# New emperor scorpion sling!



## SandDeku (Aug 14, 2012)

So I wandered into my usual LFS and this store is known for having high quality animals from actual legit breeders. They even gave me a name of the breeder(though I spaced out on that part lol). I know basic spider care which is: Small enclosure, moisture depending on species, temp depends on species, and only a couple crickets a week. (oh and a hide out and FLAT water dish-- to prevent drowning). 

But I'm not so sure on a scorpion sling. I bought the sling since I wasn't sure how well it would do in my care and I didn't want to spend more on a favorite species that if it doesn't work out for me and it dies that's over 50 bucks down the drain. (not that I'm taking the care of a scorp lightly mind you. No not at all. I just wanted to start with something affordable). 

But I'm not so sure how you care for a sling scorpion. They said to give baby crickets, and try to "ALMOST" kill the cricket but not completely. Enough for it to twitch but not for it to die on the spot. So I the crickets aren't pinheads. They didn't have any pinheads. Wondering if this is okay? Or if I should start smaller foods? I got the biggest, fattest scorp. Though its only 2/3of an inch...

How fast should it grow to atleast a NOT so frail size? Also. is there a way to kinda "coax" it to become less shy? so that when its adult it literary doesn't spend all day under a log or something.... 

How much should I feed? any specific info you guys got? 

I'm already searching on my own but I want to have my info straight before I apply it. Currently its in one of those containers that when you buy a betta fish at petsmart comes with. With a little bit of eco earth. I have a 2.5gallon but it looks way too friggin' big for the scorp....


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## jreidsma (Aug 14, 2012)

Emps like a bit of humidity, don't get mold started though.

Would love to see a picture of this new scorpion  And also seeing how big your crickets are would help also. But if the cricket doesn't look overly large for the scorpion it is probably fine, I don't know how vicious scorpions are with feeding when they are little but it might actually take down larger crickets than you think.

You could try feeding it a fine alive cricket and see how it does. But if it acts scared or can't get it I would try to paralyze/almost kill the cricket and try again. My tiger beetle won't eat alive crickets. But then my T slings will take down an alive cricket the size of themselves.

I don't know how long it will take for them to grow up, sorry. But I heard on another thread that these species grow kind of slowly.

I would try one or two crickets a week, as long as it stays that nice, almost chubby size it should be fine. 

I would probably have it in the 2.5 gallon, or in a sterilite container (6 or 7 quart ones) I use them for my adult emps, bark scorpions, and pretty much all of my other inverts that are terrestrial and decently large.

Good luck with the new baby


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## 2nscorpx (Aug 14, 2012)

Sorry, but why would you buy the scorpion if you were not sure how to care for it?
I would check out The Scorpion Files, The Scorpion Fauna, Panarthropoda.de, information on this board and others, etc. to find this information; it should be quite easy.


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## ShredderEmp (Aug 14, 2012)

temp should be in the 80's, humidity should be in 80's, at least 4 inches of substrate, usually you won't see them unless you catch them at night or you find a way to see them while in their burrows, usually ptsmarts and petcos carry the option of large or small crickets so just choose ones that are about the size of the scorps body.    P. imperators are known for being communal as long as provided at least one hide per scorp and a rule of thumb is five gallons per emp, they can live to be up to eight inches long and ten years old so most likely if kept probably and fed well you will have him for about 7 years.

handaling scorps reuarly is not advised however laying your hand on the substrate and gently urging them on it and slowly raising them upwards

this is all i can think of however others will probably correct me/tell more

Reactions: Like 1


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## Ludedor24 (Aug 14, 2012)

Lemme put it this way  for even a 2i emperor full grown LIVE crickets are no match for it. You can get away with less ventilation with emps to increase the humidity , plus put a few inches in to burrow


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## SandDeku (Aug 14, 2012)

jreidsma said:


> Emps like a bit of humidity, don't get mold started though.
> 
> Would love to see a picture of this new scorpion  And also seeing how big your crickets are would help also. But if the cricket doesn't look overly large for the scorpion it is probably fine, I don't know how vicious scorpions are with feeding when they are little but it might actually take down larger crickets than you think.
> 
> ...


Will "Try" to take a picture of the scorp once I get a new camera. :// I have it in this container temporarly so I can access it quickly kinda thinking of it as a "nusery" for it. xD I actually put the container on top of a 7watt bulb light fixture. It gets slightly warm but not so warm where it burns. Kinda like 70-80degrees. Give or take. I'm just using this until I get a decent set up(this weekend). Perhaps ill use a five gallon for an adult. Since I see they're quite large.

