AZ Bark Scorpion help

JenVegas

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
64
We've got tons of Arizona bark scorpions here, and I found this little guy losing a fight with a stray cat. He seems okay, maybe a bit shaken up, and it doesn't seem like he stung the cat, so all's well that ends well.

But I have some questions that I was wondering if anyone could help me with.

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But I'm curious about the sex (I think it's a male, but not super sure. I tried to get some decent pictures of those little brush things on his belly) and there looks to be some kind of damage on his tail. He tends to hold it curled up a bit, and I've never seen one of them do that. They always hold it to the side. I'm wondering if it's serious, or if he'll be okay. In the pic below it looks like a thread stuck to his tail. But that's not the substrate, it's part of him.

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And my daughter's 9th birthday is in a week, and when I rescued him from the cat, she immediately fell in love with the stupid thing, named him Pineapple, and started begging us to let her keep him as an early birthday present, so apparently I have a pet effing scorpion now.

Outstanding.

I've got a spare 20 gallon tank that used to hold a snake, so I can easily toss him in that, but what do these things need? How often should I feed him? Is there any way to guess at his age? One site said they only live a couple years, while another said they live up to 6. One said they need supplemental humidity, another said not really. Also we live in Las Vegas. Not a super humid place, and yet these little jerks thrive and terrorize the entire neighborhood.

I'm assuming they need some kind of heat. Just like a UTH? I've got him in a jar next to the warm side of my snake tank now because our house is kind of chilly.

One site said 85 degrees is warm enough for them, but it's warmer than that now, at 10:30 at night, and they're everywhere. Is 85 really enough? And they hibernate in winter, do I need to simulate that somehow? Is he okay living on his own or do I need to go catch him some scorpion buddies? It's not like they're hard to find.

Sorry for rambling, I have exactly zero experience with scorpions, aside from trying to keep my dumb dog, clumsy kid, and clumsier husband from being stung. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 

Dr SkyTower

Arachnolord
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Messages
660
it could be a female their tails are shorter and thicker. It looks like the cat might have injured its tail, it looks a bit damaged. They like to climb so a vertical piece of bark in the enclosure that they can hide under will suit them. They can live up to six years, and they only need to be fed once a week. Its a bit hard to tell what the age of the scorpion is, I'd go with mature female but I'm not certain. The enclosure at room temp should be fine. They are quite venomous so they shouldn't be handled!

I had a look around this site and I found some bark scorpion care info that might be helpful for you:

 

JenVegas

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
64
Thank you so much! That was very helpful, I appreciate it.

And no, we will not be handling her in any way. My sister in law was stung by one in her bedroom, and that was an ER trip we don't want to repeat. We all keep black flashlights within reach to make sure we don't accidentally step on one or brush up against one.

Do you think the tail damage will negatively impact her in any way? Could she have trouble using it? Could it affect her ability to catch prey and eat?

And with keeping the enclosure at room temperature, is it okay if the temp is constant all year? Will they still hibernate if the temps don't get cold?

Sorry again for pestering you with questions, I just want to make sure I don't accidentally kill her, and they're not as commonly kept pets as, say, Emperor Scorpions, so care guides specific to this species are kind of hard to find.

Thank you again!
 

Dr SkyTower

Arachnolord
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Messages
660
as long as there's no hemolymph (blood) coming from that injury to her tail she should be alright. She might have some difficulty using her tail initially. Room temps should be okay for bark scorpions, they don't require as much humidity as Emperor/Asian forest scorpions. If it gets too cold, she may become lethargic and refuse food and her response to food will be slow.
 
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