New Scorpion Owner

[Swiggens]

Hey guys/gals so I’m a new Scorpion dad. I got into keeping Scorpions when I found a Centuroides Vittatus in my house, and being a lover of spiders and all things that go bump in the night, I decided to keep him. When I was buying stuff for it at the pet store I bumped into a guy I went to high school with. He told me his “Emperor Hybrid” (yea I don’t know) scorpion just had a brood. He gave 2 of them to me for free. I have had them for almost a week now and I have been trying to learn as much as I can. I’m an absolute whirlwind of questions. What species is this? Is it in pre-molt. They haven’t eaten, I’ve found a bit of mold on the hide, what do I do? I’ve read and searched this forum watched tube videos and what not and trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can but I have questions D:

 

[FatherOfScorpions]

It looks like an Asian forest scorpion too me. (Heterometrus sp.) Its definitely in premolt so it may not eat for awhile. Keep humid and ensure they have deep substrate to burrow in.

As for the mold, you could replace the hide if its really bad. But a little mold won't hurt your scorpion. Mold usually occurs when an enclosure has restricted ventilation. Whats your setup look like?

 

[Swiggens]

Here is my setup, I keep the plastic wrap loose so it breaths and I also poked a bajillion holes in it too, the substrate is quite deep and the both have made a little hovel together. Humidity is at currently 75% but it stays at a constant 70+. And for as the mold I think what might have happend was the wrap got wet and clung to the lid idk. I took that hide out washed it off with some hot water and put it back, I just hope I’m doing a good job. I have questions about my other scorpion but those come later heh

 

[FatherOfScorpions]

Yeah you're doing a good job and checking on here is always a good idea if you ever have questions. I would recommend adding a bit more substrate, closer to 4-6 inches from the bottom, over time they will likely burrow to the bottom.

Water dish and humidity do look good. Heat-pad looks good on the side and not the bottom. With multiple scorpions in the same enclosure I would also add another hide just so they each have a place to hide separately from each other and I would try to dig the hides into the substrate creating a bunker like appearance so the back of the hide isn't exposed. Adding some peat moss, clean rocks and other decor can help simulate a more natural habitat too.

I'd toss the cling wrap. I have tried this before to prevent moisture from escaping and the same thing happened to me, the tank eventually turned into a cesspit lol Id suggest implementing a plastic lid of some kind with holes instead. You might have to improvise on that but it'll work alot better. I ended up doing away with tanks and use plastic sterlite containers now.

 

[Red Eunice]

IF, its a Emperor hybrid, then its a Pandinus species of sorts. Hybrid breeding is frowned upon on here.
Its in premolt for sure, probably won't eat but you can offer pre killed, just in case, remove the next day, wait a week and repeat.
I've P. cavimanus and viatoris, cavimanus are burrowing beasts, viatoris uses a scrape under cork slab. Substrate, I use topsoil, kept moist along with a water dish, fed weekly. Room temperature stays in the high 70's, I don't use enclosures with heat mats.
Your tank will work, I'd add more sub and press the hide into the sub. They prefer tight fitting hides and usually start a burrow underneath it. Plastic wrap works, I use acrylic lids with around a dozen 1/8" holes in it, easy to remove when feeding and maintenance work.
Welcome to the "Dark side" of the forum!

 

[miss moxie]

It's so fat right now, it looks more like it's trying to be a H. troglodytes.

It could be a Pandinus hybrid, or just a plain old Pandinus. Could even be a Heterometrus. You'll have to let it molt and get some good pictures of it. There's definitely people around here that could get you an ID.

 

[Swiggens]

Thanks, and yea that is EXACTLY what they did, I don't want to press down the hides since they have already burrowed( up next to the glass so i can see them PERFECT) but the molting one likes to spend its time on the side of the hide inbetwen the glass and where the heat mat is. they need the bark to molt right? and im glad to know that hybrid breeding is frowned upon here, i will remember that for future buying, I am new to all of this and learning as much as possible, and when i was offered 2 baby scorpions i didn't pass up the chance to learn about, and observe these awesome creatures!

 

[FatherOfScorpions]

Bark is not required for them to molt. They will molt out in the open. Ensure no feeders are left in the enclosure because scorpions are most vunerable when molting.

 

[darkness975]

@Swiggens The one you posted the image of looks like a Heterometrus spp. and is hugely bloated from being in heavy pre-molt. It will likely pop sooner rather than later. Others have already covered the fundamentals of their care so I will just add that in the future you will want to replace that half log hide with something that can better withstand humidity. Best option would be a couple pieces of cork bark that they can burrow under. More than one hide is important when housing multiple specimens together.

You don't want the entire lid covered in saran wrap. Maybe 50 - 60% of it. There does need to be some air flow in there or it will get deathly stagnant.


Best of luck.

 

[FatherOfScorpions]

Got home today and one of my 4th instars just molted into 5th! Haha sweet.

 

[Prophet]

Hey guys/gals so I’m a new Scorpion dad. I got into keeping Scorpions when I found a Centuroides Vittatus in my house, and being a lover of spiders and all things that go bump in the night, I decided to keep him. When I was buying stuff for it at the pet store I bumped into a guy I went to high school with. He told me his “Emperor Hybrid” (yea I don’t know) scorpion just had a brood. He gave 2 of them to me for free. I have had them for almost a week now and I have been trying to learn as much as I can. I’m an absolute whirlwind of questions. What species is this? Is it in pre-molt. They haven’t eaten, I’ve found a bit of mold on the hide, what do I do? I’ve read and searched this forum watched tube videos and what not and trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can but I have questions D:

That's a nice looking scorpion. I just recently got a few of them myself..Good luck

 

[Robman91]

Is my scorpion premolt? Got what I believe is him a week ago hasn’t ate anything since in my care (crickets were offered). Been in hide roughly same spot very little movement going on 3 days. Help please im new at this