Asian Forest Scorpion Setup

[Captandan]

Dig a hole and lay a rock over the top. Make the entrance just big enough to slide 4 fingers into it. I had to make all the holes lil that because the were fighting over the best hole.

 

[Captandan]

I was more looking for something that got impressive in size. But thanks for the input.

Desert hairy get almost as big as hetrometrus.

 

[Jesse James]

Dig a hole and lay a rock over the top. Make the entrance just big enough to slide 4 fingers into it. I had to make all the holes lil that because the were fighting over the best hole.

Can I slide 2 fingers for a tighter hole? Or should the hole be loose? I only have a 1".

 

[Venom1080]

I read a couple sources that say centipedes can absorb water. I would assume the same for the Ts since I've been doing this for years with no water bowls. But to be safe I might try a water bowl with the scorpion and see how it reacts, whether or not it uses the open water source.

no, they dont. the spiders are drinking water from the prey. ask anybody, water dishes are by far the best option. you have to be very lazy to not have water dishes.

 

[Jesse James]

no, they dont. the spiders are drinking water from the prey. ask anybody, water dishes are by far the best option. you have to be very lazy to not have water dishes.

I doubt centipedes and T's are going months without some sort of water source. I sometimes don't feed any of my animals for months the only thing they get is a spray of water or very damp substrate. And no one is lazy for not having a water dish.. C'mon bro, let's not put people down.

 

[Venom1080]

I doubt centipedes and T's are going months without some sort of water source. I sometimes don't feed any of my animals for months the only thing they get is a spray of water or very damp substrate. And no one is lazy for not having a water dish.. C'mon bro let's not put people down.

then you have some very damp cages. use a dish, or feed more often. heck, make a thread and post some pics.
what species of tarantula do you have? how big are they? ever lost any?
i see no other reason.

 

[Jesse James]

then you have some very damp cages. use a dish, or feed more often. heck, make a thread and post some pics.
what species of tarantula do you have? how big are they? ever lost any?
i see no other reason.

I would refer water dishes to people that need more experience keeping invertebrates. Until they fully understand what they are doing. Have a great day, and thank you for the advise.

 

[Captandan]

Can I slide 2 fingers for a tighter hole? Or should the hole be loose? I only have a 1".

Mine are about the size of mice. You want the opening of the hole to be just a bit wider and just a bit taller than your scorp. Once inside it should be big enough for it to get its tail in a striking position, and be able to turn around. When they get hungry they set their claws at the opening of the den.

 

[Captandan]

Now that its been about 5 months I will find them in the same hole sometimes. When I first got them they fought a lot. I did loose my male when I added the most recent female. She was super defensive the first day, and he got stung. In nature I think a female will have babies and start a colony, but bringing them together from other colonies makes them defensive and aggressive.

 

[Captandan]

One thing about behavior, females will pretty much stay in their holes unless disturbed. Males once established, will roam around the tank looking for females.

 

[darkness975]

All Tarantulas and Scorpions should have a water dish in their enclosure. Even species such as H. arizonensis and G. porteri that come from arid regions drink from the water dish despite what some people say that they are fine with just prey items.

G. porteri Drinking

• darkness975
• Apr 10, 2017

 

[GingerC]

water dish is 100% necessary? or can they absorb there moisture from the substrate? I keep my Ts and pedes with no water dish I just keep the substrate wet, and it seems to do the trick. Let me know.

I know this has already been discussed, but I bought an Asian forest scorpion about a month ago who was definitely eating very well, but when presented with a water dish for the first time, spent about five whole minutes drinking. The container she was sold in was pretty dry, which may have been a factor, but they definitely use them. Safest thing is to use a water dish.

 

[Captandan]

This is a pic of fluffy the male we lost. Lucy got him.



And, this is when we first started.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I would refer water dishes to people that need more experience keeping invertebrates. Until they fully understand what they are doing. Have a great day, and thank you for the advise.

Huh?

All my inverts are supplied with a waterdish. I'm no arachnid guru, but I like to think I have enough experience with them to muddle through and semi-understand what I am doing. Why WOULDN'T you want to provide it? Even if you have a species of something that doesn't NEED a constant source of water at all times that does not indicate that they would never want or use one.

I've only kept one arid species, Smerigurus mesaensis, which seemed to live off the fluids received from prey, but that is an adaption, one shared by many arid scorps, I think. Heterometrus species are tropical, they probably drink from standing water sources periodically. Why wouldn't they? I haven't SEEN my Asians using the water bowl, but I've only recently dipped my toes into keeping them, so I may just have yet to catch them doing it. One is a baby that I've had six months, it does not have a waterdish yet, but I provide droplets on the sides of its delicup as well on the small piece of bark there with it and I suppose it gets additional moisture from prey items. The other is a very recently acquired juvenile so i haven't really had it long enough to witness its use of the provided dish. Which is not to say it has never used it, of course.
I've had more experience with tarantulas, and even the most moisture-shunning species I've had would occasionally be seen with their face stuck into the water-dish getting a drink. And I've seen my rain-forest types (A. geniculata, L. parahybana) do the same. So the question remains, why wouldn't one provide a waterdish in the event they critters would desire it? I can't think of a downside to it.

I poked about a bit and I was unable to find but one recommendation against having a waterdish available, and that was in reference to a flatrock scorpion and it even mentioned that it would not hurt to at least have a bottlecap of water. I'm not familiar with that species and I am guessing it is probably an arid one. I finally got bored trying to find a recommendation that was strictly against water dishes for Asian forests, though. and one would think that if it was a commonly held belief there would be SOME sort of reference out there.

So, in conclusion, once again, Huh?

 

[darkness975]

H. arizonensis , one of the species that is often debated about needing a water dish.