# Please give constructive criticism: care sheet for Heterometrus spinifer



## skips (May 21, 2009)

So, I help run an animal collection Kent State. It's all run by students including myself. I'm the only one really with experience in scorpions, and i'm the one that writes up all the care sheets. This is for our H. spinifer. Please comment on things that may be wrong, or things you may think should be added. I'm sure something is wrong, just cut me some slack. thanks in advance. The document should be attached.


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## calum (May 22, 2009)

looks like a pretty solid caresheet. 

just a few things though.. 



> If the scorpion is always walking around and trying to climb the glass, it is not a happy camper.


it may be a good idea to emphasize that it is ok to see the scorpion wandering around when it is dark, as scorpions like this species would be found regularly wandering around the cage in darkness.  

and about the mites, you may want to mention that a sllightly larger, more conspicuous species seen wandering around your scorpion and not congregating around the joints are a good thing, as these species are predatory mites that feed on harmful, parasitic species.

other than that.. looks like a good care sheet.


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## Galapoheros (May 22, 2009)

Hi, imo, would replace the common name in the title to the sci name.  Then maybe mention the common name later somewhere or put the common name in parenthesis in the title.  I think I'll leave other stuff to other people, there are still a lot of opinions out there about feeding frequency, day and night time temps, opinions about aggression, etc.  Some people may know for sure but then there is bad info people read and repeat.  But the clear thing imo would be to maybe change the title.


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## skips (May 22, 2009)

calum said:


> looks like a pretty solid caresheet.
> 
> just a few things though..
> 
> ...


Yeah, a few things I left out just because of the uniqueness of our case.  Undergraduates are generally not allowed in the building at night, so that would never be an experience anyone reading this would have.  I may put it in just for completeness.



Galapoheros said:


> Hi, imo, would replace the common name in the title to the sci name.  Then maybe mention the common name later somewhere or put the common name in parenthesis in the title.  I think I'll leave other stuff to other people, there are still a lot of opinions out there about feeding frequency, day and night time temps, opinions about aggression, etc.  Some people may know for sure but then there is bad info people read and repeat.  But the clear thing imo would be to maybe change the title.


I agree.  We only use scientific names when talking about the scorpions.  It's just that we always list the common name in the title just because with things like blue tongue skinks and leopard geckos, common names are always used to describe them.  i write these care sheets for all our animals, scorpions only being a few.  it's just procedure to use common names.  but really, I think ill change it because no one ever uses common names with inverts. I should put in that feeding frequency is variable.  thanks to you both.


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## jme (May 22, 2009)

i personaly would change the whole it has never stung any one part lots of ppl have been stung by these guys and apparently it hurts quite a bit. there way more agresive then P. imperator's and i have even seen them use there stinger to kill prey


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## skips (May 22, 2009)

jme said:


> i personaly would change the whole it has never stung any one part lots of ppl have been stung by these guys and apparently it hurts quite a bit. there way more agresive then P. imperator's and i have even seen them use there stinger to kill prey


Yeah, I could make it more clear that the scorpion can be defensive.  This particular scorpion really is pretty docile though, especially in comparison to our spadix.  I handle them both and have really never felt like I was going to be stung.  But that's just me.  Thanks


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## H. laoticus (May 22, 2009)

Only a few minor things I would add, such as how many inches of substrate should be minimal for the species.  Also, the humidity specs and how to keep the humidity high, such as dumping water onto the substrate instead of misting.  Maybe a sentence about how communal they are and if you go into detail w/ that, talk about the amount of space a single scorp needs or how many can fit in a 10 gallon for example.  Then go into the amount of hides needed for a communal setup.


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## Galapoheros (May 22, 2009)

I'd keep labeling it heterometrus spinifer, but I'd also keep looking into the species ID.  It could be H. longimanus.  There are some very knowledgeable people out there that have a hard time telling the two apart.  If you've found somebody you think knows, let me know because I have about 15 H. longimanus that could very well be H. spinifer.  How did you determine that specimen is H. spinifer?  I've been stung a few times by these I have but like I said, I don't know if it's spinifer or longimanus ...and I've even sent a molt off to somebody that was pretty good at IDing from molts, he ended up saying he wasn't really sure.  With these I have, the sting is a little worse that a bee, but less than a wasp.


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## skips (May 23, 2009)

H. Laoticus said:


> Only a few minor things I would add, such as how many inches of substrate should be minimal for the species.  Also, the humidity specs and how to keep the humidity high, such as dumping water onto the substrate instead of misting.  Maybe a sentence about how communal they are and if you go into detail w/ that, talk about the amount of space a single scorp needs or how many can fit in a 10 gallon for example.  Then go into the amount of hides needed for a communal setup.


Thanks.  Things like that are really what I posted this for.  I need people to be able to look after everything perfectly when I graduate...hopefully not entirely off of this care sheet.



Galapoheros said:


> I'd keep labeling it heterometrus spinifer, but I'd also keep looking into the species ID.  It could be H. longimanus.  There are some very knowledgeable people out there that have a hard time telling the two apart.  If you've found somebody you think knows, let me know because I have about 15 H. longimanus that could very well be H. spinifer.  How did you determine that specimen is H. spinifer?  I've been stung a few times by these I have but like I said, I don't know if it's spinifer or longimanus ...and I've even sent a molt off to somebody that was pretty good at IDing from molts, he ended up saying he wasn't really sure.  With these I have, the sting is a little worse that a bee, but less than a wasp.


I may post pictures to get him identified now that you say that.  I got them from a zookeeper I know.  I would think he would know, but he's a reptile keeper that loves arachnids...if it's that hard to tell...He may have just taken the word of whoever sold them to him.  I could ask.  I could always just relable them as a Heterometrus sp.  Is the care very different among species of Heterometrus?


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## H. laoticus (May 23, 2009)

skips said:


> Thanks.  Things like that are really what I posted this for.  I need people to be able to look after everything perfectly when I graduate...hopefully not entirely off of this care sheet.
> 
> 
> 
> I may post pictures to get him identified now that you say that.  I got them from a zookeeper I know.  I would think he would know, but he's a reptile keeper that loves arachnids...if it's that hard to tell...He may have just taken the word of whoever sold them to him.  I could ask.  I could always just relable them as a Heterometrus sp.  Is the care very different among species of Heterometrus?


You're welcome  
Don't worry, they're all pretty much the same care, so you can state that this care sheet may apply to all Heterometrus Sp.


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