# Communal Scorpion Keeping



## Staehilomyces (Aug 6, 2016)

Hello all,
I have seen many images of communal setup for scorpions, and would love to do that myself, especially because it would make my ambitions to breed scorpions much easier. However, I have one question: are all scorpion species fit for this kind of setup, or are only certain species capable of being kept together.
Happy keeping everyone!


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## shining (Aug 6, 2016)

Staehilomyces said:


> Hello all,
> I have seen many images of communal setup for scorpions, and would love to do that myself, especially because it would make my ambitions to breed scorpions much easier. However, I have one question: are all scorpion species fit for this kind of setup, or are only certain species capable of being kept together.
> Happy keeping everyone!


Only certain species can be kept communally.


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## Staehilomyces (Aug 6, 2016)

Shame. Does anyone know of Urodacus species in particular are compatible with eachother?


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## HUNGRYBEASTS (Aug 8, 2016)

i have six 3i h. franzwerneri that i am planning to put together .. but i am kinda scared that will kill each other..i dont want to lose anyone of them..


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## brandontmyers (Aug 8, 2016)

Some are very communal even from birth (Tityus stigmurus and serrulatus), some are prone to cannabalism until they are adults. And then some aren't communal at all, even with just a pair. 

And also some communal scorpions will just be very territorial and jump at the opportunity to eat another. I had this happen recently with an adult pair of Centruroides edwardsii. They were together for a month and then two days ago I walk in to my closet and the female is eating the male. 

All in all it varies by specimens.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## darkness975 (Aug 9, 2016)

No scorpion is truly communal. Certain species might be more tolerant than others but there is always a risk of cannibalism no matter what. Even among C. sculpturatus and other highly tolerant species.


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## Andy00 (Aug 9, 2016)

I would only try it with a species that's relatively cheap.


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## Cordyceps (Aug 17, 2016)

Only certain scorpions may be kept communally, otherwise expect death and cannibalization. Even with scorpions that you've been assured are fine for communal keeping you might come across a few that don't take to it. I started with 3 of a type that can be kept communally but chose not to. I decided it was too hard to maintain a natural looking environment with good hides while also being able to open up the hides to remove uneaten feeders. It was hard to make sure each scorpion was getting it's share so I split them up. When keeping communal you need to keep things in mind: Space, access to food, access to hiding spaces and of course the usual things like substrate, temp, etc - I believe that keeping them communally, the stress is higher than normal so a bad substrate or temp that might not normally be a problem with overcrowding it might be the straw that breaks the camels back causing them to act aggressively.

It can be cool keeping communal, I actually received 5 new scorpions the other day and right now they're communal but when I get the money to split them up I most likely will. Maybe I'll keep two of them together.


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## scorps (Aug 17, 2016)

I successfully kept about 30 Centruroides gracilis together for a long time with no issues. That being said, they were in a large enclosure with plenty of hiding spaces.


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## TheScorpionMan (Aug 17, 2016)

PVArachnids said:


> i have six 3i h. franzwerneri that i am planning to put together .. but i am kinda scared that will kill each other..i dont want to lose anyone of them..


I currently have a trio of H. Judaicus living together. They're all 6i and they seem to be doing well so far. There's multiple hides and i rarely see two in the same place. Idk about H. Franzwerneri. I have one 4i but I'm not sure how communual they are. If they are good for communual setups I'd still wait until they're mature.


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## Ethen (Dec 9, 2019)

Hi everyone

I have a similar question, although my question revolves around a certain species of scorpion: Buthidae Uroplectes planimanus. I have done numerous research on the species, and my female scorpion is healthy. Yet i failed to pick up that the species can reproduce via parthenogenesis. I have around 20 scorplings now and was wondering if anyone has ever kept this species before and whether they can be kept in a communal setup or not.

Thank you in advice,


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## Lubed Tweezer (Dec 9, 2019)

Communal setups are more difficult, need more frequent checking, need more space(and thus more heating), need more hideouts and you need to constantly stuff their faces with food.
And even then there are no guarantees that all will be fine. Sometimes all works out during the first 1 or 2 months, then suddenly 1 scorp changes it's mind.....
I would choose to keep my scorps separate because it's far easier, cost less space, higher probability that any individual scorp will have a long and healthy life.
As Petko from YT channel Dark Den often says: "All scorpions are communal....until they're not."  
A smaller enclosure also helps me be more aware about what my scorp ate (or didn't ate).
My first setups with single scorps were in (unnecessary) large enclosures. I dropped a cricket in, cricket went hiding. At that point i was thinking that my scorp would catch it anyway,
so I left the enclosure alone.
However a few days/weeks later during maintenance i would find crickets (still alive) hiding somewhere while i was thinking the scorp ate those. 
Result is that my scorp ate less then i thought it ate. In a smaller enclosure it's easier to see if the scorp takes the food or not. (If not, the food will be removed there and then)
All that said, there are definitely some successful communal setups using Tityus Stigmurus, Hetrometrus Longimanus or Pandinus Imperator.
Younger Leiurus Quinquestriatus also seems to work.
In my opinion communal setups require far more attention while having far less control.


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## Ethen (Dec 9, 2019)

Lubed Tweezer said:


> Communal setups are more difficult, need more frequent checking, need more space(and thus more heating), need more hideouts and you need to constantly stuff their faces with food.
> And even then there are no guarantees that all will be fine. Sometimes all works out during the first 1 or 2 months, then suddenly 1 scorp changes it's mind.....
> I would choose to keep my scorps separate because it's far easier, cost less space, higher probability that any individual scorp will have a long and healthy life.
> As Petko from YT channel Dark Den often says: "All scorpions are communal....until they're not."
> ...


Thank you, this has been helpful an I'll make good use of your experienced pointers;


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## woodie (Dec 9, 2019)

Staehilomyces said:


> Shame. Does anyone know of Urodacus species in particular are compatible with eachother?


I have not really heard of communal Urodacus species. They tend to live solitary lifestyles, However some of the burrowing species can have relatively dense populations.  Mark Stewart wirks with Aussie arachnids , Maybe do a search for him since he has posted care videos for Urodacus


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## Ethen (Dec 12, 2019)

Ethen said:


> Thank you, this has been helpful an I'll make good use of your experienced pointers;


Another question, the baby scorpions have been separated, yet I cannot find any guides on how soon they can eat after separation. Does anyone have any tips?


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## Jason Brantley (Dec 13, 2019)

Wait approximately 10 days before a feeding attempt after the scorplings molt for the first time (1i going into 2i).


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## Ethen (Dec 14, 2019)

Jason Brantley said:


> Wait approximately 10 days before a feeding attempt after the scorplings molt for the first time (1i going into 2i).


This is incredibly helpful, thank you


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