Carl the Vinegaroon

This #spiderday features my pet Carl the vinegaroon.

Carl's Latin name is Mastigoproctus giganteus and he is in the order of arachnids called Thelyphonida.

This was Carl on the first day I got him from an animal show. He was about 2/3 his full grown size in this photo.

His common name is whip scorpion or vinegaroon mainly because they use their long tail to spray acetic acid that burns slightly and smells like vinegar as a deterrent to predators. So far Carl has never sprayed me, though I have caught wild ones that have sprayed me before lol.

Here is carl full-grown, he got quite fat on crickets, now he is digging a hole in his enclosure.

Look at these tough looking land lobster claws. They are perfect for digging and catching prey. You can also see the little fangs they use to chew up their prey and suck out their juices.

Fortunately Carl made his tunnel next to the glass so I can see him. Most of the time he just hangs out down here until I drop in a cricket. Then he runs out and feels around for the cricket to pounce on it. These guys are blind and have to use their long feelers to find their way around.

This video demonstrates Carl outside his cage feeling around his new territory (a drum I painted). He is an easy pet that should live around 7 years, they typically only eat twice a month or so as well and don't really need too much maintenance as they mostly stay in their burrow conserving energy until their next meal. Perhaps someday @alechi will find one for sale as a pet :-)

That's all for now, happy #spiderday