# Tityus stigmurus



## edie (Jul 22, 2007)

i got 2 little T. stigmurus today from the arachnocon raffel. i've never kept this scorpion before and i've been reading about them since i got back to my computer. can anyone give me extra tips about them? and they can be kept communally, right?

here are some pictures of one of them..


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## sick4x4 (Jul 22, 2007)

now thats a raffle you are lucky heres a link that might help.....good luck
http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15746&pid=180465&mode=threaded&start=


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## edie (Jul 22, 2007)

sick4x4 said:


> now thats a raffle you are lucky heres a link that might help.....good luck
> http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15746&pid=180465&mode=threaded&start=


i was upset that i spent all my money on tarantulas at the expo so winning the scorpions was perfect! thanks for the link, i've been reading that one


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## tabor (Jul 22, 2007)

I keep all of mine communally and they seem to do fine, be very careful they are aggressive,fast and you do *NOT* want to get stung by these guys !;P ;P


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## edie (Jul 22, 2007)

tabor said:


> I keep all of mine communally and they seem to do fine, be very careful they are aggressive,fast and you do *NOT* want to get stung by these guys !;P ;P


haha, i came here with my mom and she really didn't want me to get them because of how dangerous they are. she kept trying to give them to random people!
i'll be very careful with them


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## tabor (Jul 22, 2007)

Haha no worries, you will enjoy them...just don't be careless and you will be fine 


You know how to setup their cage right ?


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## edie (Jul 22, 2007)

tabor said:


> Haha no worries, you will enjoy them...just don't be careless and you will be fine
> 
> 
> You know how to setup their cage right ?


i'm guessing simmilar to what they're in now, i've only been online for about an hour now and i know they like vertical spaces, high humidity and they are in peat moss right now. how big should they get before i get them a water dish and would small crickets be okay to feed? i've never raised a scorpion this young before


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## tabor (Jul 22, 2007)

edie said:


> i'm guessing simmilar to what they're in now, i've only been online for about an hour now and i know they like vertical spaces, high humidity and they are in peat moss right now. how big should they get before i get them a water dish and would small crickets be okay to feed? i've never raised a scorpion this young before



Yup, off to a good start!

To tell you the truth I rarely use a water dish on young instars like that, wait till they are subadults or adults...at this age they will get most their water from their prey..

At this age I would feed them parts of crickets or pinheads, just see what works best for you !


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## travisamone (Jul 22, 2007)

i got stung by one of those very same guys at arachnocon, despite their size the pack a punch. my lips got all tingly and what not.


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## Michiel (Jul 23, 2007)

Tityus species do not drink from waterbowls, but they drink from the waterdrops on the side of the enclosure. Since this is no desert species, you will have to mist once a week or twiece when they are young, so they can drink. It is not true that "they get most of their fluidintake from there prey at this age", since it has nothing to do with age, but with the difference in xeric and mesic environments and the waterretention capacity's of the scorpions that live in such habitats. 

Please, be carefull with this species. Especially children and the elderly people have a high risk of severe envenomation. Ask the parents of the children in Brazil that died because they where stung by this species. If you keep this species, it would be wise to keep an EpiPen and a Venom extractor at hand. Check out the Website of Tom van der Ende, about Tityus, but this site might be offline....

Regards, Michiel


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## tabor (Jul 23, 2007)

OK my brother wrote all the previous posts in this thread, but I agree with what he says for the most part as far as care! His science might be off, but hey, atleast he's giving out decent care advice.

Now for what I think:

I agree with what michiel said. Atleast keep an epipen on hand, if i recall correctly most deaths attributed to them are due to anaphalactic shock.

Regarding the fact that they "get most of their fluidintake from there prey at this age," you are right michiel in that it has nothing to do with age. Scorpions are the most effecient arthropod at water retention. It is possible for some desert species to their entire lives without a proper "drink". This efficency is due to a number of factors: slow metabolism, control of their breathing orificies (spiracles i think?), and a fatty water proof lipid layering covering their bodies. So because of this sufficient water intake can be obtained throughout their entire lives through nothing but their prey.

STILL though I would keep a water dish in the larger ones cages and spray them once a week or so. This will help keep humidity up for you, and also since stigmurus are from brazil I doubt they come from a truly xeric (desert) environment and thus might not be as effitient at water retention as some other species. Err on the side of caution and give them a shot of water.

There is also a Tityus spp. antivenin available from Brazil, but from what I hear it is quite costly. If you feel uncomfortable keeping such a dangerous species, either humanely kill them in the freezer, or send them to some one with experience.

Just my two cents - ryan


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## Michael Jacobi (Jul 23, 2007)

Brian Sherrill has an article on _Tityus falconensis _in the recent issue of Invertebrates Magazine. The information in it pretty much applies to _T. stigmurus_.

Regards, Michael

PS: Thanks for joining us at ArachnoCon 2007!


