African Tailless Whip Scorpion (Damon variegatus)

African Tailless Whip Scorpion (Damon variegatus)
Also called whip spider. Amblypygi — not a spider and not a scorpion.

A smaller African cousin of Damon diadema. Body around 1–1.5 inches in adults, with long sensory “whips” and raptorial pedipalps. No venom. They can pinch. Grey-brown rather than the slightly larger, often paler D. diadema. Range is wide across southern and eastern Africa. The pet trade mixes these two constantly; we list them under the name we were given and will correct it if an ID is clearly wrong.

Captive-bred is our default. Wild-caught imports of this species are common and cheap. Source will be on the listing. Missing or short whip legs until the next molt are normal.

Care overview

Same setup as D. diadema. Tall, secure enclosure with vertical cork or bark. One animal unless you have a lot of cover and are watching them. Moisture-holding substrate, mid-70s °F, humidity around 65–80% with airflow. Mist the walls so they can drink droplets.

Feed appropriately sized live crickets or roaches. Remove leftovers. No calcium or vitamin dusting. Do not handle the whips. No UVB.