Asian Forest Scorpling

[MissCeleste]

I recently got an Asian forest Scorpling. I am not sure of her age. Couldn't really get much about her age or her orgins. She is tiny. About 1 1/2 inches long. Pretty cute lol. Will she eat canned meal worms? Or only live like fish bait? I know she likes crickets and grasshopper drumsticks. I get conflicting reports on toxicity and handling. The dealer said I could hold her, others say dont touch at all. She lets me pet her with a paint brush and touch her with my tweezers. I can open the case I have her in now and she stays put. I tap on it to maybe train her for feedings to come out? She stays put while i open it and mess around with her water dish. Does someone who has had one know about her age, handling and toxicity? What to expect with molts? I keep her muggy, dark, and warm. She is active seems happy. Music really freaks her out though

 

[G. Carnell]

Post a picture, best way to see if its actually an "asian forest scorpion", and we can possibly identify the instar/age approx

If it is truly a Heterometrus species (Asian forest scorp), it will be suitable for handling - sting is like a bee/wasp

 

[MissCeleste]

Here are a few I took this morning. She was starting to get annoyed. I will take more later. Sorry it takes so long to reply I wait until she comes out of her cave.

 

[G. Carnell]

Looks like a 2nd or 3rd instar baby - so only a few months old!

Definitely in the family scorpionidae, and most likely Heterometrus - but you'll only be able to identify it fully when it is adult

handing is OK, but when it gets close to a moult you want to avoid it, any stress can be bad for the scorpion. Try not to do it too often too!
Feeding - you can buy crickets or mealworms, people have differing experiences on this, i prefer to buy crickets for them

Toxicity, as i said before for this genus you can expect a sting like a wasp or bee, no side effects

 

[MissCeleste]

As far as feeding goes she has not ate any of her crickets in a week. I have had her 3 weeks and she only ate 2 crickets the first week I had her is this normal? She is pretty active and has grown since I first got her.

 

[shining]

Is that black sand stuck to its back?

 

[darkness975]

They require several inches of moist substrate like coco fiber to burrow in. Do not be too alarmed if she does not eat for a week or two. That is not a time frame to be concerned about. You will have to feed live crickets/mealworms/roaches.

They grow each time they molt. If anything she is probably fatter with all the feeding.

I would advise against handling given that it does not benefit them at all.

 

[The Snark]

They require several inches of moist substrate like coco fiber to burrow in.

And if it is an Asian Forest Scorp they are hyper photophobic and prefer complete darkness to hunt in. I so much as shine a weak flashlight into our yard and they scamper for cover.

 

[MissCeleste]

And if it is an Asian Forest Scorp they are hyper photophobic and prefer complete darkness to hunt in. I so much as shine a weak flashlight into our yard and they scamper for cover.

 

[MissCeleste]

Yes that was purple sand on her. I assume it a female on the body shape and tiny claws? I was expecting an adult and instead I received a baby and thought she was too small for her tank I made her a little cave system out of pvc pipes and some of them are cut in half and placed on her tank so I can look in on these curtains I made her and see her in there. But all this dwarfs her at the moment. I put her in a Tupperware box until I got her a smaller tank. She came in a tiny condiment cup. I keep her dark she is in complete darkness and she doesn't have sand on her anymore. The only time her tank isn't covered is when I am working with her. She is not really skiddish to me.

 

[MissCeleste]

I have never seen her hunt. I put the cricket in the tank and come back in a few hours and either it's gone or I remove it.

 

[scorps]

Yes that was purple sand on her.

Sand is bad for this species. Invest in some better substrate. I use the Exo Terra Plantation Soil. 3 pack on amazon is like $12 and it will last a very long time.

 

[shining]

Yes that was purple sand on her. I assume it a female on the body shape and tiny claws? I was expecting an adult and instead I received a baby and thought she was too small for her tank I made her a little cave system out of pvc pipes and some of them are cut in half and placed on her tank so I can look in on these curtains I made her and see her in there. But all this dwarfs her at the moment. I put her in a Tupperware box until I got her a smaller tank. She came in a tiny condiment cup. I keep her dark she is in complete darkness and she doesn't have sand on her anymore. The only time her tank isn't covered is when I am working with her. She is not really skiddish to me.

Get some eco earth. Sand is an atrocious substrate for this species. You can't tell the gender like that. I would advise in not handling, it is only a stressor to it. I'd suggest getting a reptile or mammal if you want to bond.

Also, please share a picture of the enclosure. You may need some additional help in setting this up.

 

[The Snark]

Asian Forest Scorp, natural habitat (it was buried under the leaves until some idiot human came along and disturbed it)

Alternative habitats

 

[darkness975]

@The Snark I wish I had awesome scorpions like that just casually strolling around my back yard at night >_>

@MissCeleste Sand is not a good substrate for this species.

 

[The Snark]

I wish I had awesome scorpions like that just casually strolling around my back yard at night

Has it's drawbacks. Just the wrong right time of year I guess. We had to shoo 4 scorps off the street on the drive home from a restaurant a half mile away the other night which gets me to fretting about all the kids being turned into bird breakfasts.
The big scorps are okay. Easy to keep out, usually. It's those little darlings that can squeeze under or over the door that are a right pain in the tukus.
This little putz was perched on the doorknob. I was within inches of grabbing it.

Wifey cheats. When she finds them in cruise mode she puts jars over them and leaves it for me to deal with.

I don't know how this monster snuck in. Only happened once so far.

Come to think of it, there might be one downstairs right now. Wifey sent me down to deal with but I couldn't find it. Here's hoping it turns up in sis in laws junk when she comes through to rummage through the mess. Serve her right for using us as a storage facility.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Well, like Nancy once said: these shoes are made for walkin' u_u

 

[MissCeleste]

The sand was a temporary placement for her just to get her out of the tiny plastic cup she came in until I could get her smaller tank set up. She has grown so much she wouldn't even fit into that cup anymore. I have her in coconut peat and I also have ferns and mini orchids for her habitat. I got her from an exotic pet store that my cousin runs. Exotic ARC. He is more of a reptile guy so he could not really give me much info. I have done a lot of research. I live in the Ozarks and have tamed many wild beasts lol. I also have great respect for her I know what she is capable of. I think that she has some kind of intelligence. She moves things in her cage and she remembers location details. I didn't like how she was when I first got her in that plastic cup. She was fully exposed to light. I also in the ozarks have come across the local scorpions and they are cute and tiny and almost clear. I thought Caesara (what I named my Asian forest) was supposed to be black or bluish. She looks more brown. The next time she emerges from her caves I will take more pictures of her.

 

[_scorpio_]

They get darker as they age. Early instars are brown, but by the time it is adult it will be shiny and black. Once it has moulted a couple more times see if you can get a clear picture of its underside and it should be easy enough to tell if its male or female.
Also, they dont need food that often. At this age if its taking one cricket a quarter of its size once a week that is plenty. As adults, i had some completely refuse food for months on end without harm once they eventually started eating again. It probably wont be eating if it is close to a moult, and you really dont want there to be a live cricket in with it while its moulting!

 

[darkness975]

I think that she has some kind of intelligence. She moves things in her cage and she remembers location details.

They do not have "intelligence" in the way humans understand that concept. What they do have though are chemical trails that they lay down to help guide them.