Tanzanian Tailless Whip Spider — Fact Sheet

Damon diadema · Tanzanian Tailless Whip Spider

📋 At a glance

🏠 Enclosure

• One adult: at least 30 x 30 x 45 cm; solitary housing is safest.
• Cross-ventilated, escape-proof doors and ports.
• About 5 cm moisture-holding substrate; never swamp it.

🪨 Enclosure furniture

• Large vertical cork slabs with narrow retreats behind them.
• Rough molting surface with two full leg spans of clear drop.
• Leaf litter, shallow stable water dish, and a second hide.

💡 Lighting

• UVB not required.
• Low indirect light; 10-12-hour photoperiod and deep shade.
• Avoid bright or drying lamps.

🌡️ Temperature

• Upper warm point: 28-29°C

• Warm zone: 24-28°C

• Cool zone: 22-24°C

• Night: 20-24°C

• Heat the room or one side under thermostat control; measure beside the vertical hide.

💧 Humidity & water

• 70-85%; locally 80-90% near molt, always ventilated.
• Moisten one substrate area and mist a wall lightly.
• Provide a shallow stable dish; avoid stagnant saturated air.

🪳 Diet

Feed routinely:

• Captive-bred roaches, crickets, moths, or locust nymphs narrower than the body.

In moderation:

• Crickets only when monitored and removed within 12-24 hours.

Avoid:

• Vertebrate prey, wild insects, oversized prey, and any live food during premolt.

Supplements:

• None routinely; vary and gut-load feeders.

🩺 Health — warning signs

• Trapped molt, twisted legs, or fall → poor clearance, grip, hydration, or disturbance.
• Shortened sensory leg → rough capture, door injury, prey, or unsafe cohabitation.
• Persistent refusal → premolt, excessive light/heat, stress, or illness.
• Mold, mites, or condensation → saturated substrate and weak airflow.

Consult an exotics veterinarian experienced with arachnids for serious injury or continuing decline.