Amblypygids, offspring and fungus

Hello All,
Firstly, please excuse my ignorance and please correct me if I mess up any terms (I'll ? them if I'm unsure of my terminology). I am a novice scorpion keeper. I am looking to learn all I can about their captive care, biology, etc.

I have a pair of amplypygids - the female is gravid (?). I am keeping them in an enclosure with coconut husk fiber substrate with a layer of oak and magnolia leaves. Two pieces of bark (found outside, boiled and baked) are piled up for hiding and climbing. The gravid female's eggs look as though they are very soon to hatch - I can see the pedipalps (?, I am guessing the "arm" structure of the amblypygids have their own name) of the offspring inside. What concerns me is there seems to be a white layer of fungus (or so it seems, not sure what it is) growing underneath her over the eggs. It must be very recent, having formed this week. I have since provided more ventilation (assuming this may be humidity related). Maybe it is from some of the outside bark/leaves that I brought in? I have read they like high humidity and can even survive under water for over 24 hours... so I'd be surprised if it were solely from humidity and ventilation. Should I be concerned? She seems to be in good health and active as usual. I will say that I have noticed a similar white material on scorpions that recently gave birth. Here is the individual below:

https://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/t8638-amblypygid


Thanks for all your help, any thoughts?

Sean

Sutor wrote:

What concerns me is there seems to be a white layer of fungus (or so it seems, not sure what it is) growing underneath her over the eggs. It must be very recent, having formed this week. I have since provided more ventilation (assuming this may be humidity related). Maybe it is from some of the outside bark/leaves that I brought in? I have read they like high humidity and can even survive under water for over 24 hours... so I'd be surprised if it were solely from humidity and ventilation. Should I be concerned? She seems to be in good health and active as usual. I will say that I have noticed a similar white material on scorpions that recently gave birth. Here is the individual below:

https://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/t8638-amblypygid


Thanks for all your help, any thoughts?

Sean

Hi Sean.

Could you get new pics? As a precaution, I'd try to increase the ventilation and perhaps take out some of the leaves if there is any mold on them.

Sutor wrote:

Hello All,
Firstly, please excuse my ignorance and please correct me if I mess up any terms (I'll ? them if I'm unsure of my terminology). I am a novice scorpion keeper. I am looking to learn all I can about their captive care, biology, etc.

Feel free to ask questions if you're unsure of anything, or if you want information on a specific species, etc.

Quote :

I can see the pedipalps (?, I am guessing the "arm" structure of the amblypygids have their own name) of the offspring inside.

This should help with your terminology.

Thanks very much, I wasn't sure whether the pedipalps where the entire structure there or just the little grasping appendage at the end. I will try and get some pictures of her underbelly asap, however I did briefly get her on a piece of screen yesterday to see for myself and the white layer seems to have gone.

Thanks for the help thus far. Any suggestions on favored feeding items? I have been using crickets - one or two at a time, don't want to risk one molting while I'm out and becoming the meal -but they are kind of a pain. Small dubia roaches maybe?

Sean

They aren't picky eaters, so crickets, dubias, B. lateralis, and pretty much any other roach would be fine.

They usually hang upside down or on a vertical slant when they molt, so the risk of them being attacked by food items is not as high as with other arachnids. (I've noticed that crickets rarely cling upside-down to bark for extended periods of time.)

good to hear! I am always so careful with my ambly's and mantids, I have little experience keeping invertebrates long term. I've actually gotten out of bed to take out a single, small cricket before! It takes a while for a cricket to encounter my ambly's, which may be a design flaw in my enclosure. I've only watched one of my adults feed on one occasion,

I do get to watch the offspring snag fruitflies fairly often. Thanks again,

Sean

No problem.

When you get a chance, you should try to get some Damon diadema. They get quite a bit larger than your Phrynus.

I am absolutely interested in other species of amblypygids, and D. diadema is a definite interest (going to begin looking for captive bred D. diadema soon). Also considering a scorpion species or two, but I think I'd want a larger ambly species first. How big do P. marginemaculatus get in captivity? I have read a lot of different things and many seem to have photos displaying misidentified amblys.

Amblypygids seem to be of little interest on arachnid/invert forums, or maybe I am looking in the wrong places.

