BUGS AND CREEPY CRAWLIES

Here at The Reptile Shop we sell a wide range of bugs and creepy crawlies for interesting and unusual pets. These are much lower maintenance than any other pet and can make an exciting pet for any household. Below is some information on the type of things we stock and these are available to purchase on our online store.

SELENOTYPUS GOLD

(GOLD BIRD-EATING SPIDERS)

These spiders can also be called "whistling" or "barking" spiders because of the noise they make when they feel threatened. These spiders have become very popular as pets over the last few years. Bird-eating spiders grow to around the same size as a huntsman spider (10cm) but due to their larger bodies, fangs and legs they look larger. Despite their name, these spiders rarely eat birds. Their diet mostly consists of crickets and other insects and have also been known to eat lizards and frogs. These spiders are midly venomous so they do no need to be handled but can still be a fun and active pet during feeding times.

In captivity these spiders are really easy to look after which is why they make such good pets. The enclosure can be fairly small as these spiders need to be kept solitary. The substrate used can be a mixture of sands and it is best to first layer they enclosure with larger sized gravel. This increases the absorbancy and the water retention of the sand. Once the enclosure is set up, the substrate needs to be sprayed lightly with water daily as the spiders need to be kept moist. In terms of feeding, this is done once or twice a week and the spiders can be given crickets or woodroaches which are readily available and sold in most reptile and pet stores.

FLINDERS RANGE SCORPION

Flinders range scorpions are one of the largest scorpions in Australia. They can reach up to 100mm in length and the males and females are easily recognised as the males have an elongated tail.