Thelyphonus sp.
Sold under its hobby name. This guide covers the group or trade name this fella is sold as, so the ranges fit the whole group. Start in the middle and watch how your animal settles in.
Thai Vinegaroon: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A glossy Asian vinegaroon sold under its trade name: no venom, no sting, just a vinegar spray. Give it a soil burrow with a damp lower layer, supported cork, and a water dish. House alone, and leave closed retreats undisturbed.
Group: Spiders & Other InvertsDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Terrestrial burrower, deep soil, supported corkHandling: Transfers only, don't grab legs or tail
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | Steady room temp; avoid sun and heat |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 70-80%: damp lower layer, dry ventilation, dish |
| Setup Type | Terrestrial burrower, deep soil, supported cork |
| Substrate | Deep cohesive soil, chamber under secured cork |
| Feeding | Crickets/roaches sized to the animal, adjust to condition |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 3: Intermediate |
| Handling | Transfers only, don't grab legs or tail |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Juveniles: secure container with full burrowing space and no gaps to escape through.
- Adults: deep enclosure with room for a full chamber, surface movement, and water access.
Warnings First
- Keep face and eyes away from its defensive spray; this is a standard vinegaroon precaution.
- Don't grab the legs, tail, or pincers during a transfer.
- Support the cork so digging can't make it collapse.
- Never pour water into an occupied chamber, and never leave live prey with a molting animal.
Simple Care
- House it alone, as a precaution.
- Use a secure lid and check every ventilation gap.
- Give it firm burrowing soil and stable cover.
- Keep a damp refuge, ventilation, and accessible water.
- Offer prey sized to the animal and remove leftovers.
- Leave sealed retreats and molting animals undisturbed.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Use cohesive, diggable soil that holds a chamber shape under secure cover.
- Give it space above and below the substrate for movement and a complete retreat; a shallow decorative layer isn't enough.
- Keep water at an unoccupied edge, and don't dismantle a closed chamber; damp underground refuges matter for molting and reproduction.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Smaller animals need smaller, manageable portions; trade size alone doesn't mean maturity.
- If food is refused, remove it and reassess the enclosure without digging the animal out.
- Wait for the body to harden and normal activity to resume after a molt before assuming a fixed schedule.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Traded as a Thai form; exact species and origin aren't known, so no specific native range is given.
- Habitat translation: A protected soil chamber under stable cover, with a damp lower layer, ventilation, and a water dish: the standard setup for vinegaroons of this general type.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Don't borrow another vinegaroon's winter schedule, lifespan, or adult size for this unidentified form.
- Get professional help for an injury or ongoing loss of condition; keep maintenance gentle and hands-off.