Thanks for your info thus far, but I must probe for more

I would very much like to keep my current ambly's and future ambly's in realistic enclosures. I will admit I have not read so much to determine whether this is practical, safe for the amblypygids, etc., but I have read about their habitat requirements in nature.

here are my habitat specifications:
Substrate: coconut husk/ground leaf (oak, magnolia) mixture
Plants: a type of selaginella, not doing so hot but I have no real lighting on them
Other: large bark pieces securely stacked against eachother for molting, climbing, etc.
I use springtails and dwarf white isopods to keep down mold and other things in frog and mantis enclosures. I have not yet done this for my ambly's.

Is it safe to house them in an enclosure that is suitable for live plant growth pending all other habitat requirements for the ambly's are met?

Thanks for reading the long windedness


Sean

to those interested - my first offspring experience as off this saturday ( I have some I1's from when I purchaser them)

Sutor wrote:

I am absolutely interested in other species of amblypygids, and D. diadema is a definite interest (going to begin looking for captive bred D. diadema soon). Also considering a scorpion species or two, but I think I'd want a larger ambly species first. How big do P. marginemaculatus get in captivity? I have read a lot of different things and many seem to have photos displaying misidentified amblys.

When you get some Damon diadema, be sure to read the Damon diadema caresheet

I haven't kept any Phrynus sp. so I can't really say anything regarding their average size. Amblygids have no terminal molt, so these animals grow their entire lives, so the size may be determined from how old the animal is.

Quote :

Amblypygids seem to be of little interest on arachnid/invert forums, or maybe I am looking in the wrong places.

You're correct in that. I think it's due to the fact that Amblypygids haven't been kept in captivity as long as tarantulas and scorpions. Michael Seiter (Known as Banshee05 on "Arachnoboards" and Banshee on "The Venomlist") seems to be the only person with an extensive Amblypygi collection.

Quote :

I would very much like to keep my current ambly's and future ambly's in realistic enclosures. I will admit I have not read so much to determine whether this is practical, safe for the amblypygids, etc., but I have read about their habitat requirements in nature.

here are my habitat specifications:
Substrate: coconut husk/ground leaf (oak, magnolia) mixture
Plants: a type of selaginella, not doing so hot but I have no real lighting on them
Other: large bark pieces securely stacked against eachother for molting, climbing, etc.
I use springtails and dwarf white isopods to keep down mold and other things in frog and mantis enclosures. I have not yet done this for my ambly's.

Is it safe to house them in an enclosure that is suitable for live plant growth pending all other habitat requirements for the ambly's are met?

Everything sounds great. I use potho plants in my enclosures, they require very little light and are quite hardy. You can definitely use isopods in your amblypygi enclosures.

Quote :

Thanks for reading the long windedness

No problem.

Sutor wrote:

to those interested - my first offspring experience as off this saturday ( I have some I1's from when I purchaser them)

Spoiler:

Congrats on the brood.

Quote :

You're correct in that. I think it's due to the fact that Amblypygids haven't been kept in captivity as long as tarantulas and scorpions. Michael Seiter (Known as Banshee05 on "Arachnoboards" and Banshee on "The Venomlist") seems to be the only person with an extensive Amblypygi collection.

No excuses for why these aren't more popular. They're so unusual... I will have to contact Michael. I read your caresheet on D. diadema the day I picked these guys up. Very informative, thanks:) I'll be sure to use it when I pick up a pair.

I think it's time... Year of the Amblypygid.

So I DID get some D. diadema - will post pictures of them soon. They seem to be quicker to go on the hunt, roving about their vivarium, but the P. marginemaculatus will eventually rove if hungry enough. Here are some pics of some offspring, my recently molted adult female, and her exuvia (all P. marginemaculatus). I really enjoy keeping these guys... in comparison to my dart frogs and other things I have kept in the past, they are not the most active (quite active at night, virtually absent during day), but they are some of the most fascinating creatures. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, please feel free to ask questions or post pics of your own.

Sean

I didn't expect her to increase in size, assuming she was fully grown, though I have heard size can greatly be related to age because they have no terminal molt. I really like P. marginemaculatus - though the more active Damon diadema are really great too. One just molted during the hurricane - awesome creatures.

Yeah, amazing animals. Definitely my favorite group of arachnids.


And yes, their size is largely determined by age.

One of mine molted last week.