# camel spiders



## edgar1981 (Nov 6, 2007)

i've been looking into getting an exotic pet, and noticed on a certain website that you can buy camel spiders as pets. now i know they're not especially dangerous, but they still scare the bejesus out of me. they're like something out of 'alien'. has anyone had any experience with these? not that i want one, i'm just interested.


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## quik_silver_0707 (Jan 17, 2007)

Nope just watching You Tube is enough for me :lol2:


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## Incubuss (Dec 19, 2006)

They are not actually spiders, they are in the Solifugae family. They don't contain any venom, but have a nasty bite. They are known for being very hard to keep in captivity.


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## SNAKEWISPERA (Aug 27, 2007)

I bleeding love these.

I really want one


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## derbyleighton (Sep 10, 2007)

i use to own one they eat loads but dont live long so buy a young one not adult size they can also run well fast so dont let them escape


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

they dont live long in captivity! meh someones already said it!


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## Incubuss (Dec 19, 2006)

derbyleighton said:


> i use to own one they eat loads but dont live long so buy a young one not adult size they can also run well fast so dont let them escape


Yer, I think they only live for about 18 months? But don't quote me on that.


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

in captivity ive heard they dont even last a year!


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## derbyleighton (Sep 10, 2007)

at the japanese garden center pets bit in stapleford they had some babies in about 20mill size but not sure how much they were probably about 20 quid or so


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

think there usually about 20-30 quid!


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## jackbeveridge (Oct 22, 2007)

I wanted a camel spider but after going to my local reptile shop, a mad man that worked there tryed to hold it and got bit 3 times, these were just small nips and done a fair bit of damage and that put me off for a while but now im considering it again, although i wouldnt try to hold mine, anyone herd of 'tame' camel spiders? doubt it.lol.
here is a good care sheet for them. Camel Spider - Galeodes arab, granti: victory:


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

If they have a good range of burrows with differing humidity levels they can survive up to 3 years.
Need a really hot basking spot and feed every 3-4 days.


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## debo1986 (Nov 2, 2007)

heres a little info on came l spiders, their also known as sun spiders and they dont live long at all 18months max, their also the fastest bug in the world. they can run at 6ft in 8 secs and thats pretty fast for a small bug. they are agressive so they are not recommended for a beginner. and are difficult to keep in captivity, if you are looking to buy one then for a little tip just read up on them first.


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## Tony274 (Jan 14, 2008)

These things are crazy, i have seen them in their natural habitat in the Desert, they get quite big and chase the shadows - usually of someone scared of the little critters and the more they run away the more they chase them...its really funny. The ones i saw must be adults becuase they were quite big, probably about 9" wide and they were rapid!!!


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## pecks (Dec 29, 2007)

If their are babies avaliable that means they are being captive bred so someone must be fairly well up on their husbandry.


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

These are ugly buggers but very cool.


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## corpselight (Jan 10, 2008)

Solifugids are fantastic little creatures.
not alot is known about them, though some new findings are going to be discussed at the BTS lectures this February (unfortunately i'm not going! so gutted for this very reason)

an adult may live a few months or less in captivity, if you're lucky.
there's a petshop near me in South East London that sells baby ones for £40 with set up, which is a littly steep. i bought one once, but it was injured and didn't last long at all because of a cricket attack!

here's the info i've managed to find. this is "hear-say" but the person talking about it on arachnoboards knew the keeper in question. this keeper kept solifugids in small containers (contrary to the popular opinion that they need loads of space), and they were content, considering their small space a secure burrow. he also allowed them a hibernation period and was thus able to keep at least one specimen alive for 2 years+....maybe it's even still alive!
here's the link, to minimise hear-say: solifugids actually lives longer than we think - Arachnoboards
actually loads more info on that thread since i last looked.

they are VERY new to the hobby, and so little is known. if somebody wants to buy one and experiment with differing conditions, they may still discover something that nobody else has found out yet.
of course, the same is true with all inverts...what we do know has filled a few books...what we DON'T know has got to be several library's worth!

i will be buying them again, but £40 is a bit steep, so i'll wait til i can buy them from breeders, good traders or shows.

hope that helps.

btw, i wouldn't recommend holding one of these! they have two pairs of chelicerae, and they are serrated! like two evil parrot beaks next to each other!!!!! the paiiiin!
they're also easy to stress and take ages to calm down. i made mine angry by mistake, and it wouldn't stop clawing at the sides of the enclosure...would've been climbing if it wasn't injured as i said! the most epic temper tantrum i've ever seen...and doubtless bad for it!


