# Springtails!



## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

Just a quick post really... 

Many newer keepers are often worried if or when they discover Springtails living in their tarantulas enclosures, well don't be, they're good! 

Usually you will find Springtails pop up in more humid enclosures although they can survive in drier enclosures usually living in or around a waterdish. They are beneficial to your tarantulas enclosures doing jobs which include eating left over food bolus, molds and fungi and pretty much any organic matter.










They belong to the subclass _Collembola_ which is a subclass of _Entognatha_, visually they appear to look like little white oblong worms with short antennae. The ones you may find living in your enclosures don't usually don't get much bigger than 1mm. 

When they're disturbed you'll notice that they will hop about and jump as their tail serves as a mini spring board (a little similar to how a Kangaroo uses its tail). 

You can read more about them on this link *HERE.*


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## boxofsorrows (Nov 7, 2011)

This should be in the stickies given the frequency the questions about them pop up.


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

Here's a couple of interesting videos on them taken from the BBC's Life in the Undergrowth documentary series.

Part 1






Part 2


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## SnakeBreeder (Mar 11, 2007)

I have about a dozen good size cages set up with bio-substrate. 
I have live plants in my 4 foot cages and find that the springtail numbers there never need toping up as the cage is never allowed to dry out.
Some other cages are drier and occasionally need topping up with extra springtails, so I keep 3 breeding cultures.
The cultures are a mix of European and tropical springtails.
The cultures take a while to establish but once going you can take springtails out as and when you need them.
I have found that one culture even has European woodlice breeding in there, which I see as a bonus.


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

SnakeBreeder said:


> I have found that one culture even has European woodlice breeding in there, which I see as a bonus.


I've found the European woodlice (_Porcellio scaber_) do very well too, in fact they usually do better than the tropical woodlice species _Trichorhina tomentosa_.


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## mcluskyisms (Jan 24, 2010)

Here's an interesting PDF on _Folsomia candida_ which are one of the more common species of springtail by Steve Hopkin. 

*Clicky*

Here's another page detailing their distribution within the UK by the same author.

*Clicky* 

Also, here is his website. 

Steve Hopkin Publications


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