Tailless Whip Scorpion Homemade Tank Set Up

[ampersand]

I have written the whole story in another thread called 'I need a LOT of info on tailless whip scorpions' but here are the basics.
I have a gravid female which I caught from my garden. This is the first time I've ever dealt with an archnid of any kind. I'm fairly sure that she is Damon annulatipes (thank you wizentrop for helping with the identification). My dad made a glass tank that is 47cm (18.5") tall, 34cm (13.3") wide and 26cm (10.2") deep with a door and an open top. I'm going to use the soil from my garden as substrate because I live in a very humid environment and think that it would be fine for her.

What can I use for the background of the tank? Can I make it out of something? If so, what would you suggest? Do I need to buy a piece of cork bark for her to sit on or can I use a piece of random bark that I've found and washed? Do you have any other advice?

Thanks for reading

 

[chanda]

If you use a random piece of bark that you find, be sure it is from a tree that has not been treated with pesticides (either topical pesticides like sprays or powders or oils or systemic pesticides that are watered into the soil). Also, make sure to clean it carefully and check for any tenants (such as spiders) that might be living in the nooks and crannies. The bark should have a rough texture that the whip spider can grip easily. If it's too smooth (like the wood from palm fronds) they can fall during molting. (I learned this the hard way.)

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

If you have some styrofoam sheets you can use those - just wash with water and pat dry. Otherwise, tree bark is an option. You can bake that to kill off any potentially harmful intruders.