Molts and a Suspected Molt

[King_Baboon_Guy]

Hi all,

Well I've just been and checked on my 2nd instar Hottentotta polystictus and they have molted to 3rd instar. I was getting worried because it has been a year since they last molted!!!

Also I have a Mesobuthus tamulus which is up against a damp end of the enclosure drinking droplets of water. On further inspection of he/she I found that her telson/stinger was at a straight angle and wasn't tucked under the cauda?? Also she has been off her food for a couple of weeks too.

Is this a sign of an imminent molt??

Thanks

Scott

 

[G. Carnell]

Hey Scott
good to hear about your H.polys (my 2nd one failed her moult )

your tam will probably moult, they look really weird pre-moult

i think H.polystictus have to be the slowest growing buthids.. unless someone else can give some moult data

thats exactly 1 year between moults (they were born on 17-22nd september 2004)

 

[Murziukas]

Hi George,

the same ones you sent to me? They do look fat but no moult yet...

 

[G. Carnell]

Hey
no, your ones are from a later brood (i think they were born in july)

so next july.. they will moult

 

[Murziukas]

geee... Sound promissing... :?

 

[TheNothing]

wow
yeah, that is slow for most scorpions, especially for a Buthid.

how long did their 1st instar stage last??

 

[G. Carnell]

Hi
only about 6-7 days, normal for most scorps

maybe environmental factors play a large role, but with everyone ive sent them to, they have only just started moulting

(though the person who sent me the mother got them to moult earlier than us)

 

[TheNothing]

wow... interesting...

 

[fusion121]

thats exactly 1 year between moults (they were born on 17-22nd september 2004)

And I thought C. limbatus was slow growing

 

[King_Baboon_Guy]

The H.poly's like seem to react to high humidity to spark them to molt. I put part of there enclosure under a heat mat and then sprayed one part of the substrate (part over the mat).

This made them more active and seemed to have got them to molt.

The M. tams was drinking droplets from the side of the enclosure. I dripped some larger droplets near his mouth and he loved it. I think he is nearing a molt because all of them have gone really dull in colour like the H. poly's did.

The H.poly's look really lovely and colourful now and a bit more streamlined.

How long before they are able to feed?

Thanks

Scott