# Hottentotta franzwerneri care info?



## LeFanDesBugs (Oct 8, 2016)

Hello guys,

I'm planning on getting 2 or 3  3i H.franzwerneri.
I have owned several Buthus occitanus, Heterometrus spinifer and a Hadrurus arizonensis, I know what I'm doing too.. I didn't wanna get into too hot species and this one is beautiful, so I went for that..
I managed to gather very little info on how to care for them, any tips? What I'm mostly in need of is info about housing..
Thanks!

And for those of you who are waiting some updates on my H. hadrurus arizonensis which successfully molted, don't worry that will come, I just wanted to get a pic of it once it had dried and stuff, but it's still in its burrow


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## WeightedAbyss75 (Oct 8, 2016)

I believe you jst house it like any other desert scorp. Sand or dirt, dry, water dish, and the size can be about 2-3x length and 2x width (a little big). Height doesn't matter, etc. Think they are pretty easy care wise


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## LeFanDesBugs (Oct 8, 2016)

Ok, thanks!
I have read that they never burrow, could someone who has them confirm?


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## Henry1975 (Oct 8, 2016)

Hi. Sorry for just intruding this way. But a friend of mine own a Buthus occitanus and has sent me some videos of it showing extreme agression. In one of the vids the scorp really is waving its metasoma around in all kinds of directions trying to hit the nearby object, a pen in this case. I do not remember my former A. Bicolor being that agressive for example. So I really thought that the Buthus occitanus was really hot. Is it not?


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## LeFanDesBugs (Oct 8, 2016)

No problem dude!
I agree this species is very agressive, but by "hot" I meant not medically significant venom-potency wise.. Be careful not to confuse it with Buthus tunetanus, which used to be a subspecies of B.occitanus, whose venom can be lethal! 
My adult female (I have to young ones too) tends to freeze and get into an agression posture as soon as she gets touched or even approached by any unknown object. Then if you touch her again she tries to nail the thing you handle her with.. quite naughty species indeed! 
I have never had to deal with my younger specimens though, I just let them be in their terrariums.


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## Henry1975 (Oct 12, 2016)

Ok. Thanks for the info. Must have been the confusion with Buthus tunetanus, I thought B. occitanus was at least nearly leathal. According to my friend it really is for the prey though, they are said to die instantely after being stung.


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## Scorpionluva (Oct 18, 2016)

LeFanDesBugs said:


> Hello guys,
> 
> I'm planning on getting 2 or 3  3i H.franzwerneri.
> I have owned several Buthus occitanus, Heterometrus spinifer and a Hadrurus arizonensis, I know what I'm doing too.. I didn't wanna get into too hot species and this one is beautiful, so I went for that..
> ...


I've been keeping H franzwerneri for about 2 years now and they are a breeze to care for
I Keep them at 75-90 F  on a 70/30 sand/coco peat mix with cork bark as hides.  Mist a side once a week is about all they need until adult  and then obviously gravid females need more moisture.  
I personally haven't lost a single specimen of my own broods yet and I've run some of them through rather harsh conditions ( survival of the fittest ! ) they are an awesome specie to keep and without a doubt my favorite hottentotta specie ... Yet

Reactions: Like 5


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## LeFanDesBugs (Oct 19, 2016)

Thank you! I'll get them in around 3 weeks. And I do agree they are the best looking Hottentotta species, and from what you say they must have a pretty cool behaviour too!


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## spidermom62 (Apr 26, 2017)

Scorpionluva said:


> I've been keeping H franzwerneri for about 2 years now and they are a breeze to care for
> I Keep them at 75-90 F  on a 70/30 sand/coco peat mix with cork bark as hides.  Mist a side once a week is about all they need until adult  and then obviously gravid females need more moisture.
> I personally haven't lost a single specimen of my own broods yet and I've run some of them through rather harsh conditions ( survival of the fittest ! ) they are an awesome specie to keep and without a doubt my favorite hottentotta specie ... Yet


Hi there. I know this is an old thread but I am getting an H franzwerneri this week at 5i. Is it possible to keep it in a 5 gallon tank or does it need a 10 gallon?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rugg the bug man (Apr 26, 2017)

5 gln should be more than enough for 1

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## spidermom62 (Apr 26, 2017)

Rugg the bug man said:


> 5 gln should be more than enough for 1


Thanx sir!!!


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## andrewctonus (Apr 27, 2017)

They're very easy in my experience, however super slow growing. My two arrived in July 2015 and they still haven't fully matured for some reason despite being under heat and being well fed

Reactions: Like 1


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## spidermom62 (Apr 28, 2017)

brancsikia339 said:


> They're very easy in my experience, however super slow growing. My two arrived in July 2015 and they still haven't fully matured for some reason despite being under heat and being well fed


What size enclosure are yours in?


