Author: Darby Cunningham
Denizens of the Forest Floor is an immersive natural history and husbandry guide, professionally bound book made for enthusiasts of exotic invertebrates, written with authority and passion for the hidden world beneath the leaves.
Richly detailed in full color images, this 38 chapter book explores the biology, behavior, and care of millipedes, isopods, vinegaroons, rainforest tarantulas, burrowing tarantulas, arboreal tarantulas, desert scorpions, rainforest scorpions, whip spiders - the amblypygids, jumping spiders, and velvet spiders, desert centipedes, and rainforest centipedes—each chapter blending scientific insight with hands-on expertise from years of captive care experience.
Part naturalist’s field manual and part professional care compendium, Denizens introduces readers to the ecological importance of these ancient arthropods—creatures that have shaped soil, forest, and life itself for over 400 million years. Each section delves into evolutionary adaptations, anatomy, habitat, diet, and breeding behavior, paired with precise captive maintenance methods that replicate nature in miniature.
Through lush descriptions and product-supported setups using the Vivarium Naturals line, readers learn how to build thriving bioactive enclosures, manage humidity and substrate chemistry, prevent anaerobic soil collapse, and promote natural behaviors such as burrowing, molting, and courtship. The result is a manual that is both scientific and deeply practical—a bridge between the terrarium hobby and ecological stewardship.
From the armored millipede’s silent work in decomposition to the sensory brilliance of whip spiders and the iridescent beauty of arboreal tarantulas, Denizens of the Forest Floor celebrates the life forms most people never see. It invites keepers, educators, and conservation-minded readers to rediscover the artistry and intelligence of the invertebrate world.
Beautifully written and meticulously researched, this book belongs on the shelf of every serious invertebrate keeper, vivarium designer, and natural history devotee. More than a care guide, it is a testament to the living ecosystems we all can create.
—This book is dedicated to all the unseen creatures beneath the leaves in the basement of time, sustaining the ground floor of all life deep inside the wild heart of our Defiant Forests.
~Mind your forests, or your forests wont mind you...
~Darby Cunningham