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## Michiel (Jul 23, 2007)

tabor said:


> STILL though I would keep a water dish in the larger ones cages and spray them once a week or so. This will help keep humidity up for you, and also since stigmurus are from brazil I doubt they come from a truly xeric (desert) environment and thus might not be as effitient at water retention as some other species. Err on the side of caution and give them a shot of water.
> 
> There is also a Tityus spp. antivenin available from Brazil, but from what I hear it is quite costly. If you feel uncomfortable keeping such a dangerous species, either humanely kill them in the freezer, or send them to some one with experience.
> 
> Just my two cents - ryan


Hy Ryan,

A water dish doesný hurt if one uses it with adults. It does help raise the humidity which is okay. T.stigmurus lives in a variety of habitats in Brazil, all with a different climate (humidity and temps). They live in cities, Atlantic forests and in rural areas os Savanna's. You would be surprised to see that adults can tolerate lower humiditylevels quite well and do not need i.e. 90% RH every day of the week. 
I spray mine once per week and they stay healthy.The young do need a more constant humid and warm environment to molt properly and to thrive. 
Regards, Michiel


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## tabor (Jul 23, 2007)

michiel, the reason i was stressing humidity to her so much was she lives in ARIZONA, an extremely dry/arid place. My book "Scorpions of Brazil", hasn't come in yet so I'll take your word on their range  


also edie, dont bother buying a magazine to get the care info you need on these. plenty is freely available on the internet, and many keepers are more than willing to help others out. for free! imagine that.

-ryan

edit: also, is it standard practice to raffle off deadly species to inexperienced keepers at arachnocon?


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## edie (Jul 23, 2007)

tabor said:


> michiel, the reason i was stressing humidity to her so much was she lives in ARIZONA, an extremely dry/arid place. My book "Scorpions of Brazil", hasn't come in yet so I'll take your word on their range
> 
> 
> also edie, dont bother buying a magazine to get the care info you need on these. plenty is freely available on the internet, and many keepers are more than willing to help others out. for free! imagine that.
> ...



they only raffled off a few pairs of these scops. and before they did so they said that anyone that wasn't experienced with keeping dangerous scorps. should take a s'ling instead, which one person did. i've kept C. exilicauda for 10 years and i've kept a couple H. hottentota. i'm very careful with my scorps. and felt that i could handle these ones so i took them.

and thanks for all the help, it is really dry here in arizona so once they get larger i will be putting in shallow water dishes for them.


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## tabor (Jul 23, 2007)

edie said:


> they only raffled off a few pairs of these scops. and before they did so they said that anyone that wasn't experienced with keeping dangerous scorps. should take a s'ling instead, which one person did. i've kept C. exilicauda for 10 years and i've kept a couple H. hottentota. i'm very careful with my scorps. and felt that i could handle these ones so i took them.
> 
> and thanks for all the help, it is really dry here in arizona so once they get larger i will be putting in shallow water dishes for them.


Ah well thats cool. For some reason i was under the impression you were a complete novice when it came to hotter scorps. glad to know they gave that disclaimer beforehand :clap:


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## edie (Jul 23, 2007)

tabor said:


> Ah well thats cool. For some reason i was under the impression you were a complete novice when it came to hotter scorps. glad to know they gave that disclaimer beforehand :clap:


i've been keeping az barks since i was in 4th grade! i've kept them for more than half of my life so i know how to be around them and care for them without getting hurt... i do know accidents can happen though so i'm still very cautious arond them
i just talked to my mom and she said that 2 people actually passed on the scorps. and got s'lings instead. they made sure everyone knew what they were getting themselves into before they gave them out.


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## tabor (Jul 23, 2007)

very good to know!


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## Brian S (Jul 24, 2007)

edie said:


> i'm guessing simmilar to what they're in now, i've only been online for about an hour now and i know they like vertical spaces, high humidity and they are in peat moss right now. how big should they get before i get them a water dish and would small crickets be okay to feed? i've never raised a scorpion this young before


Hello There!!
Those scorps came from me. You can keep 'em in those vials for quite awhile. When the substrate starts looking dryish just pour a little water in to soak it up again. Dont make it too soggy but make it the same as it is now. These are parthenogenic and if you can raise them to adulthood you will have your own "kids" someday. Hope you enjoy them. Just remember to keep them warm and humid and feed them alot.


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## edie (Jul 24, 2007)

Brian S said:


> Hello There!!
> Those scorps came from me. You can keep 'em in those vials for quite awhile. When the substrate starts looking dryish just pour a little water in to soak it up again. Dont make it too soggy but make it the same as it is now. These are parthenogenic and if you can raise them to adulthood you will have your own "kids" someday. Hope you enjoy them. Just remember to keep them warm and humid and feed them alot.


well thak you very much for the scorpions! i'll take good care of them


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