Velvet Worm Vivarium - Epiperipatus barbadensis

Arthroverts

Arachnoking
Joined
Jul 11, 2016
Messages
2,462
The Velvet Worm Club is sort of on the low-boil right now, I've actually been meaning to talk with @AbraxasComplex about how to best keep it going. I will update here once I have something more to add.

Thanks,

Arthroverts
 

Edan bandoot

Arachnoprince
Joined
Sep 5, 2019
Messages
1,602
Interesting animals that I've been wanting since I was a kid, after reading about the care it seems they're a bit high effort for me though.

They'd be nice to see in someone else's collection someday though
 

Chinverts

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 25, 2016
Messages
19
I have a group that has been producing for about 6 months. I've sold a handful of the young and a are doing well I've heard. Looking to aquire another group and maybe other species if possible in the future.
 

PoHsun

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 20, 2023
Messages
3
I'm a life science student with a strong interest in Onychophora. I'd love to connect with the community involved in studying and caring for these incredible creatures. Sorry for hearing about that, but do you have any suggestions on how I can get in touch? Thank you!

The Velvet Worm Club is sort of on the low-boil right now, I've actually been meaning to talk with @AbraxasComplex about how to best keep it going. I will update here once I have something more to add.

Thanks,

Arthroverts
 

PoHsun

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 20, 2023
Messages
3
@Arthroverts Can you please PM me with info on the Velvet Worm Club of the USA? I've been fascinated with the animals for quite some time and am hoping to acquire some in the future if I'm able to!

Edit: I forgot to add: I literally just made this account after reading this thread and wanting to learn more about the logistics of acquiring the animals in the US :3
Me too😶
 

catboyeuthanasia

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 10, 2023
Messages
121
Hi all! Somewhat new to the velvet worm club, and my worms are probably the descendents of some of the ones posted about here. I've notices some interesting behavior in my worms:

There's a little pocket of space against the glass that a large female comes to every so often. The female would sit there for several days and not eat anything before venturing out again. Sometimes, there would be a smaller worm with her, but I don't know if this is a baby or a male. Today, I found what looks like worm glue in this little crevasse. Do y'all think this is some sort of worm den? Any similar behavior from your worms?

("Den" and glue circled in blue in the photo, the female, just leaving it, pictured to the right)


20230810_202056.jpg
 

AbraxasComplex

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
1,145
Hello everyone. I've been down and out for some time and haven't really checked this forum. I've been trying to get new species through legal means with no success. Manage to get permits and then my collector disappears or I find a collector, but can't get permits for export. I may however put a legal export to the US in October for those who'd like some. But this is pretty last minute.
 

Introvertebrate

Arachnoprince
Arachnosupporter
Joined
Dec 18, 2010
Messages
1,199
Hello everyone. I've been down and out for some time and haven't really checked this forum. I've been trying to get new species through legal means with no success. Manage to get permits and then my collector disappears or I find a collector, but can't get permits for export. I may however put a legal export to the US in October for those who'd like some. But this is pretty last minute.
On an unrelated note, do you still have those vivariums or Wardian Cases like the old days?
 

catboyeuthanasia

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 10, 2023
Messages
121
Man, I hope that lab in Germany could get a long-term colony of those blue ones. I'd get a wine cooler just for those!


They are not tropical species, but they keep theirs a lot different than you... I wonder if the stress of the regular rehoming and not letting the mothers feed the babies is why they are having less success...
 
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Jabberjay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 24, 2021
Messages
19
Man, I hope that lab in Germany could get a long-term colony of those blue ones. I'd get a wine cooler just for those!

I corresponded with that article's author. She told me that her team obtained Australian collection and export permits for E. rowelli because they're researchers. She was under the impression that academic research is the only legal reason in Australia. You're better off ignoring anything from there because researchers would be breaking laws by distributing their velvet worms to non-researchers.

Costa Rica has very restrictive export laws from what I've read, but I know less about that. In other words, P. hitoyensis may be off the table.

I also corresponded with CONAF (an organization within Chilean Ministry of Agriculture) about the legality of collecting Metaperipatus inae and exporting it from Chile. The response said organisms can't be collected in CONAF protected areas (SNASPE) but can be collected on private property with the property owner's permission. Since it's not covered by the CITES treaty, it's not subject to export prohibition. Germany's import restrictions are another matter.
 

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catboyeuthanasia

Arachnosquire
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Aug 10, 2023
Messages
121
I corresponded with that article's author. She told me that her team obtained Australian collection and export permits for E. rowelli because they're researchers. She was under the impression that academic research is the only legal reason in Australia. You're better off ignoring anything from there because researchers would be breaking laws by distributing their velvet worms to non-researchers.

Costa Rica has very restrictive export laws from what I've read, but I know less about that. In other words, P. hitoyensis may be off the table.

