Solifugae for sale

[Steven]

Hey, the petstore at my neigborhood is selling Solifugae, really big bitches. I'm in temptation of buying some. But what's keeping me down is their lifespan. and the fact that they are allready really big, so i guess they won't live that long anymore.

So question: is there anybody or has anyone ever heard of Solifugae beeing succesfully breed in captivity?

thanx
:D

[jwb121377]

Check this thread out here (http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=188&highlight=solifugid) and this one (http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4421&highlight=solifugid) and this one (http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2811&highlight=solifugid)

[Steven]

Ow, yeah, didn't used the search button,....

thanx

[jwb121377]

No problem. I could have made a post with info, but Alex, who no longer post due to time costraints, knows so much more then I do about solifugids. I will add that I think Solifugids are one of the coolest "other" inverts in the hobby. You will have to feed them often, probably at least five times per week. And I wouldn't let yourself be turned off by thier short life spans. I've had Solifugids live up to about eight months and yet others have only lived one or two months. Also check out the page on tarantulaspiders.com on solifugids it is very well done and full of information. You can check it out here. (http://www.tarantulaspiders.com/pages/solifugid.htm)

[Steven]

i've checked the links,... great info, but only one questions remains: anybody has ever bred them in captivity?

i'm starting to really like those guys :), indeed very impressive arachnids, much cooler then the usualy birdeaters, my opinion ;) :D

[jwb121377]

Originally posted by gongyles
i've checked the links,... great info, but only one questions remains: anybody has ever bred them in captivity?

i'm starting to really like those guys :), indeed very impressive arachnids, much cooler then the usualy birdeaters, my opinion ;) :D

I've only herd of one or two breedings in captivity. From what I understand is that they are VERY hard to breed. To make things a little more complex I'm not sure if many people know how to sex them.

[Steven]

That seems like a hell of challenge to breed them,...
not for an onexperienced solifugae dude like me.
i gues i'll go study them by al the things i can find and read about them. and then wait untill the next shipment of those solifugae,... maybe next year of so,... first study and exam, then going to buy some ;)

sorry for my sloppy englisch, sometimes hard to find the right words to express myself,..... :D

[Love to Foxtrot]

Buy one. They are worth the extra care time. As far as breeding and sexing, I can not help you there, but I can tell you that they are a ver active and fascinating bug. Just wait untill you get the rare opportunity to see one eat! I have seen mine eat twice, and it is pretty neat, they slice crickets with their chelicerae. It looks almost robotic. Anyway, let me know how it goes with the solfugid!

Aubrey

[Wade]

The only one I know of who's done it is Fred Punzo, who literally wrote the book on them ("The Biology of Camel Spiders (Arachnida, Solifugae)" ). He was working with North American species (Eremobates), and the ones you're seeing are doubtlessly the big northern African ones (Galeodes).

Apparently, one thing holding up the breeding attempts is the fact that males are apparently not exported often. It seems like someone would eventually get a female with fertile eggs.

Wade

[Steven]

@Wade

like you allready know is it hard to get American invertables here in Europe ;). So i don't guess i can get my hand on Eremobates.
there are 2 species sometimes offerd here: like you said the Galeodes (North African) and some South African species.
i've seen also the big black ones beeing sold, what genus is that?

greetz

[Steven]

OK, i followed your advices and bought one,.... damn those are coooool pets :D

i'll shoot some picts tjis evening :)

greetz