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The Florida Black and White millipede is among the fastest growing giant millipedes and can grow from hatching to full grown adult in a year and a half or less. The specimen pictured is from an island off of Florida where it is common. The mainland form is much more brown/salmon on the bottom and legs and can be found throughout much of the Southeast.
Each individual of this species can range from very brightly pink -red on the legs and between each segment to light pink. Some of the males, especially, can be very striking. Unfortunately it takes at least 3 years to reach the adult length of over 100mm.
Although stretching the definition of "US" millipedes since it is found in Puerto Rico (a commonwealth), the Orange spotted millipede is one of the prettiest of the millipedes. A large specimen may measure in at 4in. (100mm) and females readily lay eggs in captivity. Karsch (1881) recognized two other subspecies of arboreus on the basis of color and geography.
The Texas striped millipede is the longest of the U.S. millipedes at up to six inches although it is thinner than a large pink or black and white millipede. These like a dryer environment- still moist but not wet- but otherwise enjoy the same foods and care of other millipedes.
Among the most beautiful of the many US polydesmids. This flat millipede is quicker than the round millipedes but still eats the same foods including rotten wood, dead leaves, and dry dog food. Adults are two inches long and half an inch wide. Another of the colorful large polydesmid species. This species is easily kept in captivity and lives a long time. Adults can be close to three inches long.
This is one of the giant species of U.S. centipedes (chilopods). Although not as large as Scolopendra heros, this vicious creature can be nearly 6 inches (150mm) long and as big around as your little finger. This monster is as happy to grab you with his back end as well as with his front.
This is the largest species of centipede native to the US and it is said that this species can be up to twelve inches in length, however a max of 8 inches is a bit more reality based. Of course this animal is extremely active and devours other insects, small lizards, and tiny mammals. Although not quite as big as some species of exotic centipedes, S. heros is much more colorful than most types available.
A. anax is one of the largest tarantulas from the US yet is usually very calm and a great pet. Female Texas tans live twenty five or more years in captivity. As with other tarantulas, crickets and Lobster roaches are loved foods.
This hairy creature is one of the most sought after of the U.S. species of tarantulas. A very pretty species despite lacking bright metallic colors. Adult females live a long time and are usually not too aggressive.
C. longitarsus is a medium/small sized tarantula with hairy longs legs and a span of nearly three and a half inches. As with most tarantulas, this species hunts down small insects like crickets and chews them up. This species is only found in CA, USA.
This giant orb weaving spider is found throughout North America but becomes less common the further North in its range. Giant, silvery, perfectly geometric webs are woven by these huge web spinners to catch all sorts of flying insects. In captivity is is necessary to either throw crickets into the web, which usually wiggle free, or feed live flies or moths. These spiders will not hunt and catch animals no matter how hungry they become.
By far the biggest of all the web spinning spiders in the US. The leg span of this monster can be over four inches. The silk produced is a strong yellow or golden color and the massive webs which can reach over five feet across are tough enough to catch giant katydids and grasshoppers. As with all the giant web spinners the males are tiny in comparison to the female and more resemble a house spider. Females produce three to five egg cases the size of a marble which hatch after three months at room temp. Young are cannibalistic and easy to rear but as with other web spinners it is necessary to feed them flying fruit flies and not wingless flies.
Jumping or Crab Spiders are certainly the most colorful or our spiders. Some are metallic blue, orange, green, or even red like this one. This individual is a female and much more colorful than the tiny male. If you look closely, you can see she is feeding on a cockroach.
The amblypigids have got to be the neatest of the arachnids: they run like sally-light foot crabs, they are not poisonous, and the strange antenna-like front legs fold and unfold at will. They actually walk sideways instead of forwards. The first set of legs are very elongated and are used as feelers. Females of this sp. glue pea-green eggs to the underside of their abdomen and hold them until they hatch. To see female with hatchlings click here .
Unlike the above species which is found throughout the Southern US, this species is only from South Texas to Mexico. Adults are near impossible to catch as they live in desert areas on rock faces and as soon as they hide they cannot be caught without the use of dynamite. Also, they are very very fast. This Paraphrynus sp. is 25% larger than the above species and the legs and pedipalps are larger in comparison to the body.
H. arizonensis is a very pretty scorpion with many specimens having lemon yellow appendages. Also, the Desert Hairy is the largest U.S. species and can attain a length of 5 inches (127mm)! Females are live bearing.
The Bark scorpion is a very thin and dark scorpion which I have never seen in the wild despite collecting often in Florida Females carry around egg cases and later carry young nymphs on their backs.
Although not one of the
larger species, U. mordax has larger (fatter) claws than many of the US
species. This docile animal can be kept together with others of its species
even if the largest is many times the size of the smallest.
V. spinigeris is a very nice scorpion from the Southwest. Adults feed well on full grown crickets and live a few years. The adults are much larger than Uroctonus.
The vinegaroons are probably one of the weirdest creatures on the planet. These critters use their front legs and "tail" as feelers and squirt out actual vinegar as a defense against predators. I have smelled many stink bugs, stink beetles, defensive smells of walkingsticks, etc. ,however, only the vinegaroon makes me wonder if it would taste as good as vinegar and oil potato chips when I am really hungry. Like other arachnids the vinegaroon eats other arthropods as food but is a little shy while eating.
This incredible monster hails from Southern Texas and females are over two inches long. Solpugid feeding is amazing as their strange mouthparts are used to eat animals outside of the mouth with only liquids making it inside and the rest being discarded without ever having entered the mouth. The longish forelegs shoot out a white "foot" which sticks to anything and is used in the capture of prey. Unfortunately adults do not live long. Click here for a photo of a female carrying eggs which can be seen through the abdomen. |
Swifts Arachnids & Invertebrates.