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## Scorpionluva (Apr 28, 2017)

brancsikia339 said:


> They're very easy in my experience, however super slow growing. My two arrived in July 2015 and they still haven't fully matured for some reason despite being under heat and being well fed


Yes they are VERY slow growers but that just gives you a lot more time to enjoy them growing   all of my 1st brood are still 4i-5i and still haven't lost a single baby yet.   Glad you still have yours !

Reactions: Like 1


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## Scorpionluva (Apr 28, 2017)

spidermom62 said:


> Hi there. I know this is an old thread but I am getting an H franzwerneri this week at 5i. Is it possible to keep it in a 5 gallon tank or does it need a 10 gallon?


A 5 gallon would be plenty for a pair of adults and might be a bit big for a 5i specimen.  I've found that in most cases using a smaller container makes it easier for your scorp to catch it's food   Too big of container leaves them chasing their food too much and can actually stress the scorp out.  H. Franzwerneri have huge clumsy chela so they tend to have a hard time catching prey in the first place   It's nice to have a big pretty cage for them to display them in but purpose is more important to me than pretty

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## andrewctonus (Apr 29, 2017)

Scorpionluva said:


> Yes they are VERY slow growers but that just gives you a lot more time to enjoy them growing   all of my 1st brood are still 4i-5i and still haven't lost a single baby yet.   Glad you still have yours !


Still have mine from you that I got back in 2015! They're easily my favorite animals and really enjoyable to raise. Easy & slow growing is the way to go


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## spidermom62 (May 1, 2017)

Scorpionluva said:


> A 5 gallon would be plenty for a pair of adults and might be a bit big for a 5i specimen.  I've found that in most cases using a smaller container makes it easier for your scorp to catch it's food   Too big of container leaves them chasing their food too much and can actually stress the scorp out.  H. Franzwerneri have huge clumsy chela so they tend to have a hard time catching prey in the first place   It's nice to have a big pretty cage for them to display them in but purpose is more important to me than pretty


Okay. I may just keep it in a kritter keeper then. Thanx so much for the info.


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## Rugg the bug man (May 2, 2017)

@spidermom62 

Did you end up grabbing 1 ?


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## spidermom62 (May 2, 2017)

Rugg the bug man said:


> @spidermom62
> 
> Did you end up grabbing 1 ?


Arrives tomorrow. Along with a P raudus. Super excited!


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## Rugg the bug man (May 2, 2017)

Awesome !!!
Congrats they are both really cool species. I love mine, all of them are feisty as hell especially those raudus'
Good Luck with them and post pics down the line

Reactions: Like 1


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## spidermom62 (May 2, 2017)

Rugg the bug man said:


> Awesome !!!
> Congrats they are both really cool species. I love mine, all of them are feisty as hell especially those raudus'
> Good Luck with them and post pics down the line


I sure will!  Thank you!

Reactions: Like 1


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## spidermom62 (May 3, 2017)

They are here!  First pics are 5i Hottentotta franzwerneri.  Second set are the tiny 3i Parabuthus raudus.  Love them already!!

Reactions: Like 3


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## Andrew101 (Nov 20, 2017)

Hey guys, do you know how big do they get? i got a pair which i plan to breed in future but they are relatively small. I read some where they can grow to 8cm, is that true?

Reactions: Like 1


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## LeFanDesBugs (Nov 21, 2017)

They sure will grow bigger. But do what extent I don't know.


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## brandontmyers (Nov 21, 2017)

They can get really large. I would say 8cm at least. THem and Hottentotta gentili can mature at 8i. They do take a good while to grow.

Reactions: Like 2


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## LeFanDesBugs (Nov 21, 2017)

Well 8cm is quite small I was told 12 ?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Scorpionluva (Nov 21, 2017)

LeFanDesBugs said:


> Well 8cm is quite small I was told 12 ?


I would say 10-12 cm for a female is about right and males more likely in the 8cm range

Reactions: Like 2


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## LeFanDesBugs (Nov 22, 2017)

Ok then, thanks luva


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## Andrew101 (Nov 22, 2017)

AH ok, I was wondering why my pair haven't molted yet. How long do they take to get to adult size? I'm pretty new to these species and there's isn't much info specifically about them.


