Emperor Scorpion, Pandinus imperator, Care – Part 2
Click: Emperor Scorpion, Pandinus imperator, Care – Part 1, to read the first part of this article.
Heat, Humidity and Light
Temperature should be maintained at 78-86 F, and humidity at 70-85%. Do not cover the terrarium’s top with plastic in order to increase humidity, as air circulation is desirable. Rather, use a moisture-retaining substrate (please see above) and spray frequently with de-chlorinated water (the substrate should be slightly moist to the touch).
In order not to disturb your scorpions at night, heat should be provided by an incandescent “nocturnal” bulb; this will also allow you to observe your pets when they are most active. A ceramic heater may also be used.
Due to peculiarities in molecular structure of the exoskeleton, scorpions fluoresce under UVB light. Despite having discovered this in the 1940′s, scientists cannot as yet determine why such a facility should exist. The fluorescent sheen they exhibit is quite unearthly…a UVB-lit scorpion exhibit that I maintained at the Bronx Zoo has long been a favorite of visitors. Try lighting your scorpions with a UVB bulb at night…and while you’re at it, please see if you can find out what is going on with their fluorescence!
Feeding
Scorpions should be offered a wide range of soft-bodied invertebrates, including crickets, roaches, waxworms, silkworms and butterworms; some individuals will accept earthworms as well. Do not rely on crickets as a dietary mainstay; rather, provide as much variety as possible. In the warmer months, I feed mine mainly on wild caught moths, earwigs, caterpillars, katydids, crickets and soft-bodied beetles (Zoo Med’s Bug Napper is an excellent insect trap).
Emperor scorpions take readily to tong feeding , and should be provided with canned grasshoppers and silkworms as a means of increasing dietary variety. We know nothing of their vitamin/mineral needs…I powder my scorpions’ food once weekly with a reptile dietary supplement as “insurance”.
Emperor scorpions may on occasion take small frogs, lizards and even nestling rodents in the wild. This is almost certainly a rare event…vertebrate food is not required in captivity.
Water should be provided in a shallow, easily-exited water bowl.
Social Grouping/Compatible Species
Emperor scorpions present the opportunity for fascinating studies in the evolution of social behavior. Despite being as close to “living dinosaurs” as we are likely to see, these ancient animals exhibit complex social behaviors. In the wild, they often live in discreet groups that occupy a single, extensive system of burrows. We know little about the functioning of these groups. The young of emperor and other highly social scorpions remain dependent upon their mothers for longer than do other species, but other than that, specific details are lacking.
As emperor scorpions readily exhibit natural behaviors when properly housed in captivity, the research potential for interested hobbyists is enormous. I urge you to seriously consider working with this fascinating creature.
Captive groups almost always co-exist peaceably, provided they are given ample space and hiding/burrowing areas. Females that breed in group situations require special attention…I’ll address this in an article on reproduction shortly. Emperor scorpions will attack and/or consume other types of scorpions.
I’ll cover emperor scorpion breeding and the care of other scorpion species next time. Until then, please write in with your questions and comments. Thanks, Frank Indiviglio.
Further information and references to papers on emperor scorpions is posted at
http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/p_imperator.php
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about 2 years ago
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Tarantulas of all types vary a great deal from individual to individual in terms of showing themselves, and it’s very hard to make any general statements regarding an entire species (except for red-knees, which tend stay out in the open more than others). Almost all spend most of their time in hiding, in the wild and in captivity. A friend who has studied them for years in the field reports that even the highly aggressive Theraphosa blondi rarely leaves the entrance of its hole when hunting, and retires as soon as a meal has been captures. Your best chance of observing them is via a night viewing light.
I’ve had some luck with “ant-farm” type enclosures, but even in these there is a chance that the spider will cover the viewing glass with silk. For more information, please see my article Creating an “Ant Farm” for Burrowing Amphibians, Reptiles and Tarantulas.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Nice to hear from you again.
Anything you can do to vent the top, such as installing a screen panel, would be helpful. As regards moving the heater, it’s difficult to say as the effect will depend on the heater’s size, the room’s ambient temperature, the effect of a partially solid terrarium top in preventing the heat from escaping and so on. You’ll need to make gradual changes and note the effect on the temperature and your scorpion’s behavior.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
Just posted my own thread on arachnoboards check it out!
about 2 years ago
It is called what to get posted buy HESSWA
about 2 years ago
i just recently got baby red eared slider. I noticed that he isnt the most active and he very rearly opens his eye. When he does his eyes look fine i just do not kno what is worng. i thin he is eating because i put black worms in front of hi and when i cam bck later they were gone, i also had guppies in the tank but i dnt kno if he ate it or my albino frog did do u have any suggestions
about 2 years ago
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Nice to hear from you again.
