Puerto Rican Whip Spider
Phrynus longipes
Phrynus • Phrynidae
Overview
A large Caribbean whip spider (the 'guabá'), a dramatic display animal with a near-ten-inch leg span on a small body. Harmless — no venom, no sting. Keep warm (72-80°F) and humid (70-90%) with daily misting and good airflow, plus vertical cork to cling to and molt from. Nocturnal and shy, though territorial toward its own kind, so house individually unless very spacious.
Husbandry Requirements
Temperature & Humidity
Temperature
72-80°F
Humidity
70-90%
Enclosure Sizes
Substrate
Feeding Schedule
Prey size: crickets, roaches
Quick Stats
Type
arboreal
Adult Size
body ~0.75 in; legspan to ~10 in
Growth Rate
medium
Native Region
Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Hispaniola)
Temperament
shy but territorial; nocturnal
Behavior
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