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Beetles & arachnids
Whip spiders
Whip spiders · Amblypygi
Whip spiders fascinate with their delicate feeler legs and shy way of life. In damp, dark corners you can look forward to encounters with these ancient creatures.
Fact file
- Size
- Body length between 2 and 6 cm, appearing significantly larger when the legs are included
- Males and females
- Sexes are hard to distinguish externally, males often have slightly longer pedipalps
- Sounds
- Silent hunters, communicate via movements of their feeler legs
- Diet
- Hunt small insects, arachnids and larvae
- Offspring
- Females carry up to 60 young on their back after they hatch
How to identify Whip spiders
Whip spiders have a flat, broad body with a strikingly armoured structure and very long, whip-like front legs. The body is usually brown to grey-black with light marbling, giving them excellent camouflage on tree bark or in caves.
Typical are the extremely elongated first pair of legs, the so-called antenniform legs, which extend far beyond the length of the body and look like thin threads. The remaining legs are stronger and crab-like in build. The massive, pincer-like pedipalps are conspicuous at the front and are used to hold prey. These animals reach a body length of 2 to 6 centimetres; including the legs they often measure much more.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 2 places where you can see Whip spiders
Where Whip spiders live
Discover Whip spiders on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