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## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

My arachnologist housemate has just suggested anyone wanting to keep these or learn more should invest in the Fred Punzo - The Biology of Camel-Spiders (Arachnida, Solifugae). Fred Punzo is apparently one of the very few people to keep them throughout their entire life cycle and is the man when it comes to them.


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

Having kept these i can tell you that it is all hype. 

The bite isnt especially painful,although did leave tolittle scratches on a par to a kittens claws (OMG)

They are shy, and pretty fast also. 

To keep, they like it hot, around 100 F during the day, but for best results it needs to warm and cool naturally, so i put them in a insulated tank with a 15w bulb that came on from 700-1300 then went off. This allowed for a heat up and cool down and increase life span by at least 60%. 

If you are interested in getting them, then opt for the smallest you can find, feed every other day and provide heating as mentioned. 

Also pipette water on their mouths, i found they drink every thrid day this way, but not from standing water. 

Dan


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## phillips321 (Dec 31, 2006)

Who in their right mind would want this as a pet?!!!!


Pretty sure you could just ask a few troops to bring some home for you, plenty in iraq.


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

phillips321 said:


> Who in their right mind would want this as a pet?!!!!
> 
> 
> Pretty sure you could just ask a few troops to bring some home for you, plenty in iraq.


I would


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

I have done and would do again easily, they are one of the best inverts about, can't really say anything about people wanting them as pets when some people keep beetles, stick insects and stuff.


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## The Wanderer (Sep 14, 2007)

Young_Gun said:


> I have done and would do again easily, they are one of the best inverts about, can't really say anything about people wanting them as pets when some people keep beetles, stick insects and stuff.


I agree. Tailess whips won't win any beauty contests either, but are popular 
:lol2:


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

The Wanderer said:


> I agree. Tailess whips won't win any beauty contests either, but are popular
> :lol2:


Compared to the Solifugids whip scorps are the bottom of the :flrt: list.

Get yourself some mate, you won't regret it


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## monitorfan666 (Feb 15, 2007)

i think personally camel spiders are really beautiful, they get so much bad rep lol


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## corpselight (Jan 10, 2008)

they're bizarre looking for sure, but that's part of the appeal. i'll definitely get more.
maybe i'm in the minority, but tailless whip scorpions are really cool looking to me!


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

I can see the beauty in almost any animal but camel spiders are beyond me. Like Centipedes.....


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## corpselight (Jan 10, 2008)

oh c'mon man...centipedes are gorgeous animals! they are ferocious, sure, but the colours on certain specimens are unreal. 
i'll admit alot of solifugids are plainly coloured, but any fan of Giger should love them, i reckon
ah well, beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder


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## The Wanderer (Sep 14, 2007)

corpselight said:


> oh c'mon man...centipedes are gorgeous animals! they are ferocious, sure, but the colours on certain specimens are unreal.
> i'll admit alot of solifugids are plainly coloured, but any fan of Giger should love them, i reckon
> ah well, beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder


Agreed, pedes are the mutt's nuts :no1:


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

Lucifus said:


> I can see the beauty in almost any animal but camel spiders are beyond me. Like Centipedes.....


Centipedes are ugly as sin, same as solifugids, but that doesn't stop me seeing the 'beauty' in them, I love the sort of mechanical movements of centipedes and the pure disregard for their 'safety' when launching themselves at you :lol2:

The solifugids I love because they are a 'hybrid' between scorps and spids which to me is mint, plus have you seen those mandibles chewing somethin up, pure destruction :lol2::mf_dribble:


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Did you ever get any of these?

I posted up a summary of Punzo's work as a care sheet on these forums. 

I have to admit, I think they are fantastic animals, must be the giger thing


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