The tailless whip scorpion is a flat, alien-looking arachnid with grasping spiny pedipalps and long whip-like sensory legs. Harmless to humans (no venom, no sting), it is a fascinating, surprisingly social vivarium animal.
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Body ~3-4 cm; legspan up to 20 cm (8 in) including the whip-like antenniform legs.
Lifespan
5–10 years
Social needs
group
Native region
East Africa (tropical Tanzania/Kenya)
Origin
Old World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Family
Phrynichidae
Genus
Damon
Part of the Whip scorpions
Tailless whip scorpions (amblypygids) are flat, fast, harmless arachnids kept on vertical cork bark in humid terrariums; several species tolerate communal living.
More whip scorpions coming soon.
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Juvenile Amblypygi
8 × 8 × 12 in tall
Tailless whip scorpions (Amblypygi, e.g. Damon spp.) are vertical climbers — tall enclosure with vertical cork-bark slabs covering most of the height, humid substrate, and dim lighting.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Adult arboreal whip scorpion
12 × 12 × 18 in vertical, 70–80% RH
Tall vivarium with multiple cork verticals so they can flatten against bark — their natural posture. Mist daily; harmless to humans, hunt insects at night with pedipalps.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Communal tropical arboreal
18 × 18 × 24 in bioactive, communal
Some Amblypygi species tolerate communal housing in a large tall bioactive vivarium with abundant cork, leaf litter, and live plants. Stunning display and one of the few communal arachnids.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
These invertebrates lay eggs — often in a guarded clutch, a silk sac (spiders), or a brood (carried by female isopods). The eggs are small and soft and develop without a true larval or pupal transformation.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles hatch as miniature versions of the adult and grow by molting their exoskeleton (or, in snails, by enlarging the shell). They gain size, segments, or leg pairs and gradually take on adult coloration with each molt.
Adult
Adults reach full size and reproductive maturity with the species' mature form and coloration. Many arachnids and myriapods continue to molt as adults, and sexes can differ in size or in specialized appendages.
Habitat & enclosure
Use a tall vertical terrarium so this flat, wall-clinging arachnid can climb and molt hanging from cork bark — vertical clearance below the perch is essential for safe molts. Provide vertical cork-bark slabs, warmth (24-28 C), and high humidity (70-80%) with a water dish. Damon diadema is notably tolerant of conspecifics and can be kept communally with enough vertical hides.
Substrate
Moist coco fiber holds humidity at the base, while vertical cork-bark slabs provide the climbing and molting surfaces they actually use.
Equipment & setup
Tall terrarium, vertical cork-bark slabs, moist substrate, shallow water dish, spray bottle, hygrometer, and a heat source for tropical temperatures.
Diet
A carnivore that seizes live insects — crickets, roaches, and the like — with its spiny pedipalps. Feed appropriately sized prey every few days to weekly. Keep a shallow water dish for drinking and remove uneaten prey before a molt.
Behavior & temperament
Nocturnal and secretive, pressing flat against bark by day and waving its long whip-legs to sense prey at night. Completely harmless — no venom and no sting, only a grasping (not pinching) palp. Can be kept in groups, where they tolerate one another; mothers carry pale young on their backs.
Health
Hardy given humidity and vertical molting space; the main killers are low humidity and insufficient height, both causing fatal molt failures. Keep substrate and air humid, provide tall bark to molt from, and never disturb a molting individual. Lost whip-legs partly regenerate over molts.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Prioritize vertical space and bark — they molt hanging upside down and need clearance. Their docile, communal nature makes a small group a striking display; just ensure enough hides so each can claim its own patch of bark.
