Tetris Chunky? Or Gravid?

Andee

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So Tetris my flat rock H. Trog, is extremely chunky, she hasn't refused food and I only feed once a week, sometimes once every two weeks depending on the size of the prey item she ate the last time. Is it normal for Trogs to get chunky and that they need to be mitigated with food more than I expected? Or is it possible she's gravid? I know flat rocks have a ridiculously long gestation period from what I've read compared to other scorps. Anyone know these guys really well.
 

darkness975

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Where did it come from? Is it near adult size?

It's not hard to accidentally overfeed captive specimens.

Post some images.
 

Andee

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She is at least penultimate if not adult. I got her in a trade. She hasnt molted once with me and i havent paired her. I didnt feed her this time around but she can go 2 weeks+ and stay the same weight.

20181213_190049.jpg
 

Andee

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@darkness975 she's been under her rock in feeding position for a while so I am assuming she's hungry. Will try feeding today... Unless you think she's overweight. But from what I know about flatrocks is they aren't ones to get overweight easy and are known to fast regularly. She's never fasted, and started eating I think 2-3 weeks in my care and hasn't stopped since. I know most scorps and T's don't overeat but I don't want to speed her life to far along.
 

darkness975

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@darkness975 she's been under her rock in feeding position for a while so I am assuming she's hungry. Will try feeding today... Unless you think she's overweight. But from what I know about flatrocks is they aren't ones to get overweight easy and are known to fast regularly. She's never fasted, and started eating I think 2-3 weeks in my care and hasn't stopped since. I know most scorps and T's don't overeat but I don't want to speed her life to far along.
Some of my Hadrurus look like that. I would scale back on the feeding to see if it improves any.
 

Liquifin

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H. troglodytes are one of those that is nearly impossible to judge between fat and gravid. If it's fat, it can go on the longest fast of your life if it wanted to. These things can fast close to a year or until molt. From those pictures it's hard to say. But if it is gravid, then it's going to be forever before any offspring is born. My friend bred his H. troglodytes, and we waited a legit 15 months (1 year and almost a half) for babies. At the one year mark, we gave up thinking she was just fat. Then almost half a year later after that... BOOM! babies at long last. I wouldn't worry about lifespan, these species of scorps are one of the longest living ones. So lifespan is nothing to worry about.
 

Andee

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I need to get a male for her then. I want to breed her, I have some weird species I am collecting mates for, for breeding projects. It's just Tetris I was like..... o_O WHY ARE YOU SO FAT! No one else in my group eats until they look like balloons so we will see if she loses some weight, the chunkster.
 

Liquifin

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I need to get a male for her then. I want to breed her, I have some weird species I am collecting mates for, for breeding projects. It's just Tetris I was like..... o_O WHY ARE YOU SO FAT! No one else in my group eats until they look like balloons so we will see if she loses some weight, the chunkster.
H. troglodytes are some of the worst at pairing. I'd say that you really want to be careful of the female. Females are pretty nasty to males during breeding. If you find her a mate, then you'll really want to make sure she is out in the open and not under her hide or any hiding places during breeding. Because sometimes during breeding attempts, females will just drag males down into a snack under their hides. So best advice is to keep it out in the open during pairing. If it's out in the open, it would be easier to intervene and prevent it from going bad. You'll know when it goes 360 in the breeding. If the male has done on his deed with the mating dance and all, but the female won't let go of him. And if female shows signs of aggression such as harsh dragging and enforcement. Then it's time to intervene. Or you can just wait and hopefully he'll be free (I don't recommend this option for this species).
Here's my own two cent opinions: sometimes breeding H. troglodytes goes well, but sometimes it doesn't. Consider it 50/50. ;)
 

Andee

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Do you recommend making neutral territory for them? Or introducing into her territory like with most and just removing hides and introducing a new flat rock that's slightly impressed into the ground? I don't intend to leave any pairings I do unobserved and already have brushes, a small spoon (due to needing a shield sometimes for a scorp who likes to rush and climb tongs), and 3 sets of different tongs XD I am have slowly been collecting arsenals of seperation and protection since some of my scorps are rather territorial and pushy sometimes. Actually my Dictators are some of my most pushy, my most territorial is a O. Glabrifrons male, Aztec, who I am in love with, but he likes trying to rush up my tongs if I clean his enclosure too long.
 

Liquifin

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Do you recommend making neutral territory for them? Or introducing into her territory like with most and just removing hides and introducing a new flat rock that's slightly impressed into the ground? I don't intend to leave any pairings I do unobserved and already have brushes, a small spoon (due to needing a shield sometimes for a scorp who likes to rush and climb tongs), and 3 sets of different tongs XD I am have slowly been collecting arsenals of seperation and protection since some of my scorps are rather territorial and pushy sometimes. Actually my Dictators are some of my most pushy, my most territorial is a O. Glabrifrons male, Aztec, who I am in love with, but he likes trying to rush up my tongs if I clean his enclosure too long.
Always introduce male to female for any breeding for a scorp. H. troglodytes always need their space, they are "VERY TERRITORIAL", even in the wild they are like this. They are not communal and they don't do well with any "Nuetral" territory. H. troglodytes are an oddball, because they struggle to find middle ground with themselves. resulting in fights or cannibalism for territory. Males always look for female mates. So basically, they take there time looking for a female. I wouldn't personally remove hides and stuff, because sometimes it sends the female on alert and put her out of mood. But I seen some scorp breeders who do remove hides during breeding before, but not with H. troglodytes. But I wouldn't do it personally, just because it can startle the female and put her on alarm/defensive mode.
 

Andee

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Oh goodness XD sounds like they will be one of my interesting and later on projects. It works well cause finding sexed specimens is complex. They sadly don't have tons of info out there from what I've found with breeding. I may look again and try multiple search criteria.

Thankfully Tetris since she is probably a young adult if not a subadult is likely gonna be with me a while so I am in no rush to breed her right away. I have a lot.... of obscure species and some just of the big names like a P. Imperator subadult pair (housed seperately) and a P. Dictator 0.0.2. Then I have a O. Pallidus pair female almost ready, I am looking for another uroplectes otjimbiguenses once I know what sex I have of this little one. I will be breeding O. Glabrifrons and then I am looking into doing some of the US native forest species
 

Dry Desert

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Oh goodness XD sounds like they will be one of my interesting and later on projects. It works well cause finding sexed specimens is complex. They sadly don't have tons of info out there from what I've found with breeding. I may look again and try multiple search criteria.

Thankfully Tetris since she is probably a young adult if not a subadult is likely gonna be with me a while so I am in no rush to breed her right away. I have a lot.... of obscure species and some just of the big names like a P. Imperator subadult pair (housed seperately) and a P. Dictator 0.0.2. Then I have a O. Pallidus pair female almost ready, I am looking for another uroplectes otjimbiguenses once I know what sex I have of this little one. I will be breeding O. Glabrifrons and then I am looking into doing some of the US native forest species
My ten pence worth ( UK money ) the record to date for a fasting scorpion is 18 months , no food, little water, and I think that was H.troglodytes.
 
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