II just had my second batch of babies disperse -- from captive-bred parents -- a few days ago.
Originally I bought some BAP (Breeder's Award Program) entries from a local fish club a few years back. I contacted the seller and he said they had to be kept hot and humid and they were offspring from imported adults. I set them up warm and damp, went to NY for a few days, and came home to four dead. I quickly moved them to an open-top container, which happened to be in a much cooler area, as I was sure they had suffocated from limited airflow and warm temps. The two survivors included a tiny male (I was sure they were male and female from the tails). They grew up into adults though the male was the runt of the batch and tiny for a long time. The first brood I interrupted and the female may have ejected them early. Only 7 survived but there may not have been more than twenty and I left them in with the parents for a while and yanked them after a month when they seemed to be disappearing. This brood contains around 40 and they were pulled within a day or two of leaving the mother (second instar dispersal like whipspiders except the first instar are under the tail).
This species is hardy and long-lived but most of what's out there are wild-caught which often die after a few months and "pairs" are usually of the male persuasion.

Breeders Award Programs usually require 6 specimens at least a month old for submission and the original group was 6, for a few days anyway. They were around 4mm across the carapace and probably 2-3 months old. 2 instars are about 1.5mm across the carapace.

That's pretty cool, I wasn't aware there were any crabs that didn't have a planktonic stage and could be captive bred. How long is 'long lived'?

Wade

Wild specimens often survive a few months because they're damaged but captive bred adults live at least two years, possibly much longer. Aske me again in a few years.

Also, they're very coloful with blue legs, purple claws, and orange eyes. They're about the size of a large fiddler crab at adulthood. They eat various items but like appropriately sized crickets and snails the best. They're also primarily terrestrial. You can find a photo here: http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Vampir ... bic917.htm
The immatures are mottled brown.

So cool, Orin. Thanks for sharing.

Orin,

Would you have details about how to keep them? Can they be kept together? If so, how many should I buy to set up the ideal breeding colony? I would like to breed them also. Thanks!

You can keep immatures together in groups and as many females as you want with a male but if you keep adult males together they tend to fight. You can just get a small aquarium and put some 2" sponge pieces in the bottom and keep the rest of the tank's water level below that and add sponge, dirt, plants however you like. You don't need a lid or filtration.