# anyone keep Tailless Whip Scoprions (Amblypigids)?



## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

Just wondering if anyone keep these fasinating critters:

-what are they like as pets?
-are they active (out alot)?
-any pics of them or setup?
- any good links of caresheets?

I was considering getting a couple of ghost mantids but these seem alot more intrested?

any more good links, tips, etc?

thanks


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

bump, anyone?


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## adw (Aug 30, 2009)

Yep I have one!!  they are a very interesting and weird looking pet but to be honest you probably won't see it much they like it dark with lots of tight spaces to hid in. 
And even tho they are very unlikely to bite/ pinch they are very flighty and have very long delicate legs so not really a good pet to handle as it's very easy to damage them. 

If you want something a bit different go for the tailless whip scorpion, if you want something you can handle and see more (tho they don't move much) go for the ghost mantis. Both nice little critters tho : victory:


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

There's a care sheet here http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/invert-care-sheets/418486-amblypygid-care-updated.html


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

isit a rare sight to see them out in the open? I was looking for something special and weird, im fine with removing them from there enclosure in a cricket tub etc, as long as they make up for it with intresting hunting and views etc because i find them amazing  were could i buy them from, my local pet shop said they can get them for approx £30 does this sound resonable?

also any pics of them and setups ?

thanks again


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

£30 is steep.

Martin French Arachnids - BugzUk - Breeding, importing and selling insects. usually has them in for about £12 I think, they're showing not in stock at the moment but if you email him, he might be able to tell you when he's getting some more in.

or here Metamorphosis has them for £10
Other Inverts

I had one for a while and it was pretty unusual to see him out and about. They are very secretive.


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## adw (Aug 30, 2009)

Well I only paid £7 for mine as a young captive bred specimen from the Newark show but £30 seems about the price I see adults in shops. And I very rarely see mine in the open, it prefers to hid in the day and come out and hunt at night. You might wanna check Martin goss' site, bugzuk site and Virginia cheeseman site as iv seen them before on there sites and they are usually cheaper than most pets shops even with postage.


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

oh okay I will look into the prices then... what would you reccomend then ghost or damon? 

any pics of setups? or damons?


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## adw (Aug 30, 2009)

Only picture I have of my little tailesswhip scorpion sorry about the crap quality lol it kept moving so I gave up lol I'd say get both :whistling2: lol both nice additions to a collection :2thumb:










One of one of my ghosts as well


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## buglc (Sep 21, 2010)

I brought one of these at the SEAS show last Sunday. Mine is out a lot of the time but does spend most of the day hiding under tree bark, plants etc. The spider shop has them for sale which is who I got mine from and he is really healthy and is eating loads. 
They are great amazing little creatures. There is a pic of him here:
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/spiders-inverts/646276-s-e-s-buys.html


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

wow thanks people any pics of setups?


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

i was looking for an invert that is really intresting, i dont mind if its aggressive i guess that makes it more intresting, something different, not to dangerous. Also hopefully im goin uni in a couple of years so i feel really bad saying this, but i dont wont anything that lives to long... any ideas? sorry if you hear these threads and comments all the times, just wondering what would be most suitable?


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Ghost mantids are brilliant little things  I've got four, and although they don't move a whole lot, you do see 'em catch their food (when it wanders close to them) and they're easy to handle and photograph


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

If you want something which doesn't live too long, is active and is more interesting I'd probably stick with mantids tbh. I have a tail-less whip scorpion called freaky, cos she's freaky. I love the way mine hunts, BUT they really are only active at night, and it has to be very dark. They are active then, if I wake up and have a look or if I'm on the computer late with the lights off I'll be somewhere different most times I look and often in the open. 

They are easy to keep though. Vertical enclosure, lots of big piece of cork bark spanning the enclosure for it to hide behind. Humidity seems to be debatable but I keep it on the dry side, I pretty much spray it and don't again until it's totally dried out, I don't provide a water bowl as I found it never went down to use it, it usually comes out when I spray the enclosure and drinks by rubbing it's claws against wet surfaces then putting them to it's mouth.

By the way communal set-ups are risky. Freaky was 1 of 3..she's the only one left. But she's moulted three times now and I've had her.. coming up to two years I think.


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

oh okay so you reccomend ghost mantids? any other inverts i could look at? i dont mind if it lives for 2-3 years?


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## zeroclutter (Feb 7, 2011)

I happen to keep 19 tailless whip scorpions. (d. diadema) All the care sheets are pretty accurate. If you follow them there shouldn't be any problems. They really are nocturnal so seeing them feed is a rare occurrence unless they're really hungry. Obviously I would choose a d. diadema over a ghost mantis any day, but since longevity is your concern I would stick with the mantis. But if you do decide to get a whip scorpion my tips are as follows:
as with tarantulas a fine misting will be enough drinking water when they are smaller but larger ones need a water bowl.
with smaller specimens you could use styrofoam cups as little dwellings for them (plus they don't mold)
If you don't think your whip scorpion has been eating look at the abdomen if its flat they haven't think about changing up the food size
If the abdomen of one of your scorpions is bloated and discolored (blue) expect a moult within a week or so
Good luck,
Randy


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## DJ Gee (Nov 25, 2007)

Male









Female









Easy to breed too, male stayed with the female for 3 months then removed when I noticed eggs. 
Use the care sheet provided it gives you good knowledge on keeping them.


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## Harbinger (Dec 20, 2008)

I want to keep as many species of tailless whip scorpions as i can, im amazed by them 
They are fairly easy to maintain and very interesteding, i currently keep Damon diadema and Phyrnus marginemaculatus at the minute, i think thats all thats in the UK. Martin French did offer Charon grayii but no one was succesful with them from what i've heard. Sadly though the Phyrnus marginemaculatus were imported by the spider shop who had a mass die off off out of their 15 individuals. So out of the 5 i ordered i just got 2, ive seen mating behaviour so i hope they are a pair, maybe the only one in england so no pressure 
The D.diadema were shy at first but after a few months seem to be more active, ive had them since last years BTS and only recently seen them feed..
They are very interesting pets, mostly active at night andd quite long lived. You could always sell them on though if you have to go to uni.

Here's a pic from the other week of my D.diadema arboreal set up, nothings changed though.










And my P.marginemaculatus set up, more terrestrial in mind as most of the photo's i've seen of wild ones are under stones.










Some photo's 

D.diadema

My old one i had ages ago, sadly lost it to a mis moult 



















And now my current adult pair.




























P.marginemaculatus


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

wow they look so strange, but really cool! great pics as well, thank you... any other inverts people reccomend? to add to the dilema:lol2:


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