Some of you might remember the post on the forums before they went kaput I had of a solifugid I had found on a hike. That was the first week of september. Well, here's an update:
She/he is still alive! BUT- it hasn't eaten since I caught it, two months ago! And what's stranger?! From the time I caught it it buried itself. It would come out at night for a bit, then hide if I turned a light on. Well, 2 weeks after that, it buried itself to the point it even plugged up the hole at the entrance of its burrow. I had all but forgotten about it among my other enclosure. Well today I decided to see what it was up to, and started digging. Sure enough, it was buried about 2 inches down, in a small "cavern" it had made for itself. It is still very much alive, even though it hasn't eaten in two months. That blows me away as everyting I've read says they die quickly if they don't eat all the time.
Also, no sooner had I uncovered it that it proceeded to rebury itself. It is still fat as when I caught it too. Is it possible that this species "hibernates" over the winter? I caught it at the 8000 foot level in the wasatch range, in an area that is under snow about 6 months out of the year. Any ideas?
She/he is still alive! BUT- it hasn't eaten since I caught it, two months ago! And what's stranger?! From the time I caught it it buried itself. It would come out at night for a bit, then hide if I turned a light on. Well, 2 weeks after that, it buried itself to the point it even plugged up the hole at the entrance of its burrow. I had all but forgotten about it among my other enclosure. Well today I decided to see what it was up to, and started digging. Sure enough, it was buried about 2 inches down, in a small "cavern" it had made for itself. It is still very much alive, even though it hasn't eaten in two months. That blows me away as everyting I've read says they die quickly if they don't eat all the time.
Also, no sooner had I uncovered it that it proceeded to rebury itself. It is still fat as when I caught it too. Is it possible that this species "hibernates" over the winter? I caught it at the 8000 foot level in the wasatch range, in an area that is under snow about 6 months out of the year. Any ideas?