tailess whip scorpion. advice needed.

sezra

Arachnosquire
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Apr 23, 2012
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I was browsing the pet section on gumtree today and saw that there was a tailess whip scorpion being given away for free. I keep tarantulas and as im always on the look out for weird and wonderful pets I called the lady and arranged to collect it.

She didnt say why she was getting rid of it, but im glad i picked it up because it was in a dirty little enclosure. its substrate was just dirt from the garden and it stank. It even had a worm as a room mate.

Ive since rehomed it in a spare exo terra breeding box (see link below for dimensions) and given it fresh substrate, a mixture of cocofibre and vermiculite.

http://www.thespidershop.co.uk/terra-breeding-p-1747.html#.V7YL3tQrLDc

can anyone point me in the direction of a good caresheet so i can make sure this little guy is finally kept properly.

I've uploaded some pictures of the new set up so you guys can give it the once over.

cheers.
 

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chanda

Arachnoking
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I keep/breed these guys and they are really pretty easy to take care of, but that isn't the best enclosure to have him in. They need vertical space more than floor space - kind of like an arboreal tarantula, except without the concern for webbing points. They absolutely need a rough vertical/diagonal surface (like a big slab of cork bark) to hang from when they molt or they will die. There needs to be enough clear space below the bark for them to hang upside down while molting, so the larger the whip spider, the taller the bark needs to be.

Substrate isn't too important because they rarely even touch it. I use about an inch to an inch and a half of coconut fiber and sphagnum moss (to hold humidity).

I don't bother with a water dish but mist the enclosure every 2-3 days. They will drink water droplets off the glass or bark. I feed them 2-3 small to medium crickets once every week or so for an adult D. diadema. Because the juveniles are housed communally, I just toss in a bunch of fruit flies (when they're really tiny) or small crickets (when they're a bit bigger) a couple of times a week.

I keep them at room temperature and have a humidifier in the bug room to keep overall humidity around 50% or higher.
 
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sezra

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thanks for all the info guys. I'll have to rehouse him into one of my spare arboreal set ups. I have an empty exoterra glass terrarium that measures 30 X 30 X 45CM. Would that be more ideal?
 

chanda

Arachnoking
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thanks for all the info guys. I'll have to rehouse him into one of my spare arboreal set ups. I have an empty exoterra glass terrarium that measures 30 X 30 X 45CM. Would that be more ideal?
Yes, that would be much better! I have some of mine in similar enclosures. As long as you have some nice tall pieces of cork bark that you can angle against the walls, he should do fine.
 

sezra

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ive rehomed him so hopefully this new enclosure will be more appropriate. At least he has more room than he did have before i got him. im going to get a few broad leaf plastic plants from work tomorrow to make more hiding spots as it seems a bit barren at the moment.
 

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chanda

Arachnoking
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ive rehomed him so hopefully this new enclosure will be more appropriate. At least he has more room than he did have before i got him. im going to get a few broad leaf plastic plants from work tomorrow to make more hiding spots as it seems a bit barren at the moment.
The plastic plants might be a bit difficult for him to get a grip on if they are slippery. He would probably prefer an additional piece of cork bark - something tall enough to angle against the wall that will go all (or most) of the way to the top. You could angle it in, then put the other piece of bark on top of it, giving him a crevice between the two slabs for hiding and a clear spot to hang underneath for molting. In the wild, these guys are usually going to be hiding in crevices between rocks or underneath tree bark.
 

InvertsandOi

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The new enclosure looks great. He should thrive just fine in there. This Whipspider is lucky you found him. I would add a couple things though. If he is hanging out at the bottom near the substrate all the time, that is an indication that he needs more humidity. I'm not sure if that whole top is uncovered screen, but if it is, that much ventilation is not necessary. It's more important to keep moisture in, and with less ventilation you don't have to disturb him as often with misting. Also, if you notice his appetite has lessened or gone away completely, that is an indication that he is getting ready to molt, and you should rid the enclosure of all crickets, especially if this behavior is accompanied by an increase in size (ballooning) of the abdomen. This is an adult and molts will be rare, but they will still happen.
 

jaredc

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Enclosure looks much better now, agreed you don't need plastic plants as he could attempt to molt on it and fall. It looks a bit dry in there; I would soak the substrate completely and restrict ventilation. I also use sphagnum peat moss because it retains moisture better than coco coir which dries out super quick. You can try putting saran wrap over the majority of the top mesh. They're fine with about 5-10% ventilation.
 

chanda

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Enclosure looks much better now, agreed you don't need plastic plants as he could attempt to molt on it and fall. It looks a bit dry in there; I would soak the substrate completely and restrict ventilation. I also use sphagnum peat moss because it retains moisture better than coco coir which dries out super quick. You can try putting saran wrap over the majority of the top mesh. They're fine with about 5-10% ventilation.
They're pretty adaptable in terms of moisture/humidity. I have mine in glass cages with screen tops and don't bother with plastic wrap or other means of blocking the screens and restricting air flow. If the cages get too moist, I start having problems with mold and mites. I never soak the substrate - I just mist the cage every 2-3 days and let the substrate dry out completely in between. We do keep a humidifier going in our bug room, so ambient humidity is usually around 40%-50% (which is a lot better than our normal desert air). The whips seem to be doing well under those conditions.
 

jaredc

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For sure, especially since it's a male he's going to be able to tolerate humidity shifts much better. I've never had mite issues because I keep springtails in there with them to eat leftover cricket parts and such. The only times I've heard people having problems with desiccation is with juveniles, but I like to restrict airflow either way because you don't need to spray as often. However, ideal humidity for Damon are somewhere around 70-80%
 
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