Tanzanian Giant Tailless Whip Scorpion

ANIMAL:
Tanzanian Giant Tailless Whip Scorpion Damon diadema

Type of Animal:
Tailless Whip Scorpion

Habitat:
Tree hollows, rock crevices, caves, fallen logs

Location(s):
C & E Africa

Appearance:
Very long slender antennae-like front pair of legs, highly developed spiny pincer-like pedipalps (appendages in front), dull brown to grayish coloration, one of the largest tailless whip scorpions

Food/Diet:
Insects, insect larvae, small frogs, small lizards. Molting animals occasionally cannibalized.

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding from zoos & breeders

Lifestyle:
Solitary or small colonies (same-sex individuals often related to each other & usually colonies have more females than males).

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young: Scorpling
Group: Colony
 
Weight:
Male: 0.009 oz
Female: 0.035 oz
 
Gestation:
6 months 

Life Span:
Males: 3-10 years
Females: 15-20 years

Body Length:
Male: 0.5 in
Female: 3 in

Leg Span:
Male: 7.5 in
Female: 10 in

Main predators are mammals, birds, reptiles, & amphibians.
 
Use pedipalps to catch prey & in defense.
 
Active at night (nocturnal).
 
When exposed in open, they’ll become immobile & flatten themselves to ground. Another defense mechanism is scattering in all direction. They’ll only use pedipalps as last resort.
 
Sometimes engage in fights to the death.
 
They molt every few months when young & once a year when adults.
 
After molting, it takes 7-10 days to fully harden again.
 
To have successful molt, they need to stretch out & hang upside down.
 
Courtship involves male guiding female to deposited sperm packet & inserting it into reproductive opening. Female carries 6-60 eggs in sac attached to abdominal underside, nourishing embryos.
 
Once eggs hatch, little scorplings white in color & carried on mom’s back for up to a week before 1st molt.
 
Reach maturity at 2 years old.

Fun Fact(s):
These animals rarely bite if disturbed but can grab fingers w/ pedipalps resulting in thorn-like puncture injuries.
 
Also called Tailless Whip Scorpion, Giant Tailless Whip Scorpion, Tanzanian Tailless Whip Scorpion, Giant Amblypygid, African Whip Spider, & Tanzanian Whip Spider among others. Interestingly, these arachnids are neither scorpions nor spiders. These animals are from order known as Amblypygids-Latin for “blunt tail.”
 
Unlike true spiders & scorpions, these animals don’t have silk glands or venom.
 
Unlike many arachnids, they move sideways.

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