---------- Post added 08-14-2012 at 07:01 PM ----------




2nscorpx said:


> Sorry, but why would you buy the scorpion if you were not sure how to care for it?
> I would check out The Scorpion Files, The Scorpion Fauna, Panarthropoda.de, information on this board and others, etc. to find this information; it should be quite easy.


Well for quite a few reasons:
1)It wasn't an impulse buy. I have been pondering over it for a while. 

2)It doesn't take me more than a couple minutes to an hour to know how to care for something. 

3)The petstore I bought it from has EXCELLENT reputation, and I personally have delt with them in terms of fish(do you know how easy it is to miscare for a fish? Easier to kill a fish than a scorpion or an invert period--- well talking about saltwater fish). This petstore is sure over priced but I'd rather pay extra for good quality animals.  This store is 1.2hours away from me. I only go to it because its on a way for one of my doctors which I go to weekly.

4)I'm not going to go back to my house just to google some information, and then to go back and find em. The store RARELY gets slings. it almost always gets adults.

5)The care for a scorpion is not overly different than it is for a tarantula. Set up, food, water and heat. But the thing is-- the difference between them is temperatures, exact ambient humidity and such. It's not like setting up a frag tank where you have to wait 6months for everything to be perfect prior to adding a frag in there which is nerve wrecking. lol.. Not saying they're simple and easy to care for. But they are SIMPLE-ER and EASI-ER than other animals I have dealt with.

---------- Post added 08-14-2012 at 07:03 PM ----------

I don't handle any invertebrates---period. No matter how "friendly" they can be labeled. Truth is-- they just don't want to be touched. They may perceive you as a threat and may stress them out. For animals it's either a Fight or Flight response. And I'd rather not stress an animal out so no worries there. Temp 80s? humidity 80s?


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## Ludedor24 (Aug 14, 2012)

SandDeku said:


> Temp 80s? humidity 80s?


yes that should be fine


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## SandDeku (Aug 14, 2012)

I just fed him one cricket. He immedietly hunted it and stabbed it sooo many times in a row. Ima call him cyanide. XD


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## ShredderEmp (Aug 14, 2012)

SandDeku said:


> I just fed him one cricket. He immedietly hunted it and stabbed it sooo many times in a row. Ima call him cyanide. XD


or stabber?

oh by the way, those crix are getting gang raped


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## SandDeku (Aug 14, 2012)

ShredderEmp said:


> or stabber?
> 
> oh by the way, those crix are getting gang raped


Hyde. Cause he looks cute but he's very vicious. xD









is that scorpion obese or is that acceptable size? I googled pictures and kinda like how it looked. xD


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## Furret (Aug 22, 2012)

I find it hilarious when you toss in a bunch of squashed crickets into a tank of emp slings. Mine literally charge at them, and when one finally gets one, it parades around the whole tank while holding it in its "mouth" (can't think of the correct term a the moment, too braindead in the morning).


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## snippy (Aug 22, 2012)

You mean the chelicerae 

Regards
Finn


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## KDiiX (Aug 22, 2012)

If you know about how to care of tarantulas etc you should know that you should NEVER heat from the bottom only from the top or from one side. 
If you "have been pondering over it for a while" why you inform yourself know and not a while ago? That argument wasn't really good.


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## Aviara (Aug 23, 2012)

KDiiX said:


> If you know about how to care of tarantulas etc you should know that you should NEVER heat from the bottom only from the top or from one side.
> If you "have been pondering over it for a while" why you inform yourself know and not a while ago? That argument wasn't really good.


Good catch! I'm surprised no one mentioned this before. Emperors (and other scorpions) will burrow to avoid heat, so if you have a heat pad on the bottom and it gets too hot for them, they'll burrow down even closer to the pad and cook themselves. I usually tape my heat pads to the side of the scorpion's tank, above the level of the substrate.

Another thing the OP might consider is putting a level of gravel underneath the substrate in the tank. This gives excess water a place to collect so that the substrate never turns into a swamp, but humidity stays consistently high. I do this in my emperor setups, and I also cover over 3/4ths of the top of the tank to decrease ventilation (and thereby keep humidity up). I also stick a piece of PVC piping through the soil and into the gravel layer so I can add water directly to it. 

Scorpions are very similar to tarantulas in behavior and in care, but there are a few differences. One of my favorite differences about scorpions is that they cannot climb out of the typical glass or plastic tank, so you never have an animal bolting up out of the enclosure when you open it for feeding or maintenance. Some of my tarantulas, on the other hand, love to pop out and "say hi".


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