My Hadrurus arizonensis, Orion, passed on. He had stopped burrowing for the second half of last week and then when I came back from a wedding in Detroit found him dead. Im trying to figure out where I had failed.
A couple weeks ago the pet store was out of crickets so I bought him a couple of super worms he attacked them right away and appeared to be munching on them. A couple days later I removed some left over parts. The day after I found half a super worm that was still moving around and threw it out. The next feeding the pet store was out of crickets again so I bought a couple of super worms. He never touched them so I threw them out. So the next week the pet store had crickets back in stock so I threw 4 of them in he ate one and I left for the wedding. When I came back the 3 crickets were still alive and the scorpion was dead. Is switching the type of food hard for scorpions?
When he stopped burrowing last week I was concerned that maybe it was because the tank was too cold, I was just using a heating pad on the side of the tank so I picked up a 75 watt lamp with an infrared bulb. With just the heating lamp the hottest spot in the tank it reached almost 90 and it was around 80 in the coolest spot. The next couple days he stayed on the side of the tank without the lamp. I had switched the location of the lamp to the opposite side once and he moved to the side without the lamp. Still being unsure if it was too hot I switched back the the heating pad for the day that I left.
So is it the change in the diet from crickets to super worms to crickets? the temp? the couple days it took me to find and remove uneaten super worms? Combo of the above?
I know that there will be no definite answers but I am looking to continue keeping scorpions in fact I was in the market for my second before Orion died. I just want to figure out what may have gone wrong to my next attempt will be more successful.
*edit* on a side note anyone familiar with preserving dead scorpions? If Im going to continue keeping bugs for pets I spose I should get used to them dieing maybe start a display frame on the wall?
A couple weeks ago the pet store was out of crickets so I bought him a couple of super worms he attacked them right away and appeared to be munching on them. A couple days later I removed some left over parts. The day after I found half a super worm that was still moving around and threw it out. The next feeding the pet store was out of crickets again so I bought a couple of super worms. He never touched them so I threw them out. So the next week the pet store had crickets back in stock so I threw 4 of them in he ate one and I left for the wedding. When I came back the 3 crickets were still alive and the scorpion was dead. Is switching the type of food hard for scorpions?
When he stopped burrowing last week I was concerned that maybe it was because the tank was too cold, I was just using a heating pad on the side of the tank so I picked up a 75 watt lamp with an infrared bulb. With just the heating lamp the hottest spot in the tank it reached almost 90 and it was around 80 in the coolest spot. The next couple days he stayed on the side of the tank without the lamp. I had switched the location of the lamp to the opposite side once and he moved to the side without the lamp. Still being unsure if it was too hot I switched back the the heating pad for the day that I left.
So is it the change in the diet from crickets to super worms to crickets? the temp? the couple days it took me to find and remove uneaten super worms? Combo of the above?
I know that there will be no definite answers but I am looking to continue keeping scorpions in fact I was in the market for my second before Orion died. I just want to figure out what may have gone wrong to my next attempt will be more successful.
*edit* on a side note anyone familiar with preserving dead scorpions? If Im going to continue keeping bugs for pets I spose I should get used to them dieing maybe start a display frame on the wall?
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