H. Petersii?

[Elizabethr22]

Could anyone help me identify this species of scorpion? It was sold as an Asian forest scorpion and I’m thinking it’s Heterometrus petersii, but any help would be greatly appreciated!
Also, are they normally this chubby or is it a sign of premolt?

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Could anyone help me identify this species of scorpion? It was sold as an Asian forest scorpion and I’m thinking it’s Heterometrus petersii, but any help would be greatly appreciated!
Also, are they normally this chubby or is it a sign of premolt?

The scientific name has been changed from H. petersii to H. silenus. Your appears to be a full adult, so it may just be chubby but it is likely wild caught it may just be gravid. I doubt it but if it is subadult yeah once they stop accepting food they are in the premolt stage.

If you can get a better pic of the chela (claw) its sex can be determined. A massive percentage of the AFS in the hobby today are H. silenus but H. spinifer has been making appearances with greater frequency.

 

[Elizabethr22]

The scientific name has been changed from H. petersii to H. silenus. Your appears to be a full adult, so it may just be chubby but it is likely wild caught it may just be gravid. I doubt it but if it is subadult yeah once they stop accepting food they are in the premolt stage.

If you can get a better pic of the chela (claw) its sex can be determined. A massive percentage of the AFS in the hobby today are H. silenus but H. spinifer has been making appearances with greater frequency.

Thank you! The telson on an H. spinifer is a reddish color, correct? I’ve been trying to research the differences between the species.
Is this a good enough picture?

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Thank you! The telson on an H. spinifer is a reddish color, correct? I’ve been trying to research the differences between the species.
Is this a good enough picture? View attachment 374754

You have a female H. silenus.

H. spinifer telson:
Juveniles - pale yellow
Adults - reddish-brown

H. silenus telson:
Juveniles - dark brown/black
Adults - dark brown/black

 

[Elizabethr22]

You have a female H. silenus.

H. spinifer telson:
Juveniles - pale yellow
Adults - reddish-brown

H. silenus telson:
Juveniles - dark brown/black
Adults - dark brown/black

If you don’t mind me asking, how can you tell it’s a female?

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

If you don’t mind me asking, how can you tell it’s a female?

The chela of H. silenus are sexually dimorphic specifically the moveable finger. The males have a large very noticeable tooth. Females don't. IIRC, this is the only species of Heterometrinae that possesses this particular sexual dimorphism.

Top - female
Bottom - male

 

[The Snark]

The chela of H. silenus are sexually dimorphic specifically the moveable finger. The males have a large very noticeable tooth. Females don't.

One small mystery solved. Went digging through our pics of night cruisers. One unIDed was a female Silenus.