on the lid altho this species does better with a bit more moisture
View attachment 357774

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've read that, despite being from a desert environment, these guys actually like quite a lot of moisture and not much ventilation. Almost like D. medius. Has this been your experience?

 

[mellow]

Ok I just found more, I tried keeping two males and females first but the males started fighting so I took one male out and added another female, so now I am trying to keep one male and three females together in the same enclosure, here's a picture, do you think that the styrofoam I have in there is at enough of an angle? How would you set up the styrofoam for a communal enclosure?

 

[mantisfan101]

Doesn’t seem like there’s enough room for them to molt, just 1 or 2 thinner slabs of styrofoam should suffice

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Agree, not nearly enough moult space there. 2 pieces of that styrofoam would suffice. The angle is fine - they can even moult on totally vertical surfaces.

 

[pannaking22]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've read that, despite being from a desert environment, these guys actually like quite a lot of moisture and not much ventilation. Almost like D. medius. Has this been your experience?

Mine appreciate the extra moisture, though I don't think they need to be as wet as D. medius. Definitely don't want the substrate getting dry though.

 

[mellow]

Is this good enough?

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Yeah that should work well as long as there's enough clearance for them to hang when they moult.

 

[ThemantismanofPA]

Im gonna pull some necromancy here and ask a few questions, as myself am about to get 6. Are they being communal, or have you since had to separate them? Have you noticed any spermatophores yet? And finally, anything crazy you have observed tat people should know?

 

[mellow]

Im gonna pull some necromancy here and ask a few questions, as myself am about to get 6. Are they being communal, or have you since had to separate them? Have you noticed any spermatophores yet? And finally, anything crazy you have observed tat people should know?

I have three females and one male in my communal setup, the males attack each other so i only have one in my setup, I have not noticed any spermatophores yet, they fight over food a little bit, but they don't seem to be able to hurt each other.