About
Introduction
Amblypygi is an order of arachnids. Their common names are "whip spiders" and "tailess whip scorpions", which is very misleading because they aren't spiders, scorpions, or whip scorpions (which themselves are distinct from scorpions). The name "amblypygi" means "blunt tail," which is where the title of this fanlisting comes from.
To date, Amblypygi boasts 155 different species. They like warm, damp climates (though some species live in deserts), and they like being sheltered under leaves, bark, or inside caves.
Anatomy and physiology
Amblypygids have 8 legs like the rest of their arachnid siblings, but they appear to have 6. Their front pair of legs, often referred to as the antenniform legs or whips, are several times longer than the body, and they're used for communication and sensing instead of movement. They also have large pedipalps that they use for self-defense.
Amblypygids had to go through the trouble of making their own antennae because they're chelicerates, one of two groups of arthropods that lack antennae. The whips are remarkably specialized; they have many sensitive receptors that can pick up tactile inputs, smells, and even air particle movements.
Behavior
The fearsome appearance of amblypygids has given them a bad reputation among humans, as evidenced by a lot of clickbait Youtube videos, but they're nervous and skittish animals because they don't have venom. Their only means for defending themselves against bigger animals is their pedipalps, which can still do some damage to human skin, so bothering them isn't a good idea!
Amblypygids stay in one burrow for extended periods of time, and they have excellent navigational skills that they use to get back home. They've been observed making temporary "motels" for safety if they can't get back to their burrows before sunrise. Their large and complex brains and whips are hypothesized to play a role in their directional abilities. Amblypygids are territorial, but they attempt to use their whips to resolve territorial disputes and only fight once all alternatives are exhausted.