P. Leiosoma inquiries....

[Mechanical-Mind]

After a quick trip to my not-so-local pet store i came across a few Parabuthus Leiosomas. Pretty stunning appearence. I was wondering if anyone has had some experience w/ them?

So far i've learned they have no venom squirting ability, and they can't or don't burrow. These two were also fat to the point of being gravid. Are these known to be cricket hogs? I didn't get a chance to see their pectines, and i don't know if they're sexually dimorphic.... but the clerk said they've had them for 8 months now and he feeds them 1 cricket every week. All of this time they were solo. so not too far out of gestation time for some scorpions... should i go back and get them?

actually what is the average gestation time for a gravid p. leiosoma?

heh, lots of questions.
eager to hear some help.

-matt

 

[Mechanical-Mind]

Ah HAH!

...are they communal?

-matt

 

[Kugellager]

Generally they are not considered communal but I have heard of people keeping them that way. They keep them well fed and provide plenty of hides. It would work better with a male/female pair for obvious reasons...unless the female has given birth...then this is a definite no no.

I have heard accounts that they can spray venom but I have never read anything of a professional nature that substantiates this.

Remember this is a small buthid with a short life span. If you decide to get these you may have them for only a few months before they kick the bucket.



John
];')

 

[Mechanical-Mind]

i've also been looking into A. Bicolors. how do their lifespans compare? those P. leiosomas were pretty lengthy too. i'll definately reconsider any possible purchase.

thank you for your help
-matt

 

[Frank]

I heard that parabuthus females are almost always fat while not necessary being pregnant.. anyone can confirm me that?

Frank

 

[jper26]

My female is super fat doubt its preagnant. My advice would buy them mechnical they are pretty cool scorps.

 

[jper26]

I switched my smaller one over too pure peat substrate and he made a burrow about 5 inches deep in a matter of 2 days. Im going too switch my adult over too pure peat too.

 

[jper26]

Does anybody else keep any of there Parabuthus species on pure peat?

 

[skinheaddave]

No, but it is something I have been considering doing for a while now. Let me know how it works in the long-term.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[chau0046]

Well my young P. leiosoma is an avid burrower and eats crickets like my old H. arizonensis (constantly), almost one small sized cricket per day. But she got so huge it just didn`t look healthy being as fat as it is.I`ve restricted her diet to one per week `cause i got the feeling she gonna moult.

On another note I`ve read that all Parabuthis are able to spray , P. leiosomas-P.Transvalacus-P. mossambicaus (sp?).

Also i dont think that any desert scorp ever runs into a pile of peat in its whole entire existance, except of course maybe captive one. I dont see how there would be advantages to using a moisture holding substrate for a low humidity dwelling scorp.

Mat

 

[jper26]

If you keep the peat dry it only changes the humidity a few degrees. I have humidity cages in with the one in sand and the one in peat.

 

[jper26]

I have humidity guages correction in spelling i need some sleep.

 

[phoenixxavierre]

HI all,

I have kept P. leiosoma in both pure peat setups and sand setups. They burrow in both situations. Also, some P. leiosoma come out of eastern Africa, particularly Tanzania, and it wasn't a desert area where they were collected. Even the drier areas in Tanzania do have rainfall, seasons like most places do. Even the driest places in the earth experience some rainfall every year.

I've noticed that the specimens collected in Tanzania ate alot, drank alot, and from the amount of water they consumed, it surprised me that they're thought of as a desert species. But then I guess keeping them in captivity, they would perhaps behave differently than in the wild, taking advantage of something that is thought to be scarce where they are from?

Best wishes,

Paul