1. Species Account—Suggested Questions: Where does the species live? (e.g., What
ID: 9348 • Letter: 1
Question
1. Species Account—Suggested Questions:Where does the species live? (e.g., What is its range distribution? What are its habitat requirements? )
How does it grow and reproduce? (e.g., If a plant, does it reproduce mainly from seed or from vegetative
propagation? When does it flower? Is it evergreen or deciduous? If an animal, when is the breeding
season, when are young born, what parental investments are necessary to offspring survival?)
How does it interact with other organisms and the environment? (e.g., Does it have any important
symbioses? Vital food species? Key predators or parasites?)
How has it been used by humans? (e.g., Is it used as food? In agriculture? In medicine?)
Is it involved in any important conservation issues?
How have species concepts/definitions informed biologists’ classification of the species?
How do the features of the species demonstrate its adaptation to the environment in which it is found?
Explanation / Answer
Whip spiter lives in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Some species are subterranean; many are nocturnal. During the day, they may hide under logs, bark, stones, or leaves. They prefer a humid environment. They grow by feeding on prey caught with pincer-like pedipalps. Courting rituals involve the male depositing stalked spermatophores which have one or more sperm masses at the tip on the ground and guiding the female with his pedipalps over them. She gathers the sperm and lays fertilized eggs into a sac carried under the abdomen. When the young hatch, they climb up onto the mother's back; any of which falling off before their first moult will be eaten by the mother. Breeding takes place year-round. They are are carnivorous, feeding on the pre-digested bodies of insects and other small animals. It is not used by humans in any known medicine, agriculture or food. Whip spiders are thought to be one of the few species of arachnids that show signs of social behavior. Research conducted at Cornell University by entomologists suggests that mother amblypygids comfort their young by gently caressing the offspring with her feelers. Further, when two or more siblings were placed in an unfamiliar environment, such as a cage, they would seek each other out and gather back in a group. Amblypygids (also known as whip spiders) often move about sideways on their six walking legs, with one "whip" pointed in the direction of travel while the other probes on either side of them. Prey are located with these "whips", captured with pedipalps, then torn to pieces with chelicerae. Fossilised amblypygids have been found dating back to the Carboniferous period. Their pincers have been adapted to capture prey quickly and efficiently.
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