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## brandontmyers (Nov 22, 2017)

I have had mine for nearly 1.5 years and only two males are adults. I got 5 at 2i and one is still at 5i and another at 6i. @Scorpionluva may have some more info on these. He has had some good luck with them.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## CWilson1351 (Nov 23, 2017)

brandontmyers said:


> I have had mine for nearly 1.5 years and only two males are adults. I got 5 at 2i and one is still at 5i and another at 6i. @Scorpionluva may have some more info on these. He has had some good luck with them.


Wow, hopefully my 2i and 3i last that long. They are a wonderful species and I love how much they are out in the open.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Andrew101 (Nov 26, 2017)

CWilson1351 said:


> Wow, hopefully my 2i and 3i last that long. They are a wonderful species and I love how much they are out in the open.


That's the one thing i love about this species, they majority of the time stay out in the open. I sometimes get paranoid that they die since they eat only once a month or every 2 months, I even give small prey items and that seems enough for them in the long run which is weird since my Heterometrus spinifer and petersii eat once or twice a month.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Scorpionluva (Nov 28, 2017)

LeFanDesBugs said:


> Ok then, thanks luva


Ya welcome  lol


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## Scorpionluva (Dec 11, 2017)

Andrew101 said:


> That's the one thing i love about this species, they majority of the time stay out in the open. I sometimes get paranoid that they die since they eat only once a month or every 2 months, I even give small prey items and that seems enough for them in the long run which is weird since my Heterometrus spinifer and petersii eat once or twice a month.


You may need to increase their heat if they only eat once a month or every 2 months.  H franzwerneri are usually pretty good eaters and I've never seen any go that long without eating. Once adult - they need pretty high heat to birth also... 100+° F

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Andrew101 (Dec 11, 2017)

Scorpionluva said:


> You may need to increase their heat if they only eat once a month or every 2 months.  H franzwerneri are usually pretty good eaters and I've never seen any go that long without eating. Once adult - they need pretty high heat to birth also... 100+° F


I did use a ceramic heater on them 3 months ago but i guess cause its winter, they've slowed down. I just took off the ceramic heater this week since i was moving this but I'll put it back on in a few days, but even then they were only eating every month or 2. What's the max temperature level would you give? i feared 100 degrees would had been too much for them.


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## Scorpionluva (Dec 11, 2017)

Andrew101 said:


> I did use a ceramic heater on them 3 months ago but i guess cause its winter, they've slowed down. I just took off the ceramic heater this week since i was moving this but I'll put it back on in a few days, but even then they were only eating every month or 2. What's the max temperature level would you give? i feared 100 degrees would had been too much for them.


What instar are your franz ?? 100 degrees would be only for Gravid females and only on 1 side of their tank.  They must have a temperature gradient so they can cool down when they get too hot.


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## CWilson1351 (Dec 11, 2017)

Scorpionluva said:


> What instar are your franz ?? 100 degrees would be only for Gravid females and only on 1 side of their tank.  They must have a temperature gradient so they can cool down when they get too hot.


What would you say is good for 3i? I'm keeping mine at 84-88F and they aren't big eaters. All the others in the box eat semi-regular. The franzwerneri are the front two squared compartments.


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## Scorpionluva (Dec 11, 2017)

CWilson1351 said:


> What would you say is good for 3i? I'm keeping mine at 84-88F and they aren't big eaters. All the others in the box eat semi-regular. The franzwerneri are the front two squared compartments.
> View attachment 260125


Your temps are the same as what I kept mine at but never had a problem getting mine to eat.  They don't always grab their food right away but most times they'll eat it if you leave it in there.  Truly 1 of the hardiest scorpion species I've ever kept and oh so beautiful

Reactions: Like 1


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## CWilson1351 (Dec 11, 2017)

Scorpionluva said:


> Your temps are the same as what I kept mine at but never had a problem getting mine to eat.  They don't always grab their food right away but most times they'll eat it if you leave it in there.  Truly 1 of the hardiest scorpion species I've ever kept and oh so beautiful


Ok, I might just be eager for the 2i to finally molt and catch up to the other one. I typically offer pinhead crickets or slightly larger once a week. I leave the crickets in overnight, it gives me an excuse to look at them again the next day lol. Thanks for the info!
They really are stunning! I am very happy I got them with my first batch of Buthids. My 3i is also very visible. Always hanging out on top of the small piece of cork.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Andrew101 (Dec 11, 2017)

Scorpionluva said:


> What instar are your franz ?? 100 degrees would be only for Gravid females and only on 1 side of their tank.  They must have a temperature gradient so they can cool down when they get too hot.


Not so sure, looks like 4 instar to be honest. I did give a cool side so they can cool down.


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