# Crickets... murdered... my scorpion



## kharmakazy (Apr 15, 2011)

So I had 4 hottentotta judaicus living communally in a rubbermaid container. I threw some crickets in, 10 or so and left them alone for a couple of days. Usually they make quick work of the crickets, probably because I feed them about once a month...

Anyway I went in to clean up the leftovers and found this:





By kharmakazy at 2011-04-15

They chewed a hole in his torso. The other 3 were all hiding from the crickets huddled together.

I moved it to the scorpion graveyard:


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Then I killed the crickets en masse.

One of the survivors looks awfully fat tho. Pre molt or preggers you think?






By kharmakazy at 2011-04-15


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## Chrome69 (Apr 15, 2011)

Pretty sure I see embryos in your fatty.

And yea, had the same thing happen to a H.H but had a superworm kill it instead, worm burrowed under substrate and I thought it had eaten it then the scorp molted and the assassin super worm came up and killed it in the middle of the molt  it happens I guess.


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## H. laoticus (Apr 15, 2011)

I think your scorpion was dead before it was chewed upon.


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## Bayushi (Apr 15, 2011)

H. laoticus said:


> I think your scorpion was dead before it was chewed upon.


...And even if it wasn't this is why most of us use the 24 hour rule on keeping food in the enclosure with our scorps.  If the prey is still there, there scorp is not hungry, why stress the scorp out or run the risk of something happening.


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## kharmakazy (Apr 15, 2011)

Bayushi said:


> ...And even if it wasn't this is why most of us use the 24 hour rule on keeping food in the enclosure with our scorps.  If the prey is still there, there scorp is not hungry, why stress the scorp out or run the risk of something happening.


I normally do, Just didn't in this particular instance.


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## ZergFront (Apr 15, 2011)

Chrome69 said:


> Pretty sure I see embryos in your fatty.
> 
> And yea, had the same thing happen to a H.H but had a superworm kill it instead, worm burrowed under substrate and I thought it had eaten it then the scorp molted and the assassin super worm came up and killed it in the middle of the molt  it happens I guess.


 I've seen a couple of these accidents in others'. Now whenever I feed a superworm, it has it's mandibles crushed.


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## Sir Aculeus (Apr 15, 2011)

Damn sorry to for your lose. Crickets can be nasty sometimes. In one instance a cricket nipped off one of my A. bicolor's finger tips.


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## Chrome69 (Apr 15, 2011)

Your graveyard is a funny idea too haha, but hopefully it doesnt stink too much


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## GartenSpinnen (Apr 15, 2011)

Had it happen with a pedeling before. Sure makes you want to scratch your head, but it does definitely happen. Prey becomes predator.


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## scorpionmom (Apr 16, 2011)

Are you sure the cricket killed the scorpion? I agree with H. laoticus, it might have, and probably was, dead before the cricket "attacked it". Even if you saw a cricket on its back, I'm not sure it killed it. Hmmm.

Sorry for my possible insensitivity, I'm terribly sorry for your loss. At least you still have the others, and you know that crickets and other prey animals can be stressful and destructive. And yes, the graveyard idea is funny.


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## Michiel (Apr 16, 2011)

you need to remove those exuvia...When you find an exuvia, remove it. By doing this as fast as you can, you can prevent mites etc. to walk back to the just molted scorpion....

For feeding, 10 was a bit much....it is less stressfull for the scorpions if you feed them 4 crickets (one for each scorpion) twice a week, then to unleash a horde of 10 onto them once a week. Because at least one specimen is in pre-molt, the chance that the specimen would have fed is very small...


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## signinsimple (Apr 16, 2011)

Michiel said:


> For feeding, 10 was a bit much....it is less stressfull for the scorpions if you feed them 4 crickets (one for each scorpion) twice a week, then to unleash a horde of 10 onto them once a week. Because at least one specimen is in pre-molt, the chance that the specimen would have fed is very small...


Agreed.  10 crickets to 3 or 4 scorps means any one of those scorps could get mobbed by a gang of crickets.


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## llamastick (Apr 16, 2011)

This is one of the reasons why roaches are becoming so popular. Crickets are just terrible little hellspawn in every imaginable way.


