Whipplings

BreSol

Arachnopeon
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I just recently got a 1” Damon diadema and am not completely confident how to feed the little one. Do they scavenge like slings or should I order some pinheads?
 

Spoodfood

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It depends on how big it is. I keep D. Diadema and it seems to prefer hornworms, and it tears roaches to bits but doesn’t eat them and just leaves them lying on top of the substrate. Depending on size I’d say baby roaches, pinheads, or very tiny hornworms. Just go by the size of the carapace. I’ve never seen mine scavenge, and it fasts longer than any T in my collection ever has. It’s a picky eater for sure IME, so just watch it and see what it takes and what it doesn’t want. Here’s my D. diadema munching a hornworm, the only thing I can get it to eat 😆
 
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schmiggle

Arachnoking
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I just recently got a 1” Damon diadema and am not completely confident how to feed the little one. Do they scavenge like slings or should I order some pinheads?
It's tough to get amblypygi to eat dead prey, though if you freshly kill it and it's still moving you might be able to get it to work. My advice, however, would be to give it live prey; generally speaking, 1/2 body length should work. Lots of people have luck with roaches, and I always had good luck with crickets. Beetles and mealworms are harder. I see no reason hornworms shouldn't work, but they're less economical if you can use something else. When you say 1", is that body length, legspan or some other measurement?

Also--most US vendors these days stock Damon medius, since Tanzania significant curtailed D. diadema exports. @ivyalmighty that looks like medius to me. @BreSol could you post a picture of yours? It's not a big deal, but care is a bit different--medius needs much higher humidity.
 

Spoodfood

Feeder of Spoods
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It depends on how big it is. I keep
It's tough to get amblypygi to eat dead prey, though if you freshly kill it and it's still moving you might be able to get it to work. My advice, however, would be to give it live prey; generally speaking, 1/2 body length should work. Lots of people have luck with roaches, and I always had good luck with crickets. Beetles and mealworms are harder. I see no reason hornworms shouldn't work, but they're less economical if you can use something else. When you say 1", is that body length, legspan or some other measurement?

Also--most US vendors these days stock Damon medius, since Tanzania significant curtailed D. diadema exports. @ivyalmighty that looks like medius to me. @BreSol could you post a picture of yours? It's not a big deal, but care is a bit different--medius needs much higher humidity.
it was sold to me as diadema, but how can I tell? I want to make sure I’m caring for it correctly. I mean I’ve had it for more than 6 months on dry sub with a water dish, I drip water down on the vertical cork bark occasionally but it never drinks it.
 

mantisfan101

Arachnoprince
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Dec 26, 2018
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I'm not sure if it's possible to tell smaller babies apart. My baby phrynus take well to prekill, all though you could use pinhead/small crickets or lateralis roaches
 

Edan bandoot

Arachnoprince
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Sep 5, 2019
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I just recently got a 1” Damon diadema and am not completely confident how to feed the little one. Do they scavenge like slings or should I order some pinheads?
Damon diadema babies are very picky, but I've had mine take prekill
 

schmiggle

Arachnoking
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it was sold to me as diadema, but how can I tell? I want to make sure I’m caring for it correctly. I mean I’ve had it for more than 6 months on dry sub with a water dish, I drip water down on the vertical cork bark occasionally but it never drinks it.
You don't need a water dish and you don't need to be dripping water for it. You should probably have a damp substrate--like pour water into it almost until it's saturated. If it's been active etc. for 6 months you shouldn't have any major issues, but pouring water into the substrate is the only reliable way to sustain high humidity.

Could you post a clear, high resolution picture of your whipspider? The best way to differentiate is using pedipalp characteristics usually, but it's usually possible to tell just by looking. I'm not sure exactly what I look for, but after you've seen enough pictures of both you can start to pretty reliably be able to tell anyway.
I'm not sure if it's possible to tell smaller babies apart.
I agree, but I figure at 1" body length it should be possible. If that's 1" legspan or whipspan that's obviously a different story, and I certainly wouldn't be able to tell.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that if you're not sure treat the babies like medius, because the higher humidity won't hurt diadema but lower humidity will hurt medius.
 

Spoodfood

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You don't need a water dish and you don't need to be dripping water for it. You should probably have a damp substrate--like pour water into it almost until it's saturated. If it's been active etc. for 6 months you shouldn't have any major issues, but pouring water into the substrate is the only reliable way to sustain high humidity.

Could you post a clear, high resolution picture of your whipspider? The best way to differentiate is using pedipalp characteristics usually, but it's usually possible to tell just by looking. I'm not sure exactly what I look for, but after you've seen enough pictures of both you can start to pretty reliably be able to tell anyway.

I agree, but I figure at 1" body length it should be possible. If that's 1" legspan or whipspan that's obviously a different story, and I certainly wouldn't be able to tell.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that if you're not sure treat the babies like medius, because the higher humidity won't hurt diadema but lower humidity will hurt medius.
I can get a nice pic of it, it’s just starting to get the yellow bands on its legs back. It was solid black right after molting. I’m not sure if i should just send the pic when it’s hardened up, but I’ll send one now anyways. I’m not sure what we’re looking for, but this is as clear of a pic I could get. 5CF75333-07D8-4C89-AF67-2AD392072EFC.jpeg 3310422C-2C86-4DF0-9A15-A5780F17FF70.jpeg
 

schmiggle

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I can get a nice pic of it, it’s just starting to get the yellow bands on its legs back. It was solid black right after molting. I’m not sure if i should just send the pic when it’s hardened up, but I’ll send one now anyways. I’m not sure what we’re looking for, but this is as clear of a pic I could get. View attachment 366749 View attachment 366750
These are definitely a high enough quality, but wait until it's settled into it's normal colors. I'm 95% sure it's medius because it seems to be tan in the video, and diadema is usually black. It also has a sort of bumpier texture. Sorry for being so cryptic before--that was pointless, and I apologize. See this thread: https://arachnoboards.com/threads/damon-diadema-and-medius-comparison.308529/

The more technical method involves sexual characteristics, like a ventral sac cover and spermatophore morphology. You couldn't see these on yours without a mate, I believe. There's also an average size difference--medius is a bit bigger on average--but since diadema is the biggest east African Damon and whipspider size depends on age that's not reliable.

If you've had a successful molt that's a good sign :) I'd still go ahead and pour lots of water in the substrate, though.
 

Spoodfood

Feeder of Spoods
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These are definitely a high enough quality, but wait until it's settled into it's normal colors. I'm 95% sure it's medius because it seems to be tan in the video, and diadema is usually black. It also has a sort of bumpier texture. Sorry for being so cryptic before--that was pointless, and I apologize. See this thread: https://arachnoboards.com/threads/damon-diadema-and-medius-comparison.308529/

The more technical method involves sexual characteristics, like a ventral sac cover and spermatophore morphology. You couldn't see these on yours without a mate, I believe. There's also an average size difference--medius is a bit bigger on average--but since diadema is the biggest east African Damon and whipspider size depends on age that's not reliable.

If you've had a successful molt that's a good sign :) I'd still go ahead and pour lots of water in the substrate, though.
I will do that! I’ll also post an update once it’s hardened. I would like to know for sure the species just for slightly OCD enclosure labeling purposes 😊 ty!
 

schmiggle

Arachnoking
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I would like to know for sure the species just for slightly OCD enclosure labeling purposes
Good on you. It's important for making sure pure species exist in captivity, not to mention that I don't think medius and diadema will interbreed.
 
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