I also corresponded with CONAF (an organization within Chilean Ministry of Agriculture) about the legality of collecting Metaperipatus inae and exporting it from Chile. The response said organisms can't be collected in CONAF protected areas (SNASPE) but can be collected on private property with the property owner's permission. Since it's not covered by the CITES treaty, it's not subject to export prohibition. Germany's import restrictions are another matter.
Wow! Thanks for the very informative post!

Yeah, for the Germany stuff, I was mostly hoping they would have a stable enough captive population to start exporting from Germany, like what happened with hamsters. More of a dream than anything of substance.

Looks like Chile is our best bet though!
 

Jabberjay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 24, 2021
Messages
19
Wow! Thanks for the very informative post!
Happy to help.

Yeah, for the Germany stuff, I was mostly hoping they would have a stable enough captive population to start exporting from Germany, like what happened with hamsters. More of a dream than anything of substance.
I'm unfamiliar with hamsters' legal status in Germany. What's the story there?

Looks like Chile is our best bet though!
There may be other options for you, but I've only researched Chile in depth. Anyway, if you like blue, M. inae is a rather striking species (a deep and sometimes grayish blue with orange spots). Unfortunately, Peripatoides indigo (New Zealand) is a vulnerable species.
 

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catboyeuthanasia

Arachnosquire
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Oh, I was mainly just referring to the fact that pet hamsters mostly come from a population of lab animals that got integrated into the pet trade (too delicate, not as nice as rats to work with)

There may be other options for you, but I've only researched Chile in depth. Anyway, if you like blue, M. inae is a rather striking species (a deep and sometimes grayish blue with orange spots). Unfortunately, Peripatoides indigo (New Zealand) is a vulnerable species.
These are some amazing pictures! Are you a velvet worm researcher (onychophologist??) by chance? It's things like these that make me regret going into physics instead of biology. Maybe I might asked around with Chilian farmers when I go to a conference in Chile, there's still cosmology research there even if the telescope is decommissioned :(
 

Jabberjay

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Joined
Aug 24, 2021
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19
Oh, I was mainly just referring to the fact that pet hamsters mostly come from a population of lab animals that got integrated into the pet trade (too delicate, not as nice as rats to work with)
Ah, understood.
These are some amazing pictures! Are you a velvet worm researcher (onychophologist??) by chance? It's things like these that make me regret going into physics instead of biology. Maybe I might asked around with Chilian farmers when I go to a conference in Chile, there's still cosmology research there even if the telescope is decommissioned :(
Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the photos. I get many of them from iNaturalist. I'm just an enthusiast that's good at finding authoritative sources of information ("research"). I studied and work in Accounting. I love my work, but I feel the same way as you sometimes. I don't keep any onychophora but would seriously consider doing so when my financial situation permits. They are very unique organisms and quite beautifully colored sometimes. The photo attached to this post was from an observation in Colombia I found on iNaturalist today. Not sure what genus, but probably Epiperipatus or Oroperipatus based on the white spot on the head.

By the way, M. inae is found in Chile's Bio-Bio region and probably some regions immediately south, rather far from the major astronomical observation facilities in the Atacama. Just something to keep in mind if that's your destination. iNaturalist is an excellent resource for narrowing the search: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&subview=map&taxon_id=780207.

Most observations have attached geographic coordinates. You might be able to cross-reference those coordinates on land registries to find land plots and, by extension, their owners. Land registries and property tax databases aren't always user-friendly, but the information is usually available in developed economies like Chile.
 

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AbraxasComplex

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Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the photos. I get many of them from iNaturalist. I'm just an enthusiast that's good at finding authoritative sources of information ("research"). I studied and work in Accounting. I love my work, but I feel the same way as you sometimes. I don't keep any onychophora but would seriously consider doing so when my financial situation permits. They are very unique organisms and quite beautifully colored sometimes. The photo attached to this post was from an observation in Colombia I found on iNaturalist today. Not sure what genus, but probably Epiperipatus or Oroperipatus based on the white spot on the head.
Would love that Colombian species. Nearly had everything in place to get Macroperipatus from Trinidad, but then the world ground to a halt with Covid. I should try again.
 

Jabberjay

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 24, 2021
Messages
19
Would love that Colombian species.
Me too. Unfortunately, I didn't figure out to what species the Colombian individual belonged. The iNaturalist user who posted it had a separate observation of a very similar looking individual on a different date but in the same area. Might be the guy to talk to as far as finding them.

Nearly had everything in place to get Macroperipatus from Trinidad, but then the world ground to a halt with Covid. I should try again.
Cool, you mean M. torquatus? Speaking of Trinidad, has anyone in the hobby imported Epiperipatus imthurni? Parthenogenesis might be useful for captive breeding projects, especially if they're close enough w/ E. barbadensis to produce fertile offspring.
 
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