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## Nomadinexile (Apr 16, 2011)

I'm hesitent to believe a cricket killed your non-molting scorpion.   But regardless, crickets are evil.  I hate them.   I would get a roach colony.   Or buy a colony for your lps, so they will have them available for you.   I hate crickets.  :evil:


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## Spam010 (Apr 29, 2011)

llamastick said:


> This is one of the reasons why roaches are becoming so popular. Crickets are just terrible little hellspawn in every imaginable way.


Agreed, roaches are the way to go


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## kharmakazy (Apr 29, 2011)

Michiel said:


> you need to remove those exuvia...When you find an exuvia, remove it. By doing this as fast as you can, you can prevent mites etc. to walk back to the just molted scorpion....


All those you see are in the scorpion graveyard. There are no live scorpions in there. Just dead scorps and exoskeletons.


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## the toe cutter (Apr 29, 2011)

I honestly really like the scorpion graveyard. In semi related news, I had a female Hottentotta polystictus who was recently made into lunch by be cage mates! No crickets involved, this was pure, unadulterated, down and dirty, olde fashioned cannibalism! All I found was the telson, aculeus and last fifth metasomal segment. Not even any spare legs. And the bad part is I feed those little pigs once a week. Even worse is that is was a gravid female!


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## scorpionmom (Apr 29, 2011)

the toe cutter said:


> I honestly really like the scorpion graveyard. In semi related news, I had a female Hottentotta polystictus who was recently made into lunch by be cage mates! No crickets involved, this was pure, unadulterated, down and dirty, olde fashioned cannibalism! All I found was the telson, aculeus and last fifth metasomal segment. Not even any spare legs. And the bad part is I feed those little pigs once a week. Even worse is that is was a gravid female!


Ah, that's terrible. A gravid female Hottentotta polystictus is too valuable to lose. Do you have any other females?


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## Najakeeper (Apr 29, 2011)

Number 1 rule of feeding animals with live prey:
Watch what happens!

Never leave prey items that can injure your animals inside the terrarium more than a few hours and even then, still monitor what's going on frequently.

Finally get a roach colony, crickets suck in so many ways...

Sorry for your loss.


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## baconmushroom (Apr 29, 2011)

sorry for the loss, but can't help but laugh at crickets gangin up on a scorp... "..your'e lock in here with us!"


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## Gottarantula (Nov 21, 2011)

Oh! Iam so sorry about the loss of your beloved scorpion  crickets suck they are tiny devils with antenna  roaches are cheap too!


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## Tarantel (Nov 21, 2011)

Gottarantula said:


> Oh! Iam so sorry about the loss of your beloved scorpion  crickets suck they are tiny devils with antenna  roaches are cheap too!


Totally. Crickets suck. Sorry about your scorpion.


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## catfishrod69 (Nov 21, 2011)

exactly...when i feed, i always make sure the feeders get nailed before moving on....and this is another reason i dont do cummunal...cannibalism





Najakeeper said:


> Number 1 rule of feeding animals with live prey:
> Watch what happens!
> 
> Never leave prey items that can injure your animals inside the terrarium more than a few hours and even then, still monitor what's going on frequently.
> ...


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## Sarcastro (Nov 21, 2011)

Nomadinexile said:


> I'm hesitent to believe a cricket killed your non-molting scorpion.   But regardless, crickets are evil.  I hate them.   I would get a roach colony.   Or buy a colony for your lps, so they will have them available for you.   I hate crickets.  :evil:


I hate Crickets as well. Their vile,nasty, stinky little creatures and I refuse to feed them to anything I keep. I have had crickets kill amphibians, tarantulas and scorpions...never again.  Roaches are the way to go.


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## muffy (Nov 22, 2011)

crickets are like the mice of the insect world


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## DtP1337 (Nov 22, 2011)

I agree to roaches, beetles, or just use smaller amounts of crickets. Say base it off of Scorpions>=crickets


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## llamastick (Nov 23, 2011)

Same applies to superworms, too. Hold one in your fist for a minute and you'll see what I mean.


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