Young red eared sliders are very commonly afflicted with Vitamin A deficiencies and eye infections, both of which render the eyes swollen and/or difficult to open. A healthy slider will be very alert and active. I suggest that you take the turtle to a veterinarian in order to determine the nature of the problem…thus should be done quickly, as either condition can quickly kill the turtle. There eye drops and similar products available, but you’ll need a veterinarian’s intervention at this point. Please let me know if you need the names of reptile veterinarians in your area…I may be able to provide a reference.
Be sure to provide the turtle with ample UVB radiation (the Zoo Med 10.0 bulb, positioned within 12 inches of the basking site, is ideal) and a basking site of 85-90 F, so that it’s immune system will be functioning at full capacity. Please write back if you need advice concerning a balanced diet.
When the turtle has recovered, you will need to move the frog to another aquarium. Healthy sliders, even quite small ones, invariably attack African clawed frogs. The resulting wounds quickly become infected, and usually lead to fatalities. Also, the turtle may be harmed b y the frog’s protective skin toxins.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
hey man, this is cody. i just recently purchased a emporer scorpion and have his tank filled with damp peat moss. but when i put in the hygrometer the humidity never reads past 64%. I was wondering if you would an idea on the amount of misting that would be required to keep it around the scorpions liking. I also head that the calcium fortifide water substitute was a good choice for their water. i was just wanting some advice from someone who seems like they know what their talking about. i was also thinking about maybe later on getting another one of the opposite sex to breed and was wondering when the brrod is born if i should take the male out. ive read that the females get really aggressive and start eating the babies if they are startled.
hope to hear from you soon,
regards, cody
about 2 years ago
Hello Cody, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog.
It’s difficult to provide any recommendations on misting frequency since so many factors are involved – the room’s ambient humidity, how the tank is heated and to what temperature and so on. If the scorpion has established a burrow or stays within a cave by day, the humidity there will be higher. Keep the moss slightly moist, i.e. so that it clumps together when grabbed but does not shed water. Misting at night, when the scorpion will come out to forage, is useful. 64% with a moister shelter should be fine.
I’ve never found the need to use calcium fortified water – using pre-fed crickets, and as much variety as is possible, including wild caught or canned insects, will keep the scorpion in good health and provide enough calcium (earthworms, if accepted, are usually a good source of calcium).
I have raised scorpions with males present, but only in very large enclosures/exhibits. In average sized terrariums it is a bit risky – as you say, stressed females will consume their young. It has been done, however, in 20 long style aquariums. The key is having a pair that gets along, a calm female (they vary in this regard) and providing deep substrate and lots of cage “furniture” (dead wood, etc.) to break up the living area.
Good luck and please let me know if you do decide to try breeding.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
hey man, cody again. thanks for the advice. im gonna go to the store thiis tuesday and get some more peat moss. she finally made a burrow in the far corner of the tank where i have a branch arch for cover. i think she needs more so thats my next project.
agian, thanks for your help, i will deffinetly get back with you if i have anymore questions.
regards, cody.
about 2 years ago
Hello Cody, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the feedback and kind words.
You may see more complex burrows if you give her a deeper substrate…really interesting what they can do. Please let me know if the burrow does not hold its shape, as there are some substrates you can add to shore it up.
Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
hey i have an emperor scorpion that just started burrowing but the entrance is mostly covered with the substrate i used for him. is it caved in? can he dig himself out? thanks
about 2 years ago
Hello Adam, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog.
As long as the scorpion is in good health, it will be able to dig out – they are like little bulldozers! However, it’s best to use a substrate that holds up to digging, so that the burrows will retain their shape and not collapse. You might try mixing some topsoil or coconut husk in with what you are using now. Keeping it slightly moist, so that the substrate clumps together when squeezes, is also useful.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
accually i have a quiestion my scorp gave birth to my surprise 3 weeks ago as soon as the babies started comeing off her back she would kill them so i took them all out now im finding out that mom kills prey for them im afraid to put them back for fear she will kill them all i dont know what to do i took them out 13 hrs ago and i dont know if i even can put them back, please help me i have no idea on what to do
about 2 years ago
hi frank -
how often do black emperors molt and how long does it take? our juvenile female has been very inert for 2 – 3 days and as this is our first, we’re not sure if she’s ready to molt or if she’s ill. is there a way to tell the difference?
many thanks!
about 2 years ago
Hello Karen, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog.
Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to tell illness from molting behavior, we still know very little about scorpion disease…however, a molt should not go on for days. If she is molting, increasing the humidity will help. Try spraying the tank; can even mist the scorpion lightly, and cover ¾ of the screen top with plastic (remove after she molts). Molting frequency varies greatly depending upon temperature, diet, age and so on, so no real way to predict future molts.
Please send details as to your set-up, substrate, temperature, shelters and such, if you feel it would be helpful for me to have a look at that as well.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
Frank-
The set up is as follows:
False botton 20 gal tank, 4-5″ of coco husk and peat moss. There’s a pothos plant in there too, and a wood log hide for her. Temps are kept high 70′s–80′s, occasionally up to 90 or so. It’s moist enough in there where there’s condensation on the glass. She’s been pretty inert for a few days, but she will respond to touch or if you blow lightly on her.
about 2 years ago
Hello Karen, Frank Indiviglio here.
Sounds like you have everything just right; Hopefully it is a dry shed, so I would just keep the humidity high and leave the scorpion undisturbed for the time being. Unfortunately, not mush one can do if the animal is sick – some of the vets I’ve worked with at zoos have experimented but nothing reliable available yet.
Good luck and please keep me posted. A Happy and healthy New Year to you and yours.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
hello Frank, its cody again. i had a quick question about the scorpion tank. since i have been feeding them crickets and other insects. i have noticed that underneath the tanks moss are tons of little baby crickets. i mean TONS…. i was wondering if something like that could be harmfull to the scorpions. such as causeing mites and stuff like that. just let me know what you think.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Cody Stratton
about 2 years ago
Hello Cody, Frank Indiviglio here.
Usually people have trouble breeding crickets! The only problem might be as they grow and develop stronger jaws, they could nibble on the scorpion when it molts and is soft and defenseless for a few hours. You should be able to bait them into a jar with tropical fish food flakes/orange.
You may see tiny white mites on the scorpion…these seem to arrive as eggs with almost any substrate and are not harmful…they may even be of some use in consuming debris.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 2 years ago
Hi Frank,
I have read a few of your blogs and you obviously know your stuff so i was hoping to pick youjr brains abnout my Imperial if I may please?
I bought it 2 days ago and transfered it into a 12x12x12 viv, it has 2 inches of expandable arachnid strata and plenty of wood to hide in, and also a heat matt under the glass on about a 3rd of the viv.
I ate a few crickets the day I got him but since then has just sat motionless under the wood, no interest in food or stimulae and doesn’t even come out for a night time wander…
There is an amount of condensation on the sides of his viv,, is that normal for a new set up? will it clear of its own accord once the srata dries out a little?
I am just a bit worried he may be either ill or not happy with the set up I have (on the advice of the pet shop).. can you shed any light onto possible causes/issues that I may have and if possible any solutions,, he is abnout 4/5 inches long with his tail flat so not that old I guess,, its my first one,, I am entranced by these creatures and want to do my best to make his stay with me a rewarding one for both of us.. many thanks,
njx. ;?)
about 2 years ago
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog and the kind words, much appreciated.
Heat pads are not ideal, as they do little if anything to warm the air. Under the bark, your scorpion is basically at room temperature. A small Ceramic Heater or Night Viewing Bulb will provide warmth w/o disturbing the animal at night. The bulbs are nice in that they allow you to watch the animals after dark, and are not sensed by scorpions. With both, however, you’ll need to monitor humidity as they may dry the substrate.
Deeper substrate, 4-6 inches, will allow the scorpion to burrow – not all do, but very interesting if they do.
A bit of condensation is okay, as long as the substrate is not soggy; they need high humidity but should have good ventilation (screen top) as well.
Appetites depend on age and temperature, but their intake is fairly low. 2-3 crickets would be fine for the week, perhaps more as it warms up. Best to warm the animal soon, so that it can digest its last meal properly.
Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 5 months ago
Dear Frank latest update 3 of 5 scorplings have now made it to 1st instar and also are now eating gutted cricket entrails one of the 3 that had the dark spot now looks like a normal emperor scorpling within 2 days i have had them molt this is my setup for them they are all communaly together in a large enough deli container with moist coco fiber aprox about 1 foot underneath a red incandescent heat light with the top on the container with large single hole on top and multiple holes on the sides which allows for ample humidity since i see condensation but all are doing fairly well and i am quite elated to see they are doing well but this time i will feed them little so as to not allow them to gorge themselves on food unlike my juveniles that come out everynight to feed on 4-5 crickets at once lol very amusing and i have a successfull cricket/sowbug/millipede colony setup too where there are thousands of cricket nymphs too
about 5 months ago
Hello James, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the update. Very useful information…I’ll be sure to keep it on hand and relay to others. I hope all continues to go well.
