Baby Asian forest scorpion gone off food

[Benc98]

So, this is my first post here. I bought a baby Asian forest scorpion just before Christmas, he/she is only about a inch and a half long from claw to stinger. It was really hard to get it to eat for the first couple of weeks I just think it was the new environment. But then they started taking the crickets no problem, I would put one in every night and an hour later see if it has gone or if it was still there take it away.

Suddenly he had just started crunching the cricket to death, then leaves it, and I just leave it in there with him over night but for the last 5 days he hasn't eaten anything.

Is this because he is starting to go into molt, or could it be something else?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

1st of all, 5 days without eating food is not a big problem.
If he looks nice and fat and shows a sizable pleural membrane on the side of it's body,
then there is a big chance that it's going into pre-molt phase.
Another source of eating problems is too low temperature for too long.
Make sure the enclosure temperature is 26-30°C during daytime, colder at night is fine.
Don't forget this species requires high humidity to remain healthy and active.
Since you live in England and probably have heating in the house turned on for several months,
the air in your home is too dry for this species. This is not a problem but does require some extra action to maintain humidity.

 

[Benc98]

1st of all, 5 days without eating food is not a big problem.
If he looks nice and fat and shows a sizable pleural membrane on the side of it's body,
then there is a big chance that it's going into pre-molt phase.
Another source of eating problems is too low temperature for too long.
Make sure the enclosure temperature is 26-30°C during daytime, colder at night is fine.
Don't forget this species requires high humidity to remain healthy and active.
Since you live in England and probably have heating in the house turned on for several months,
the air in your home is too dry for this species. This is not a problem but does require some extra action to maintain humidity.

How many days should I wait for it to then become a problem, just because he is only small so I thought it was more of a problem when they don't eat.

And I do keep an eye on the temps I use a heat mat on the side, which is set to 28 degrees. I have him on coco fibre which I mist everyday, aswell as a thin layer of sphagnum moss which also gets misted.

Thanks for the info and advice!

 

[HaydnR]

How many days should I wait for it to then become a problem, just because he is only small so I thought it was more of a problem when they don't eat.

And I do keep an eye on the temps I use a heat mat on the side, which is set to 28 degrees. I have him on coco fibre which I mist everyday, aswell as a thin layer of sphagnum moss which also gets misted.

Thanks for the info and advice!

Scorpions have a very slow metabolism and can go up to 12 months without eating a thing (I think the longest recorded was around 17 months). You can try to feed it once every few days/once a week and if it doesn't eat just try again but try not to disturb it because as you say it could be in pre-molt and interrupting it whilst molting can cause problems.

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

Good husbandry !
A month or 2 without food is not a problem, certainly if he/she looks fat.
Just try feeding it once a week, if he/she is not interested then leave it alone, remove the cricket.
Make sure it has a nice dark hide to sit in while being stationary in pre-molt.

 

[Benc98]

Scorpions have a very slow metabolism and can go up to 12 months without eating a thing (I think the longest recorded was around 17 months). You can try to feed it once every few days/once a week and if it doesn't eat just try again but try not to disturb it because as you say it could be in pre-molt and interrupting it whilst molting can cause problems.

So just for the moment let's say, should I try feeding him every Monday and Thursday. See if he eats if he doesn't just leave him for a while and see if he molts? Out of interest how long does the molting period go on for?

 

[Benc98]

Good husbandry !
A month or 2 without food is not a problem, certainly if he/she looks fat.
Just try feeding it once a week, if he/she is not interested then leave it alone, remove the cricket.
Make sure it has a nice dark hide to sit in while being stationary in pre-molt.

I have seen it hiding in the moss, but also I put a piece of bark in there for him and also a little slate so he seems to pick which one he prefers.

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

I use a curved piece of bark that is about twice the size of the scorpion.
Once the scorpion feels at home there, it will start to make a small burrow.
My Heterometrus Petersii's take about 2 months from 'last cricket' to 'first cricket' after molting.
Straight after molting you should leave the scorpion alone for at least 1 week minimum.
During that week the exoskeleton is soft and the scorpion is very vulnerable.
You can try to feed it 10 days after the molt, in my case they start taking food 12-15 days after the molt.

 

[HaydnR]

So just for the moment let's say, should I try feeding him every Monday and Thursday. See if he eats if he doesn't just leave him for a while and see if he molts? Out of interest how long does the molting period go on for?

Yeah every few days or once a week is fine, he certainly wont starve to death.

I've never caught my scorpions whilst molting but in my experience it's always finished when I next check on them which is usually every 12 hours or so, however don't try to feed your scorpion for atleast a week after it's molted as it is most vulnerable during/after the molting phase (all soft and squishy until the new exoskeleton hardens). You can offer it pre killed feeders after the first week then after week 2 go back to using live feeders just to ensure no harm is done. People have lost scorpions to feeder insects whilst they were in molt.

 

[Benc98]

I use a curved piece of bark that is about twice the size of the scorpion.
Once the scorpion feels at home there, it will start to make a small burrow.
My Heterometrus Petersii's take about 2 months from 'last cricket' to 'first cricket' after molting.
Straight after molting you should leave the scorpion alone for at least 1 week minimum.
During that week the exoskeleton is soft and the scorpion is very vulnerable.
You can try to feed it 10 days after the molt, in my case they start taking food 12-15 days after the molt.

Yeah he already has burrows under both his hides, he just hasn't molted yet so I'm presuming that's what is happening and if this is just molting is it best to just completely leave it alone? As long as I keep the humidity and heat he won't get stuck?

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

Yep, just maintain temp and humidity, keep fungus/mold growth low using white springtales and all will be fine.

 

[FrankiePinchinatti]

Regarding how long the actual molting process takes, I've caught a couple of them mid-molt and it seems (from my limited experience) that it goes quicker for smaller scorpions and longer for more mature ones. A juvenile was done in maybe 3 hours or so while an adult going into her final instar seemed like it was most of the day (10-12 hours) but I don't know if this is normal or was just a tough molt. In the vast majority of cases you'll just look in there and see that it happened while you weren't watching though.

 

[Dr SkyTower]

When it looks like a fat sausage with legs and a tail and its a juvenile, that is a molt coming up. They can go for weeks without eating. I'd reduce this one's feedings to once a week but if it doesn't take the food that is fine. Just follow the advice of the experienced keeper/posters on here and little Scorpy will be fine!

 

[Benc98]

He has actually eaten, I've put it on a feeding routine of every Sunday because I'm was sure it was going to start molting. But he's started getting more active and ate a cricket straight away yesterday so now I'm confused.

 

[HaydnR]

He has actually eaten, I've put it on a feeding routine of every Sunday because I'm was sure it was going to start molting. But he's started getting more active and ate a cricket straight away yesterday so now I'm confused.

This isn't uncommon, my adult Diplocentrus lindo which is a burrowing species will be "dormant" for weeks at a time then every now and then she shows up for a feed and then goes back to her pet hole status.

 

[Benc98]

This isn't uncommon, my adult Diplocentrus lindo which is a burrowing species will be "dormant" for weeks at a time then every now and then she shows up for a feed and then goes back to her pet hole status.

Yeah I get I just get worried it my first arachnid so I don't know their behaviors yet.