Velvet worms are a thing

[schmiggle]

I have seen very little information about them. I think they're very cool, and I'd like to know more about lifespan, diet, life history, whatever. Maybe I'll try to keep them some day. Maybe not. Either way, does anyone know anything about them?

 

[basin79]

The only thing I know about them is that they need it damp and cool.

 

[Calopteryx]

I haven't kept these myself, but this is what I could find out when I looked into them a while back.

From what I've gathered the ones easiest to buy are a smaller species from New Zealand. The tricky part is apparently to keep the temperature below 18°C (65°F) as they are really sensitive to higher temperatures. Provide hiding spots like bark and put lots of moss in the tank, that should help to keep it damp. I read that they like to feed on small crickets, but I suppose small roaches should do as well. Since they're kept so cool and damp I would put in springtails or isopods to combat mold. Their lifespan is around 5 years and a female can produce about 20 offspring a year.

That's about all I could find out, there isn't much information on their care requirements.

 

[pannaking22]

Care is moist and on the cooler side. They're predators, so small feeders works best and I'm sure they would snack on extra isopods wandering around too. The more bioactive an enclosure you can put together the better. You probably won't see them much since they're nocturnal and I would recommend misting only at night so they have a good humidity bump when they emerge from wherever they're hiding. Not really sure about reproduction unfortunately or if they're communal.

 

[Hisserdude]

Not really sure about reproduction unfortunately or if they're communal.

From what I've heard they can be kept communally, and I think I read somewhere that they give live birth, (could be wrong on that though). Very interesting and cute little critters, would love to keep some one day, too bad they extremely rare in the hobby and basically need to be kept in a wine cooler.

 

[Ghoul]

Well I found this video if that helps?

Could ask her about specific things. I'm not sure if she still keeps them, but she had them until they bred (seen in another video).

 

[schmiggle]

Another excuse to by a wine cooler--aging cheese, keeping velvet worms, cooling wine...

I've gotta say, they always look super vulnerable, and then they consistently win battles against sizable prey (or predator--I've seen a video of a velvet worm attacking, killing and eating a harvestman).

I wonder if there's a way to construct an enclosure so that you could see them at least sometimes--otherwise I don't really see the point. Any ideas in that regard?

 

[RTTB]

I was never familiar with these until now. Very cool.

 

[Scythemantis]

there are MUCH larger species out there that are probably tolerant of warmer temps, and I've seen photos on Japanese and Korean blogs of them in captivity. I don't know why they aren't in the hobby yet, besides obscurity and thus a lack of demand I guess?