# How much water does it take to drown a scorpion?



## Scorpionluva (Mar 10, 2018)

Not much at all   


Found this 3i heteroctenus junceus dead today just from a little condensation on the lid of its deli cup  
This is horrible that it happened but I hope it shows other keepers that it really doesn't take much water to drown a scorpion .....
 a little drop of  water, a smooth surface and BAM ..... dead scorpion !!!  
 they get vacuumed  to the smooth surface and cannot get free from the suction  even upside down on a lid it could reach from the ground  
If there's any positive outcome from this happening to 1 of my scorpions - it's to help others NOT lose their scorpions due to drownings that can be avoided

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## KYguy (Mar 10, 2018)

Sorry man! But it really puts it into perspective for a newbie like me. So thanks for sharing.

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## Scorpionluva (Mar 10, 2018)

KYguy said:


> Sorry man! But it really puts it into perspective for a newbie like me. So thanks for sharing.


It sucks but I believe my sucesses as well as my failures need to be documented and shared to help any/all keepers with their scorpions so we all become better keepers

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## RTTB (Mar 11, 2018)

Good info.

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## Dave Jay (Mar 11, 2018)

Wow, I wouldn't have thought it possible. Thanks for sharing that, I'm sorry for your loss, but you've turned a negative into a positive, it serves as a warning to us all.

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## Scorpionluva (Mar 11, 2018)

Dave Jay said:


> Wow, I wouldn't have thought it possible. Thanks for sharing that, I'm sorry for your loss, but you've turned a negative into a positive, it serves as a warning to us all.


This is the 1st time I've witnessed a scorp drown in condensation but I've witnessed several drownings in tiny little water dishes 
 This is why I no longer use water dishes of any kind for any of the 20+ species I keep currently    
Very few species actually need a water dish - proper misting can achieve their drinking and humidity needs all in 1 step

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## Dave Jay (Mar 11, 2018)

One of the leading experts on Australian scorpions, and the author of the only book dedicated to keeping them, Mark Newton, conducted experiments on two burrowing desert species that proved that those species at least can absorb water from the substrate and perhaps the air, he speculates that other species can do the same including overseas arid burrowing scorpions but the experiments have never been done. The moisture level at which this can occur is 1.5% water by weight, that would not feel damp to us. Many of the Australian species do not drink free water at all in any form, but they will stand on damp substrate or on damp rocks etc., his theory is that they absorb water through osmosis. Of course most of their water is from their prey. I added a polished stone to a couple of enclosures just as decor, but I saw a couple of my scorps would be on or half on them for a while every morning, only in close up pictures could I see that there was always tiny droplets of condensation on them, at least around the base where it met the substrate. Now I use polished stones in most of my enclosures as the water source, with the high moisture scorps its where I'll drip water, in the dry enclosures they still appear wet even though the surface of the  sand is dry and some of the scorps spend a great deal of time on them.

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## Scorpionluva (Mar 11, 2018)

Dave Jay said:


> One of the leading experts on Australian scorpions, and the author of the only book dedicated to keeping them, Mark Newton, conducted experiments on two burrowing desert species that proved that those species at least can absorb water from the substrate and perhaps the air, he speculates that other species can do the same including overseas arid burrowing scorpions but the experiments have never been done. The moisture level at which this can occur is 1.5% water by weight, that would not feel damp to us. Many of the Australian species do not drink free water at all in any form, but they will stand on damp substrate or on damp rocks etc., his theory is that they absorb water through osmosis. Of course most of their water is from their prey. I added a polished stone to a couple of enclosures just as decor, but I saw a couple of my scorps would be on or half on them for a while every morning, only in close up pictures could I see that there was always tiny droplets of condensation on them, at least around the base where it met the substrate. Now I use polished stones in most of my enclosures as the water source, with the high moisture scorps its where I'll drip water, in the dry enclosures they still appear wet even though the surface of the  sand is dry and some of the scorps spend a great deal of time on them.


That sounds like a great book and only helps further conclude that most species do not need a water dish  
I've done enough experiments with my own collection to help prove this fact also    almost half of my leiurus species will drink from the tiny drops on the sides of the tank while the other half sits on moist substrate and absorbs it  
I've seen some actually pick up single grains of sand and drink or groom themselves with it,  drop the grain and pick up several more 1 at a time til they are either hydrated or groomed completely 
  I've tried getting pics of them doing this but they never turn out clear enough to see the single grain lol

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## Wishorama (Mar 23, 2018)

Hi all, first post here.... I caught a Southern Devil scorpion while on a hike last weekend. We put it in an empty water bottle and it was mostly dead by the time I got it home and into a terrarium, all water logged and slowed from the drops of water left in the bottle. I thought he would dry out and revive but he didn’t make it. It did not seem like much water...

