Emporer Scorpions fighting? breeding and housing questions

ooi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
15
I recently bought another female Emp. from the pet store, filled a 20 gal fishtank with reptile soils and added both my scorpions (two females). The new scorpion is slightly smaller than the elder, and both were introduced to a new setting/habitat. I added a few of my madagascar hissers for feed. when I came back about 30 mins later the lager female and smaller female had locked their claws and the smaller females ovapositors were out of its mouth thing (sorry for the lack of technical vocabulary there), I separated the two and the new female "sucked" the ovapositors back in, and promptly fed on a cockroach. I would like to keep them in the same cage but I don't want them to kill each other, either. I have also recently bought a male emp. for breeding. So any suggestions/peacemaking, how to breed (detailed or links that are), and also if my new one is OK or if she is barren now.
Thanks! OOI
 

jgod790

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
260
I find that male Pandinus imperators get along better then females. But typically even when they do fight, they wont fight to the death. The bigger one was probably just "laying down the law" making sure the smaller one knew that she was running the joint, and she gets dibs on the better burrow. Just make sure you have at least 1 more "hide" or "home" then scorpions. So for two, have 3 or 4 burrows or whatever. Now personally, I think if you want to have a colony, aka 2 or more scorpions living together, it is best to get them as juveniles. I have 3 juvenile imperators living together, and to my surprise, they all share the same burrow. They dig together, they all drink/swim together, I never see one alone, all three of them are ALWAYS together. And only one of them has mastered catching crickets, and he actually helps the other two out. He will cut a cricket in half and share with his brothers. So imperators can be VERY social and live together in peace. Try putting your two females together one more time, see how it goes. If they are still fighting and it seems brutal, defiantly separate them, but it is very possible that they can get along. If they dont get along and you have to separate them, I would recommend getting male juveniles.

And as far as breeding goes, dont even consider breeding until you have at least a full year of experience with housing imperators. Maybe you do have a lot of experience I dont know, but please for the scorpions sake, dont try breeding unless you REALLY do have experience and know what your doing.

---------- Post added at 03:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:47 AM ----------

Its also possible they were just fighting over food. That is very common even when plenty of food is avalible. Maybe keep them apart from each other when you feed them, that might keep the peace.
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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May 22, 2006
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Are you sure those are two females? What you describe (interlocking of the chela) sounds more like a mating couple to me than fighting.....
Ovapositors?? {D{D I think you mean the chelicerae (mouthparts, the little pliers/scissors)....this is called the cheliceral massaging......I would not be surprised at all if you have a couple (male and female), and you have interrupted their romantic time together in a very very rude way :D
 

ooi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
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I assumed the organ(s) protruding from the head were ovapositors, as they are similar to those in Orthoptera (grasshoppers) being a tapering yellow cylinder. But they weren't the chelicerae (if that is what I am thinking of--mini claws near the face) the yellow organs came out under the claws. However it is entirely possible that I mis-identified the genders :O. Ill try reintroducing the two today, hopefully with better result. Jgod-- I will add hiding structures, I only had two at the time, and will increase soil depth.
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
Old Timer
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May 22, 2006
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3,478
I assumed the organ(s) protruding from the head were ovapositors, as they are similar to those in Orthoptera (grasshoppers) being a tapering yellow cylinder. But they weren't the chelicerae (if that is what I am thinking of--mini claws near the face) the yellow organs came out under the claws. However it is entirely possible that I mis-identified the genders :O. Ill try reintroducing the two today, hopefully with better result. Jgod-- I will add hiding structures, I only had two at the time, and will increase soil depth.
I think you mean the pectines"(comblike structure with teeth), that's the only thing that matches "the yellow organs".....in my book....These pectines are situated on the ventral side below the sternum and thus posterior to the carapace (head)......
 

ooi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
15
I think you mean the pectines"(comblike structure with teeth), that's the only thing that matches "the yellow organs".....in my book....These pectines are situated on the ventral side below the sternum and thus posterior to the carapace (head)......
I know it wasn't the pectines... here is the anatomy of a grasshopper female:
http://www.carolina.com/images/en_U...rresources/preserved/grasshopper_internal.jpg
the lengthwise lines labled "gonads" (I've compressed a grasshopper female, revealing these) the organs in a grasshopper had an uncanny resemblance. thanks for your help!
 

ooi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
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today I rehoused the two, and they seemed to be alright, after an initial duel. I have three hides and a rock they can hide under in the cage, and plan to put a waterfall-or moving water... something of the like.
 

jgod790

Arachnoknight
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Mar 28, 2011
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BE VERY CAREFUL!!! Healthy active emperors dig, A LOT. And if your not careful, they might dig under the rock and it will crush them injuring or even killing them. Do as you wish, but what I do, I have a heavy water dish that’s large enough for them to "swim" in since they like to submerge them selves in water, so I have the substrate only an inch or so deep where the water dish is, so they cant dig under it. And you also have to be careful with hides. Emperors don’t NEED hides IF you maybe start a burrow for them, and they will do the rest of the work. I put two different hides/retreats in my enclosure, and they just dug and made there own, and they NEVER use the hides I gave them. So not only can hides be a waste of space, they can potentially harm the scorpions. Now if your careful with the placement of the hides you should be fine, just take note of the idea, that it is possible for things to collapse on your scorpions. But if your scorpions are lazy and not digging, then you do need a hide so they wont be stressed out and scared all the time. I had one emperor that did not dig at all, but every other one I have does nothing but dig.
 

ooi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
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thanks! that is wonderful advise! I am using a piece of slate, moreso than just a rock, in hopes it doesn't fall. unfortunately, the two I had didn't play nice, and my old one survived. With knowledge anew, I'll attempt to have some note of success in scorpion care
 

jgod790

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
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260
Yea dont let failure discourage you. Each failure is one step closer to success.
 

ooi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
15
Yea dont let failure discourage you. Each failure is one step closer to success.
Quite true! I think a major contributor, as I search,may be that the older female was pregnant, unbeknownst to me. she seems to have grown substantially in the past several weeks, and rather than eating her food (madagascar hissing cockroaches for now) she just kills them. I have no idea, but it would be really interesting if she is.
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
Old Timer
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May 22, 2006
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I know it wasn't the pectines... here is the anatomy of a grasshopper female:
http://www.carolina.com/images/en_U...rresources/preserved/grasshopper_internal.jpg
the lengthwise lines labled "gonads" (I've compressed a grasshopper female, revealing these) the organs in a grasshopper had an uncanny resemblance. thanks for your help!
Well what are you talking about then? Scorpions don't have anything protubing from their heads, so please, instead of teaching me grasshopper anatomy, learn your scorpion anatomy (after all this is an arachnid site) and then come back to ask questions...:rolleyes:
 
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