Feeding For Emperors

robbi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
15
Hello all, my name is Robbi (as shown).
I'm worried for my scorpion because I think her to be ill, underfed, or molting. Here is a picture of her for all of you. She is not eating a thing, and is acting very sluggish and not waking when I wake her by blowing on her. I was hoping that some of you might be able to tell me if she's alright.
 

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Nomadinexile

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
2,674
Hey there.

It's not underfed. Ill is not able to be seen 99% of the time by pictures. Up coming molt is most likely. But there is no way for us to know by a picture. Really, for most people, even their own scorpion behavior will leave us with more questions than answers. Besides lethargy, are there any other symptoms?


I would assume a molt is forthcoming. But that is just a guess. We don't really know. Even when it is our own. That is one of the tough and awesome things about scorpions. There is so little known that as often as not we are learning not diagnosing.
 

robbi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
15
Hey there.

It's not underfed. Ill is not able to be seen 99% of the time by pictures. Up coming molt is most likely. But there is no way for us to know by a picture. Really, for most people, even their own scorpion behavior will leave us with more questions than answers. Besides lethargy, are there any other symptoms?


I would assume a molt is forthcoming. But that is just a guess. We don't really know. Even when it is our own. That is one of the tough and awesome things about scorpions. There is so little known that as often as not we are learning not diagnosing.
Yes, but that picture is about 2-3 months old. I'll replace that one with a more recent one.
 

BAM1082

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Messages
257
I think a molt is unlikely, the telson color suggests that it is an adult.

Could be the end, My last emp that passed acted similar.

Provide water, keep the enviroment humid and dont bother it.
 

dairy

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
295
I think a molt is unlikely, the telson color suggests that it is an adult.

Could be the end, My last emp that passed acted similar.

Provide water, keep the enviroment humid and dont bother it.
+1

ten characters
 

Treynok

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
202
A more recent picture would help, there isn't a molt coming with that dark of a telson. I wouldn't worry if it doesn't take food for a while they can go months to year+ without eating. What temp are you keeping it at, lower temps make a huge difference too.

Also unless you had it from birth there is no way to tell how old it is exactly, if it never molted while you owned it then it could be a pretty old scorpion and could possibly be on it's way out.
 

robbi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
15
A more recent picture would help, there isn't a molt coming with that dark of a telson. I wouldn't worry if it doesn't take food for a while they can go months to year+ without eating. What temp are you keeping it at, lower temps make a huge difference too.

Also unless you had it from birth there is no way to tell how old it is exactly, if it never molted while you owned it then it could be a pretty old scorpion and could possibly be on it's way out.
I own a rainforest substrate heater, probably keeps it at 75 f, her humidity level is at 75-80 most of the time, and does not taking out dead crickets annoy the scorpion? And what about man-made burrows?
 

Treynok

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
202
Always remove dead crickets, they will mold and draw in mites or some other pest you won't want in your tank over time. Not sure what substrate your using but some woods can be lethal to insects and arachnids. I know for sure cedar and some pines can be other than that not sure. Maybe try to find something it can dig in more easily for substrate you could use non-fertilized, non-pesticide peat, or any lightweight, moisture retaining soil that lays loose when wet. I use Eco-earth coconut fiber cause it's what's easy for me. Every emperor I've owned likes to burrow and given the right substrate will do it. There is no problem with man-made burrows as long as it uses it and it has a place to hide. If it is an under-tank heater I'd stick it to the side of the tank. That temp should be fine but is on the lower to mid end which means it might not need to eat as much. With an emperor scorpion you really don't want the heat source under the tank, and you may already know this but you really don't want to expose it to a lot of light, it should be able to regulate itself with an appropriate hide though.

You really don't need to worry about an emperor not wanting to eat, like I said they can easily go over a year between meals. They really can be like a pet rock or pet hole. I have some that are active and some that are like pet rocks, the older ones I have tend to be more inactive but it changes and she may snap out of it over time. Is it noticeably thinner now than it was in the pic, the scorpion in the pic looks okay as far as weight to size.

Humidity and temp both seem fine, 75 might be too hot if your heat is coming from under the tank and that's the air temp, depends on placement of mat and where your thermometer is. The substrate is gonna be hotter underneath the surface if your using an undertank heater.
 
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