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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. ;?)