Whip Scorpion Care sheet

[GRB]

Uropygid (Whip Scorpion) Care Sheet


Introduction:


Uropygids, or Whip Scorpions are members of the class Arachnida. They should now be formally classified as “Thelyphonids” as the name Uropygid was adopted after the initial naming. However, most sources still refer to them as Uropygids, of the order Uropygi. At present there are around 100 species in 15 genera, with all occurring in tropical or semi-tropical habitats.

The most common species offered for sale are of the genus Mastigoproctus, but others are becoming more often seen for sale in the UK.

Housing


Whip scorpions are nocturnal animals, and as such provisions should be made so that the enclosure experiences day and night cycles without too much interruption.

They have a tendency to wander during the night, so they require a larger tank than an equivalent sized tarantula. For the two 3cm juveniles I have, I house them in a 24” x 12” x 12” enclosure with no problems. This enclosure is slightly larger again as there is 2 individuals inhabiting it (see notes below).

Deep substrate is needed as Whip scorpions tend to construct burrows, and will often take prey back to such areas to be consumed in safety. A substrate of depth 5-6” can be used and safely heated with a heat mat, provided it does not cover the entire tank.

In my enclosure, I use a mix of sphagnum moss (sieved to reduce fragment size) mixed with coir block (about 50:50). This allows for easy retention of humidity levels, and is easy to burrow into. Hides should be provided – in this case, cork hides were used, under which the whip scorpions constructed their burrows.

A shallow drinking dish can be provided, but I myself have never seen them drink. They have a reputation for being able to drown themselves, so gravel in the dish is a good idea.


Feeding


Whip scorpions are nocturnal predators, so any invertebrate feeder insect smaller than the whip scorpion should be accepted. Some keeps report success with small crickets, hatchling locusts and other small invertebrates. I am currently trying small Antrenous beetle larvae, but it is too early to report any success.

As my enclosure is a communal set-up, I am providing ample food items to hopefully prevent any hostility. Therefore, I cannot advise on individual feeding – a reasonable estimate would be to feed once a week on a few feeder insects.

Larger species, such as Mastigoproctus gigantus have been reported to feed on small vertebrates. However, for the majority of whip scorpions, vertebrate prey is likely to be too large.

Reproduction


I have never observed this myself. I imagine it is similar to tailless whip scorpion and scorpion mating styles.

Wikipedia has a translation of the original paper by Schmidt, 1993:

“Males secrete a sperm sac, which is transferred to the female. Up to 35 eggs are laid in a burrow, within a mucous membrane that preserves moisture. Mothers stay with the eggs and do not eat. The white young that hatch from the eggs climb onto their mother's back and attach themselves there with special suckers. After the first molt they look like miniature whip scorpions, and leave the burrow; the mother dies soon after. The young grow slowly, going through three molts in about three years before reaching adulthood. They live for up to another four years”



Handling


Whip scorpions have a reputation for being docile, yet skittish. My own pair are very nervous, but seem fine to handle. They are very fast, and if harassed too much will shoot a very strong smelling acetic acid spray in your direction – obviously not great if it gets into your eyes.

My own limited experience of handling them suggests that they are probably best not handled unless you are gentle and confident in your abilities. Although they do not possess any venom, I have heard reports that a nip from M.gigantus is very, very painful.

Communal set-ups?

At present I am trying a communal set-up with 2 whip scorpions. I am providing ample food and a larger tank to reduce the chance of hostility. It's too early to say much yet, but it appears that in juveniles at least, seem to tolerate each other in an enclosure.

Care at a glance


Large enclosure, deep substrate (5-6”)

Numerous hides, may burrow

70-90% humidity for tropical species.

Less for semi arid US species (65%-75%)

18-25C Temperature for most tropical species.

Higher for US semi-arid species, but provide areas to cool. Side mounted heat mat/light more applicable here.


Picture:

[Captive Herps]

Good care sheet, i might add. my big guy drinks our of a water dish... and if i keep it in to long he will just drink and drink and will never eat.. and my guy never catcheshis own food so im not sure when he will lol ive always hand feed him lol but most of the info is good ( good job)

[GRB]

What species do you have? They seem to be quite rare in the UK, and im always up for hearing other keeper's stories.

[enlightenment]

Would £20 be a reasonable price for one of these?

[GRB]

I paid £15 for large CB juveniles, so £20 is a little high IMO if they are juveniles. Adults, well it depends. They have a short adult lifespan of around 4 years, so I guess it depends on how rare they are currently - they seem to be available quite seasonally.

However, I have seen Lee from the spidershop stock WC ones for £8.99 small, and £13.99 for adult/large. However, I dont buy WC if I can help it.