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## Scorpionluva (Mar 24, 2018)

Wishorama said:


> Hi all, first post here.... I caught a Southern Devil scorpion while on a hike last weekend. We put it in an empty water bottle and it was mostly dead by the time I got it home and into a terrarium, all water logged and slowed from the drops of water left in the bottle. I thought he would dry out and revive but he didn’t make it. It did not seem like much water...


Sorry to hear it didn't make it  
I've had 2 scorpions recover out of close to 20 total drownings after placing them right in front of my space heater   they may have not been completely dead yet or I caught it just in time but the others showed no sign of life even a day later


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## darkness975 (Mar 27, 2018)

I use water dishes for all of mine and have had no problems.  They all drink from the dishes regularly enough for me to never consider not giving them one. 

@Scorpionluva are you 100% certain that it did not have some other ailment you were unaware of, crawled to the water to try and hydrate, and succumbed to the aforementioned ailment?  

I've had Emps and others take baths in their dishes in the past.  I now give them smaller dishes just for convenience but still.













H. arizonensis Drinking



__ darkness975
__ Apr 27, 2017
__ 6


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## Scorpionluva (Mar 28, 2018)

darkness975 said:


> I use water dishes for all of mine and have had no problems.  They all drink from the dishes regularly enough for me to never consider not giving them one.
> 
> @Scorpionluva are you 100% certain that it did not have some other ailment you were unaware of, crawled to the water to try and hydrate, and succumbed to the aforementioned ailment?
> 
> ...


No It didn't have an ailment.  It was newly hardened after molting to 3rd instar and with this species they can reach the top of a 2.5 oz deli with ease  I've had them running around the lids many of times and had them come running straight out the deli onto my hand



   this is the 1st out of 1000's of just this specie I've produced that got caught in a bubble of condensation on the lid   
it was merely meant to display to others that caution should be taken in all situations with baby scorps and any amount of standing water even if the water is on the under side of a lid  


I've kept Hadrurus successfully ( raising , molting , breeding and raising the babies also without the need of any water bowls


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## NYAN (Apr 2, 2018)

I found one of my scoropions apparently dead in its water dish which had barely 1 cm of water in it. I took the bottle cap out, checked the scorpion and it didn’t move and was totally limp. I left the scorpion in the enclosure and just now I looked and it moved from where I last left it! I poked it and it ran around! The scorpion wasn’t dead at all but knocked out for who knows how long, 12 hours had passed since I found it though.

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## Scorpionluva (Apr 2, 2018)

NYAN said:


> I found one of my scoropions apparently dead in its water dish which had barely 1 cm of water in it. I took the bottle cap out, checked the scorpion and it didn’t move and was totally limp. I left the scorpion in the enclosure and just now I looked and it moved from where I last left it! I poked it and it ran around! The scorpion wasn’t dead at all but knocked out for who knows how long, 12 hours had passed since I found it though.


I'm glad your scorp recovered after it's apparent drowning 
 I had a couple recover before also but most that did drown didn't came back to life even after a week of drying out and being warmed up.   What species of yours did this happen to ?


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## NYAN (Apr 2, 2018)

Scorpionluva said:


> I'm glad your scorp recovered after it's apparent drowning
> I had a couple recover before also but most that did drown didn't came back to life even after a week of drying out and being warmed up.   What species of yours did this happen to ?


Paruroctonus silvestrii


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## Scorpionluva (Apr 2, 2018)

NYAN said:


> Paruroctonus silvestrii


Cool species to keep  
I had a couple males a few years ago but that was after I quit using water bowls for my scorps


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## NYAN (Apr 2, 2018)

Scorpionluva said:


> Cool species to keep
> I had a couple males a few years ago but that was after I quit using water bowls for my scorps


Yeah, it’s nice that they live in my backyard too!

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## Scorpionluva (Apr 2, 2018)

NYAN said:


> Yeah, it’s nice that they live in my backyard too!


I bet  
Unfortunately where I live there's no scorpions in my backyard ( unless I take them from my scorp room into my backyard ) lol but not sure that counts


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## NYAN (Apr 2, 2018)

Scorpionluva said:


> I bet
> Unfortunately where I live there's no scorpions in my backyard ( unless I take them from my scorp room into my backyard ) lol but not sure that counts


The best kind of Easter egg hunt!


