Vinegaroon

Introduction

The vinegaroon, also called the whip scorpion, is an arachnid that resembles a scorpion without the stinger plus some long spindly limbs. Despite how dangerous it looks, vinegaroons are very docile and reluctant to pinch or bite. They are not venemous and cannot sting. Their main defence is spraying acetic acid from the base of the tail which smells very stronly of vinegar, hence their name.

Several species can be found across the world, but I'm going to focus on Mastigoproctus giganteus, or the giant vinegaroon, native to the southern United States and Mexico.

Care Tips

Giant vinegaroons dig burrows, so housing them with deep substrate is a must. They are little excavators, toiling away day and night to decorate their enclosure to their liking. Actually, get used to having a pet box of dirt because they will shut themselves away inside a burrow for months at a time to molt or hibernate.

Feed them insects about once a week, or when their abdomens look a little skinny. They're good about refusing food if they aren't hungry. Mine happily takes superworms from tongs, or will hunt crickets. Provide a small, shallow water dish.

They do prefer warmer tempuratures - 75°-85°F (23°-29°C) - and around 60-70% humidity.

Gallery

I bought my vinegaroon online (imagine, creepy crawlies delivered right to your door!). They were packaged with coco coir substrate which is why they are so dusty in some of the photos.