That Reptile Blog » Arachnids

Pet-Safe Cricket and Roach Control for Reptile and Amphibian Owners

findiviglio — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:13:37 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Almost every zoo building in which I’ve worked was home to roach (2-3 species) and House Cricket populations. In most, pesticide use was not an option. An older animal keeper whom I befriended let me in on his favorite insect pest control technique – the molasses trap. He was content to More >

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Pet-Safe Cricket and Roach Control for Reptile and Amphibian Owners

Live Food Care – Reptile, Amphibian, Tarantula and Scorpion Diets

findiviglio — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:11:28 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. I’ve covered a number of less-commonly kept food animals in this care guide, along with pet trade staples. Please consider as many as you can, as dietary variety is critical to the health of most pets. The extra effort on your part will be very worthwhile…novel foods also inspire enthusiastic feeding More >

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Live Food Care – Reptile, Amphibian, Tarantula and Scorpion Diets

Scorpions as Pets – an Overview of their Care

findiviglio — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:18:55 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. I can’t remember a time when scorpions did not fascinate me, and their lure grows stronger with each new species I encounter. In the past, I’ve written on the care and natural history of Emperor, Flat Rock, Asian Forest and other popular scorpions. Today I’d like to present a general overview. More >

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Scorpions as Pets – an Overview of their Care

Hatching Praying Mantid Egg Cases to Feed Tiny Amphibians and Invertebrates

findiviglio — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:17:58 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Dietary variety is the key to success in rearing many herps and invertebrates. Unfortunately, options for newly-transformed frogs and salamanders, Poison Frogs and other small species and hatchling spiders are limited. A diet of fruit flies, springtails and pinhead crickets sometimes suffices, but as I learned when rearing the endangered Kihansi Spray More >

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Hatching Praying Mantid Egg Cases to Feed Tiny Amphibians and Invertebrates

Reptile and Amphibian Foods – Breeding and Rearing Grasshoppers and Locusts

findiviglio — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:29:34 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. The Domestic or House Cricket is perhaps the world’s most popular herp food, the closely-related locusts, grasshoppers and katydids have been neglected as a food source here in the USA. However, many are easily collected and bred in captivity, and offer important nutrients lacking in commercially-bred insects. What’s more, they are More >

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Reptile and Amphibian Foods – Breeding and Rearing Grasshoppers and Locusts

Treating Sick and Injured Emperor Scorpions

findiviglio — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:58:26 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Reptile and amphibian keepers know how hard it is to find veterinary care for their pets, but those who keep scorpions face even greater difficulties. I found one or two vets willing to experiment while working at the Bronx Zoo, but in private practice your options are just about non-existent. What More >

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Treating Sick and Injured Emperor Scorpions

World’s Largest Arachnids – Eight-Foot-Long Scorpions of Ancient Seas

findiviglio — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:39:57 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. While the Emperor Scorpion and the South African Flat Rock Scorpion are, by today’s standards, huge and impressive, they pale in comparison to their extinct relatives. Imagine, if you will, an 8-foot-long scorpion sporting spiked claws that extended 2 feet from its body! Well, thanks to newly uncovered fossil evidence, we More >

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World’s Largest Arachnids – Eight-Foot-Long Scorpions of Ancient Seas

Beyond Webs – Swimming, Spitting and Other Spider Hunting Methods – Part 2

findiviglio — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:47:58 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Please see Part 1 of this article for a look at the unique hunting techniques employed by Fishing, Trap Door and other spiders. Orb Webs I’ve been avoiding “traditional spiders”, but wanted to include an observation I made over 20 years ago in Costa Rica. I was tossing katydids into the huge More >

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Beyond Webs – Swimming, Spitting and Other Spider Hunting Methods – Part 2

Beyond Webs – Swimming, Spitting and Other Spider Hunting Methods – Part 1

findiviglio — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:31:28 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Silk webs are amazing innovations, and the “sit and wait” tarantula stategy is remarkably effective…but among the world’s spiders we also find a mind-boggling array of other hunting techniques. Some of these odd hunters, such as Fishing, Jumping and Trapdoor Spiders, occasionally appear in the trade…all are worth a closer look. More >

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Beyond Webs – Swimming, Spitting and Other Spider Hunting Methods – Part 1

Insects, Spiders, Other Invertebrates Have Distinct Personalities – New Research

findiviglio — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:29:13 +0000

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Most invertebrate keepers have noticed that individuals of the same species often behave quite differently under the same circumstances. For example, one Giant Bird-Eating Spider might feed in broad daylight and be content to remain in the open, while another refuses to eat unless provided with a deep burrow and complete More >

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Insects, Spiders, Other Invertebrates Have Distinct Personalities – New Research