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## Scorpionluva (Apr 2, 2018)

NYAN said:


> The best kind of Easter egg hunt!


 id be the winner of that hunt .... I'm not sure anybody else that lives near me would show up.... they all think I'm crazy for keeping scorpions

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## Paul1126 (Apr 3, 2018)

As a first time scorpion owner, this really does make me nervous about having a water dish.


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## darkness975 (Apr 3, 2018)

Paul1126 said:


> As a first time scorpion owner, this really does make me nervous about having a water dish.


Just make sure the dish isn't too big for it to get stuck and you're fine.

This is all you need as long as you keep it full.  I use water bottle caps.  They definitely drink from them, as this _H. arizonensis _was doing when I took the pic.












H. arizonensis Drinking



__ darkness975
__ Apr 27, 2017
__ 6

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## Paul1126 (Apr 3, 2018)

darkness975 said:


> Just make sure the dish isn't too big for it to get stuck and you're fine.
> 
> This is all you need as long as you keep it full.  I use water bottle caps.  They definitely drink from them, as this _H. arizonensis _was doing when I took the pic.
> 
> ...


My scorp is quite the size, I've given him a really shallow dish. Hope it's suitable if show a picture but not got one on hand.
But I'm positive he won't get stuck or anything like that.













Heterometrus longimanus



__ Paul1126
__ Apr 3, 2018



						All I was trying to do was improve his home


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## darkness975 (Apr 3, 2018)

Paul1126 said:


> My scorp is quite the size, I've given him a really shallow dish. Hope it's suitable if show a picture but not got one on hand.
> But I'm positive he won't get stuck or anything like that.
> 
> 
> ...


I've had _Heterometrus spp. & Pandinus spp. _sit in their water dishes for hours in the past.  As long as they can get out they're fine.

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## Scorpionluva (Apr 3, 2018)

Paul1126 said:


> As a first time scorpion owner, this really does make me nervous about having a water dish.


Your scorp being a heterometrus will be fine with a shallow water dish  
Padinus and heterometrus species would be the only 2 types of scorpions I would use a water dish with  
 others don't need them at all

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## darkness975 (Apr 3, 2018)

Not denying that a Scorpion can be kept without a water dish by experienced keepers but for a beginner it is best to encourage the use of a small dish.  

I have been keeping for years and I use a dish for peace of mind, not to mention I witness them drink from the dishes (rain forest and arid species).

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## tdark1 (Apr 3, 2018)

Scorpionluva said:


> Your scorp being a heterometrus will be fine with a shallow water dish
> Padinus and heterometrus species would be the only 2 types of scorpions I would use a water dish with
> others don't need them at all


I use small water dishes in all my enclosures (save Andros)!! Notably, the avatar picture to the left is of a Parabuthus Trans drinking from a water bottle lid.  I noted my P. Vill's (blacks) would also prefer water dishes (small water bottle lids), I found most of all the Parabuthus I've kept would drink from small water bottle lids!  Interesting stuff, good luck!

Cheers,

Rob

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## Scorpionluva (Apr 4, 2018)

tdark1 said:


> I use small water dishes in all my enclosures (save Andros)!! Notably, the avatar picture to the left is of a Parabuthus Trans drinking from a water bottle lid.  I noted my P. Vill's (blacks) would also prefer water dishes (small water bottle lids), I found most of all the Parabuthus I've kept would drink from small water bottle lids!  Interesting stuff, good luck!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Rob


I'm not saying they won't drink from a water dish but andros and parabuthus were the exact reason i quit using tiny little nestle pure life water bottle caps as water dishes  

I had australis Hector and parabuthus mossambicensis babies both drown in them and switched to misting only afterwards  
no drownings since then except for this odd occurrence that this thread was started for .... not to argue whether using a water dish is right or wrong 
 everybody has their own ways that work and water dishes don't work for me ...period

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## tdark1 (Apr 5, 2018)

Scorpionluva said:


> I'm not saying they won't drink from a water dish but andros and parabuthus were the exact reason i quit using tiny little nestle pure life water bottle caps as water dishes
> 
> I had australis Hector and parabuthus mossambicensis babies both drown in them and switched to misting only afterwards
> no drownings since then except for this odd occurrence that this thread was started for .... not to argue whether using a water dish is right or wrong
> everybody has their own ways that work and water dishes don't work for me ...period


Agreed, wasn't trying to argue with you at all!! And yeah I don't offer dishes to Parabuthus until around 5i... Andros never get them!  Additionally, I found your post pretty interesting, first time I've seen a drowning from condensation.  Good luck to you!

Cheers,

Rob

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