I wasn’t able to view the photo you sent…I’ll try to open via another means.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 4 months ago
Hi Frank,
Your care sheets are very helpful and I enjoy reading your info.
I got a pair of emperor scorpions(adult male and female).
They are in a 10 gallon tank, with deep substrate(which is damp) and enough hiding space. They also have a swallow water dish.
I have all types of animals(especially tarantulas). I got a new interest and love for scorpions and I would like to breed with them. What would be the ideal conditions for them to breed and what should the ideal cage setup look like?
Something else I noticed is that the female is very calm and i don’t see her moving or anything and just sits and hide the whole time, while the male being very active and walks around through the whole cage(even during the day time) and seems restless. Is this behavior normal for these scorpions? And anything else I should know about them?
Kind regards, André.
about 4 months ago
Hello Andre, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest and kind words.
They can be bred in a 10 gallon, but a 20 gallon with even deeper substrate and more caves/cover might increase the probability; they seem quite aware of their surroundings and cover quite a lot of ground in the wild. Predicting births is difficult, as mating can occur at any time of the year and gestation can last for 7-10 months or longer; females also store sperm. Varying the diet and feeding heavily may help to bring them in to breeding condition, but manipulating humidity/temperature etc., as works well for some herps, seems not to be necessary. A red or black “night bulb” may help you to observe mating behavior at night. A bit more general info can be found here.
If both were overly active I’d suggest checking temperature, etc., but they do vary greatly in individual behavior. Not normal for him to wander much by day if conditions are as they should be. Check that the male is getting enough food and not being displaced from hiding spots by the female (aggression may occur only at night); perhaps add some caves/cork bark; not all individuals will burrow. He may also be seeking a mate; if the female is not ready to breed, or is already gravid, she will fight off his advances.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted….we still have much to learn, so any observations would be most welcome.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 3 months ago
Hi Frank,
I notice that my scorpions don’t burrow, or even attempt to burrow. The male prefers to go in to the same hide as the female, even if there is other hiding spots… He is also the only one coming out in the night time(and he also comes out just before sunset) and he walks around a lot during the night. The female on the other hand, I don’t ever see her coming out.
The temperature was at about 74 degrees F, but put it up to about 81 now. The humidity is at abour 85%.
The female hasn’t eaten since I got her about % days ago, and the male did after a bit motivation(keeping the cricket in front of him). He also is very jumpy, for instance when I move my hand near him he makes sudden movements.
Thanks a lot for your fast response and helpful attitude! I greatly appreciate it!
Kind regards, André van der Westhuizen.
about 3 months ago
Hello Andre, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the feedback and kind words.
81 is more suitable, and may change their behavior a bit; some favor it a bit higher, but 81 is usually fine.
Emperor Scorpions have a very wide natural range, and individuals behave differently throughout; I’ve noticed also that some burrow deeply, others not at all. This may have to do with substrate type, humidity, predators and other factors in their native habitat (or the habitat of their ancestors, if captive bred).
Same re activity levels; some individuals take longer to adjust to changes. Despite being largely blind, they are no doubt very aware of their surroundings, and react to changes accordingly. Gravid females may remain hidden more than others; activity also drops off before shedding.
No need to worry too much about their food intake at this point. They can get by on very little food, and will adjust their metabolisms, it seems, to match food availability. Especially for shy individuals, feeding may be more likely if you leave food items in overnight…not too many adult crickets (possibly a problem if scorpion sheds, although I’ve not run across this); perhaps some waxworms in a jar lid, etc. You may not be able to tell who is feeding, but once they adjust they will likely feed by day, and from tongs.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
about 3 months ago
Hi Frank,
I have kind of an emergency…
My female emperor is half lifeless. She is just lying down, and twitches now and then. She came out of her hide yesterday and was just lying there ever since. How would I know if she is dying or molting or what so ever?
Thanks a lot!
Kind regards, André.
about 3 months ago
Hello Andre, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest. Unfortunately we know vey little about the treatment diseases and parasites that affect scorpions. Molting problems can occur, and are best treated by raising the humidity; covering screen top with plastic until molt is completed will help.
However, what you describe is more likely disease related; age could be a factor as well – no accurate way to assess age unless the animal’s history is known. Sadly, they do not usually recover once in the state you describe.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.