Don’t fear the whip spider

WHIP spiders are totally harmless and common in tropical and subtropical environments world wide. In Durban the whip spider is very common. They are quite large in size, with a body diametre a bit bigger than a five rand coin when fully grown.

Whip spiders are also known as tailless whip scorpions or whip scorpions. Even though they kind of resemble a scorpion, they are actually more closely related to spiders, hence the common English name of whip spider.

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They have eight legs, although they only use six legs for walking. These spiders live in dark places and only venture out at night. The whip spider does not have good vision, so its first pair of legs are actually used as feelers. The feelers are long and “whip” like, sometimes measuring as long as 15cm.

The whip spider has a crab-like sideways walk while feeling around for suitable small prey, such as woodlice. Prey is grabbed with the large spines on its grasping pedipalps, the claw like forearms. Due to the fact that they don’t have venom, they are very nervous creatures, being very quick to get out of the way of danger.

They often play dead if one does try to pick them up. These spiders often wonder into homes, specially during rains. Like all scorpions and some spiders, the whip spider is actually a good mother. She lays her eggs into a sac that is kept under her abdomen. When the eggs hatch the mother stays with her young, having her babies climb on her back where they are kept safe.

Although scientists are still not sure how or why these spiders communicate, he said mother spiders and siblings have been seen communicating with each other using their whip-like forearms. After their first molt the young move off on their own.

Contact Warren to have some of your interesting spiders, snakes or other wildlife identified. Call or WhatsApp him on 072 211 0353 or visit his Facebook page, Warren’s Small World.

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