Giant Tailless Whipscorpion (Damon diadema / Damon medius) Care Sheet

Scientific Name: Damon variegatus / diadema / medius

Common Name: Tanzanian Giant Tailless Whipscorpion, Tanzanian Tailless Whipscorpion, and Giant Tailless Whipscorpion, Tailless Whip Scorpion

Type: Arboreal

Endemic Location: Tanzania and Kenya

Body Length: 2”  (5cm)

Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 10-15” (25-338cm)

Growth Rate: Medium

Life Expectancy: Females 20 years / Males 5-10 years

Recommended Experience Level: Beginner

Damon diadema, or the Giant Tailless Whipscorpion, is one of the most unique types of arachnid. Tailless Whipscorpions can be found in tropical and subtropical environments, from Florida to Arizona, though most of the species in the hobby are endemic to Tanzania, Kenya and surrounding areas though there are over 150 different species described so far. This is a beginner friendly species as they do not possess venom and do not bite humans, though they can pinch you with their pincers if you agitate them a great deal. Other than the minute risk of a pinch, they are harmless to humans though can look very intimidating. Similar to the Vinegaroon, the Tailless Whip Scorpion (or as my friend Kyly likes to call them the “Taylor Swift Scorpion”) has 8 legs, making it an arachnid, but only 6 of the legs are used for walking and they move sideways like a crab. The front pair of legs have evolved into very long antennae form legs it uses to feel around its environment, coral prey, and sense chemicals and vibrations. The resemblance of these antennae like legs to a whip, and their lack of a tail, is why they’re referred to as Tailless Whip Scorpions, though they aren’t a scorpion at all. Though their body only grows to a few inches in length, the leg span can be as much as 10-15 inches when their front legs are fully extended. The pedipalps of this species have evolved into these evil looking pinchers they use for self defense and to hold their prey while eating. Females of this species can live as long as 20 years with males only living between 5-10 years at most. Determining the sex of this species can be a little difficult, especially when they are young, but once they are around their adult size, males pedipalps will extend past the first joint on the first pair of walking legs while the females will not.

This is a nocturnal species meaning they will be most active at night. They make their homes in tree hollows, crevices in rock, or any confined space they squeeze themselves into to feel secure. This species will molt every few months when young and about once a year as adults. To have a successful molt they require enough space to stretch out and hang upside down so they can pull out of their molt completely. And like tarantulas, they will take a week to 10 days to fully harden after a molt as an adult. This requirement means they are best set up in an arboreal style enclosure. 

The husbandry for this species is very simple and easy. I keep my TWS in a 10 gallon aquarium turned up on its end to make an arboreal enclosure that is taller than it is wide. I provide a cork bark or foam back as well as including a few long pieces of cork bark to lean up on the side of the enclosures at angles. This gives the TWS things to climb around on while hunting as well as locations for it to hang from when it molts. It is important to provide softer surfaces, like cork bark or foam backs as they have a more difficult time clinging to hard, less porous items like some hard woods and plastics. I provide a few inches of substrate in the bottom of the enclosure i keep a little damp to help with humidity as well as to give them the opportunity to burrow a little bit if they feel inclined. I also provide a few hanging plants as it seems when they have a little more cover in the enclosure they tend to venture out in the open more often. 

  As far as feeding, I offer my adults one or two medium to large crickets once every 7-10 days. I feed more often in the summer and less often in the winter. I remove any uneaten prey 24 hours later and try again the following week.  Though I do not have any young TWS, I have been told they are normally fed small crickets twice a week and it is a good idea to wait 5-7 days after a molt before attempting to begin feeding. 

Even though this is a non-venomous and docile species or arachnid...handling is not always a good idea. There is only a small chance the TWS may pinch you if it feels threatened, which isn’t that painful at all, but the real danger is in the damage you could accidentally due to your TWS. The body of this species is small and fragile, and the antennae form legs can be damaged easily if you are not careful, so sudden movements or accidentally pulling on them could break their antennae and a fall could be deadly. So always practice caution and safe handling practices any time you handle this species. One very cool aspect of this species in that they can recognize their own offspring and care for them for extended amounts of time. Children will live together until approaching maturity and then move off in their own directions before getting territorial and aggressive.