Blind Scorpion?!

[innybee]

We have a large Opistophthalmus macer that hasn't been eating much the last month or so. We assumed she (guess) just wasn't hungry, and she doesn't want to take crickets we try hand feed her.

However, watching her today, she grabs at crickets only when they touch her, and misses every time. She chases after them a short distance, but seems to be feeling for them, like someone feeling around in the dark.

She doesn't respond to the shadow of my hand moving over her, but immediately reacts when she feels my breath.

She used to be out for the morning sunshine, and often sat in her water dish.
Now, she rarely ever comes out of her hide, day or night.

Is she blind? If so, is there anything we could have done wrong to cause it?

I also have a much younger O. macer, and some very young U. planimanus, all doing great, but now I'm somewhat worried...

If anyone has any info please help
thanx

-i


Adult O.macer


Young O.macer on my hand


Young U.planimanus carrying his lunch on his back

 

[talljosh003]

well if it is blind it still shouldnt effect its life too much because they dont use their eyes much anyways

 

[~Abyss~]

They dont depend much on eyes so I wouldn't worry about it. But BRAVO!!! on the species. Great looking scorpion you have there.

 

[Malcara]

yeah if im not mistaken eyes are just used to detect shadows and are sensitive light/dark. it should be fine even if it is blind.

 

[scorpion josh]

yeah bravo that thing is wicked sweet lookin

 

[innybee]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm really happy with my scorpions. My young O.macer is really placid and easy to handle, and my U.planimanus I've raised since birth.
I feel a bit relieved if sight isn't that important, but still worried about feeding. All my scorpions are wild, and although the younger scorp has no problem with being hand fed, she's already fully grown. Is that perhaps why she doesn't want to be hand fed?
Any other ideas?

Thanks
-i


U.planimanus 1st instar

 

[Doctor_Grunge]

That behavior doesn't sound like anything to worry about too much. As was previously said, scorpions are almost blind naturally basically just using their eyes to detect changes in light. It's actually been proposed however that they are capable of seeing starlight and may use it to navigate. However, in terms of prey detection, scorpions rely almost entirely on vibrations to locate prey, if anyones interested in the intricacies of it Dr. Philipp Brownell wrote a paper on prey detection in scorpions, specifically in S. mesaensis, but it's extremely informative on the more detailed parts of scorpions sensory ability and is probably available online somewhere

 

[enjoier14]

very cool scorpion !

 

[BigHairy8's]

I wouldn't be too concerned about your O. macer not eating. Adult scorps will often fast for long periods of time for no reason. They will often fast before a molt as well. Your scorp looks great and by the pics is very well fed. I would be suprised if it is pre molt because adults will maybe molt once every couple years or so. There are exceptions, but this is common. I have had WC adults for three years that never molted.
Just a word on your water dish though. If she sits in her water dish, you may want to moisten her hide a little. She maybe trying to tell you something. I had a female tri color who liked to do this also. The dish I had was very shallow. She could crawl in and out no problem, but she drowned herself. By the time I found her when I got home from work it was too late. A lesson learned the hard way. Keep her hide moist but not wet and offer her a "small" water dish weekly. They are an arrid species and do not require lots of water.

 

[innybee]

Thanks for the info, I'll have a look into that paper.
-i

 

[innybee]

The water dish issue is interesting...and worrying
Why did she drown herself, seeing that she was quite capable of getting out?

In the photo, the terrarium is still mainly filled with gravel and sand, however I've changed that to a mulch.
I've seen her drink water drops off the mulch once, which is what my brother's Emperor does, filtering the leaves through its mouth and drinking all the drops off it.
I haven't seen her climb in her dish for quite a while now, and maybe she will opt for that instead of climbing in the dish.
She seems to have calmed down a bit since, coming out of her hide a couple times. Could the wrong substrate be what caused her stressed behaviour?

-i