Crickets... murdered... my scorpion

[kharmakazy]

So I had 4 hottentotta judaicus living communally in a rubbermaid container. I threw some crickets in, 10 or so and left them alone for a couple of days. Usually they make quick work of the crickets, probably because I feed them about once a month...

Anyway I went in to clean up the leftovers and found this:

By kharmakazy at 2011-04-15

They chewed a hole in his torso. The other 3 were all hiding from the crickets huddled together.

I moved it to the scorpion graveyard:


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Then I killed the crickets en masse.

One of the survivors looks awfully fat tho. Pre molt or preggers you think?

By kharmakazy at 2011-04-15

 

[Chrome69]

Pretty sure I see embryos in your fatty.

And yea, had the same thing happen to a H.H but had a superworm kill it instead, worm burrowed under substrate and I thought it had eaten it then the scorp molted and the assassin super worm came up and killed it in the middle of the molt it happens I guess.

 

[H. laoticus]

I think your scorpion was dead before it was chewed upon.

 

[Bayushi]

I think your scorpion was dead before it was chewed upon.

...And even if it wasn't this is why most of us use the 24 hour rule on keeping food in the enclosure with our scorps. If the prey is still there, there scorp is not hungry, why stress the scorp out or run the risk of something happening.

 

[kharmakazy]

...And even if it wasn't this is why most of us use the 24 hour rule on keeping food in the enclosure with our scorps. If the prey is still there, there scorp is not hungry, why stress the scorp out or run the risk of something happening.

I normally do, Just didn't in this particular instance.

 

[ZergFront]

Pretty sure I see embryos in your fatty.

And yea, had the same thing happen to a H.H but had a superworm kill it instead, worm burrowed under substrate and I thought it had eaten it then the scorp molted and the assassin super worm came up and killed it in the middle of the molt it happens I guess.

I've seen a couple of these accidents in others'. Now whenever I feed a superworm, it has it's mandibles crushed.

 

[Sir Aculeus]

Damn sorry to for your lose. Crickets can be nasty sometimes. In one instance a cricket nipped off one of my A. bicolor's finger tips.

 

[Chrome69]

Your graveyard is a funny idea too haha, but hopefully it doesnt stink too much

 

[GartenSpinnen]

Had it happen with a pedeling before. Sure makes you want to scratch your head, but it does definitely happen. Prey becomes predator.

 

[scorpionmom]

Are you sure the cricket killed the scorpion? I agree with H. laoticus, it might have, and probably was, dead before the cricket "attacked it". Even if you saw a cricket on its back, I'm not sure it killed it. Hmmm.

Sorry for my possible insensitivity, I'm terribly sorry for your loss. At least you still have the others, and you know that crickets and other prey animals can be stressful and destructive. And yes, the graveyard idea is funny.

 

[Michiel]

you need to remove those exuvia...When you find an exuvia, remove it. By doing this as fast as you can, you can prevent mites etc. to walk back to the just molted scorpion....

For feeding, 10 was a bit much....it is less stressfull for the scorpions if you feed them 4 crickets (one for each scorpion) twice a week, then to unleash a horde of 10 onto them once a week. Because at least one specimen is in pre-molt, the chance that the specimen would have fed is very small...

 

[signinsimple]

For feeding, 10 was a bit much....it is less stressfull for the scorpions if you feed them 4 crickets (one for each scorpion) twice a week, then to unleash a horde of 10 onto them once a week. Because at least one specimen is in pre-molt, the chance that the specimen would have fed is very small...

Agreed. 10 crickets to 3 or 4 scorps means any one of those scorps could get mobbed by a gang of crickets.

 

[llamastick]

This is one of the reasons why roaches are becoming so popular. Crickets are just terrible little hellspawn in every imaginable way.

 

[Nomadinexile]

I'm hesitent to believe a cricket killed your non-molting scorpion. But regardless, crickets are evil. I hate them. I would get a roach colony. Or buy a colony for your lps, so they will have them available for you. I hate crickets. :evil:

 

[Spam010]

This is one of the reasons why roaches are becoming so popular. Crickets are just terrible little hellspawn in every imaginable way.

Agreed, roaches are the way to go

 

[kharmakazy]

you need to remove those exuvia...When you find an exuvia, remove it. By doing this as fast as you can, you can prevent mites etc. to walk back to the just molted scorpion....

All those you see are in the scorpion graveyard. There are no live scorpions in there. Just dead scorps and exoskeletons.

 

[the toe cutter]

I honestly really like the scorpion graveyard. In semi related news, I had a female Hottentotta polystictus who was recently made into lunch by be cage mates! No crickets involved, this was pure, unadulterated, down and dirty, olde fashioned cannibalism! All I found was the telson, aculeus and last fifth metasomal segment. Not even any spare legs. And the bad part is I feed those little pigs once a week. Even worse is that is was a gravid female!

 

[scorpionmom]

I honestly really like the scorpion graveyard. In semi related news, I had a female Hottentotta polystictus who was recently made into lunch by be cage mates! No crickets involved, this was pure, unadulterated, down and dirty, olde fashioned cannibalism! All I found was the telson, aculeus and last fifth metasomal segment. Not even any spare legs. And the bad part is I feed those little pigs once a week. Even worse is that is was a gravid female!

Ah, that's terrible. A gravid female Hottentotta polystictus is too valuable to lose. Do you have any other females?

 

[Najakeeper]

Number 1 rule of feeding animals with live prey:
Watch what happens!

Never leave prey items that can injure your animals inside the terrarium more than a few hours and even then, still monitor what's going on frequently.

Finally get a roach colony, crickets suck in so many ways...

Sorry for your loss.

 

[baconmushroom]

sorry for the loss, but can't help but laugh at crickets gangin up on a scorp... "..your'e lock in here with us!"