# Do Scorpions eat already dead insects ? cuz mine just did !?



## xellos (Jul 8, 2011)

I had this roach who was dead for at least 2 hours , I threw it in the aquarium and my Hottentotta judaicus came and picked it up ,didnt sting it and started eating head first . 
1st is this normal ??
2nd do eating without stinging affect the scorpions since the venom starts the digestion ??
have anybody else seen this happen ?


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## Bayushi (Jul 8, 2011)

My Haddy will sometimes eat freshly dead crickets and roaches, as will my H laoticus. I also feed slings crickets with crushed heads when i don't have smaller food prey for them.  So it's not unheard of for a scorpion to do a bit of scavanging.  

As for the venom starting the digestion process, i dunno. I mean I am unsure if the venom is required macerate the food, or if the scorpion just masticates...


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## BQC123 (Jul 8, 2011)

I have fed slings pieces of crickets and roaches. They do scavange a  bit, especially when young.


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## Xanthopus (Jul 8, 2011)

Many people feed pre killed feeders even to adults. My 2i babies do huddle around a huge freshly killed crickets too.


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## Michiel (Jul 8, 2011)

Scorpions have chelicerae that macerate the prey, and a powerfull "sucking stomach" that works like a pump, behind the chelicerae, that sucks the liquid in. That's why there are so many bristles on and between the mouthparts, to filter out indegistable pieces.....

The venom does start the digestion indeed, that's correct. It is not uncommon for some scorpion species to scavenge and eat from dead prey if it is not too old, like the others also explained. 

Cheers, Michiel

Reactions: Informative 1


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## xellos (Jul 9, 2011)

Thank you guyz , ur info was so helpful !  I have to learn from the pros i am new to this scorpion business


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## Benyamin Ben Israel (Nov 6, 2019)

Thanks for the info.. 
Just left the pet store with a dozen  crickets and when I got home(10 minutes away).... All of them were DEAD.. 
Hope my Asian Forest Scorpion will eat them

Reactions: Like 1


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## woodie (Nov 6, 2019)

Yes, some will. I have had a few picky ones that only did live prey.  Take a look online at some people who have communal AFS and Pandinus feeding on beef heart chunks.  So many scorpions seem to be opportunistic feeders to some degree


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## FrankiePinchinatti (Nov 6, 2019)

Regarding the venom as a digestion aid bit:  That doesn't seem to be true, or at least not necessary otherwise scorpions like Emperors would never make it to adulthood.  Emperors stop using their stingers on prey once they reach maybe 3rd instar or so, and I'd imagine other scorpions with big bulky claws are probably pretty similar, they just grab and start eating.


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## Willa (Nov 7, 2019)

For sure. My 3 inch long P. imperator refused live prey for the first few months I had her, but would DEVOUR any pre-killed prey I dropped by her burrow almost immediately.


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## darkness975 (Nov 10, 2019)

xellos said:


> I had this roach who was dead for at least 2 hours , I threw it in the aquarium and my Hottentotta judaicus came and picked it up ,didnt sting it and started eating head first .
> 1st is this normal ??
> 2nd do eating without stinging affect the scorpions since the venom starts the digestion ??
> have anybody else seen this happen ?


Yes.


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## Scorpionidad (Nov 20, 2019)

I've never seen this before myself, but so long as it is a fresh kill (only two hours) the scorpion should have no problems digesting.


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## VaejovisCarolineanusSDS (Dec 29, 2019)

xellos said:


> I had this roach who was dead for at least 2 hours , I threw it in the aquarium and my Hottentotta judaicus came and picked it up ,didnt sting it and started eating head first .
> 1st is this normal ??
> 2nd do eating without stinging affect the scorpions since the venom starts the digestion ??
> have anybody else seen this happen ?


My friend has a Hadrurus spadix that almost always eats prekilled roaches. He says if she does kill a bug for whatever reason she’ll bury it almost as if she feels guilty although that’s not the case. She’s a peculiar scorpion though. Got me wanting a spadix myself


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