# Scorpion Not Moving



## Scorpionidad (Sep 25, 2017)

Is my scorpion dying? It moves its tail when blown on, if I flip it over it wriggles...Molting? Seems to be in death pose :-( Please help


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## darkness975 (Sep 25, 2017)

Scorpionidad said:


> Is my scorpion dying? It moves its tail when blown on, if I flip it over it wriggles...Molting? Seems to be in death pose :-( Please help


We need the following:
Images of the scorpion and enclosure
Species of scorpion
Temps 
Feeding schedule  and feeder type and source
How long you've had it.


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## FatherOfScorpions (Sep 25, 2017)

The above information would definitely be helpful. But either way I would suggest carefully scooping your scorpion out of the enclosure with a deli cup or something similar. This will allow you to inspect it a bit closer and once it's away from the enclosure it may become alert and active again. If it does not then something may be wrong.


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## Scorpionidad (Sep 25, 2017)

Heterometrus Petersii
78~ Deg F 
Once a week x3 crickets from PetSmart
I've had it since September 2nd

Sorry for the poor quality. I can get more if need be?

Reactions: Useful 1


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## Scorpionidad (Sep 25, 2017)

When  I do a warm breath (huh) the tail moves. What does this mean?


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## FatherOfScorpions (Sep 25, 2017)

That enclosure looks pretty small for an adult heterometrus. The recommended enclosure size would be a 10 gallon tank. That enclosure doesn't have a hide or substrate depth for the scorpion to burrow in. But if the scorpion is not moving (other than it's tail) when you breath on it then it doesn't sound healthy. Usually they would try to scurry away. Did you get any reactions when moving it out of there?


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## WeightedAbyss75 (Sep 25, 2017)

That scorpion looks pretty bad right now. If it moves at all, that is a good sign. How often to you add humidity to the cage? Heterometrus love having high humidity. If it is just not moving, it may be dehydrated. By the way, the sponge in the water dish does nothing. It only grows nasry mold and bacteria. Scorps can drink regular standing water  IMO, you may want to put in next to a very full dish of water or increase the tank humidity. Other than that, I have no idea  I hope you scorp bounces back. I just got my first Heterometrus a few weeks ago, and she is great


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## Scorpionidad (Sep 25, 2017)

Will fix right away, thanks!


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## Mila (Sep 25, 2017)

I could be wrong but I believe scorpions "walk" the same way spiders do by compressing fluids in the limbs that cause the legs to move. Severe dehydration prevents this process meaning that a dehydrated scorpion will die unless given direct contact with a water source. 
It looks pretty dry in there too and AFS's love humid environments. 
Scorpions can survive almost entirely on the liquids they consume from prey though so I'm unsure. 
Did you buy the scorpion as a mature adult?


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## RTTB (Sep 26, 2017)

I suspect dehydration.


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## darkness975 (Sep 26, 2017)

Mila said:


> I could be wrong but I believe scorpions "walk" the same way spiders do by compressing fluids in the limbs that cause the legs to move. Severe dehydration prevents this process meaning that a dehydrated scorpion will die unless given direct contact with a water source.
> It looks pretty dry in there too and AFS's love humid environments.
> Scorpions can survive almost entirely on the liquids they consume from prey though so I'm unsure.
> Did you buy the scorpion as a mature adult?


All scorpions drink. Rainforest species seem to require more water than desert as I see my rainforest species drinking more often than my desert species. But they all do use their water dishes. While they can survive for impressive amounts of time on the liquid from their prey and such they can't survive indefinitely. Even deserts get rain sometimes.

@Scorpionidad doesn't look too good at the moment. My very first scorpion way back in the day was an emperor scorpion that I ended up finding out later on was purchased as an adult from a not so reputable source. It didn't even have a stinger, only the empty Telson and a hole where the Stinger should have been. It died not too long later. Yours could possibly be an adult that approached its end. I do agree with others though it looks too dry in there and the incorrect type of substrate which prevents burrowing and there is also not enough substrate in there. I don't see a hide either which is a problem. The sponge in the water dish is detrimental to his health as all it will do is grow bacteria and mold.

The only thing you can really do is try to correct its environment but there is not a whole lot you can really do to save it if it is in the process of expiring, which unfortunately sounds like the case given the information and images you provided.


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## Jason Brantley (Sep 26, 2017)

It looks like it's on it's way out...


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