Help on my Hottentotta hottentotta

[tzuruchi]

I just received two of these last week as a present, they've been eating small lateralis roaches. They're doing pretty well by the looks of it, although I'm not sure if I'm overfeeding them since they eat anything I give them. I've been feeding them roaches less than half their size every other day and they've grown a bit fatter compared to when I got them. They are about more than an inch in size from the mouth to the tip of the tail. They are kept in separate containers right now. Any additional info on how to care for these? The only caresheet I found didn't talk about them much. Thanks.

 

[tabor]

they look healthy. here is the best care info online imo:

http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10986

 

[tzuruchi]

Thanks, it the same one I've read earlier. But I still don't know when would be the safest time to put them together since I also read that they were communal, and matters concerning overfeeding and molting. I have experience with tarantulas but nothing concerning scorpions when it come to molts.

 

[tabor]

i would never put them together. no need to, they are parthenogenic and do not need to breed to have babies

however, i have housed other species of Hottentotta before together as adults for breeding purposes. no more than one male per cage, and never had any problems housing them, well fed, together for a few weeks.

H. hottentotta seriously have no reason to be housed together though.

 

[tzuruchi]

How should I know if they're about to molt, on Tarantulas I usually notice darkening on the bald spots and rather sluggish movements when on premolt, how do you determine premolt on scorpions? And how do you know when to start feeding again after a molt? Are there any physical indications?

 

[tabor]

not really, refusal of food is the most reliable, also is their fattening up. sorry, but that is all there is really to go on

 

[tzuruchi]

Thanks again, so when do I stop giving them food, cause they don't seem to have enough. I'm feeding them every other day with lateralis less than half their size, is that overfeeding?

 

[kendrickkey]

the color of your hottentotta hottentotta is so cool....

this is the color of my HH..

 

[rd_07]

nice dark morph
h.h

 

[tzuruchi]

Thanks..
Still wondering, how do I know if I'm overfeeding them? Or do I stop when they stop accepting food?

And rd_07, I noticed your location, I too am from the Phil., any special tips on caring for them in our particular region? thanks..

 

[alexi]

i would never put them together. no need to, they are parthenogenic and do not need to breed to have babies

however, i have housed other species of Hottentotta before together as adults for breeding purposes. no more than one male per cage, and never had any problems housing them, well fed, together for a few weeks.

H. hottentotta seriously have no reason to be housed together though.

Wouldn't the babies be healthier if they were concieved sexually? Or would that just be from an evolutionary standpoint? Typically we think of sexual reproduction as superior since you're not just making a bunch of "clones," right?

 

[jme]

if the female is 100% fit and has perfect jeans wouldnt you want those perfect jeans to be un tainted by another scorpion, if she's 100% healthy and has amazing coloring and apears to have no problems at all, her offspring would be equaly amazing clones Also in breeding theres always that slim chance that something could go wrong and you might lose 1 or both of the scorps

 

[tabor]

Wouldn't the babies be healthier if they were concieved sexually? Or would that just be from an evolutionary standpoint? Typically we think of sexual reproduction as superior since you're not just making a bunch of "clones," right?

they are all females, they EVOLVED parthenogenesis as a means to survive. It is rare in scorpions but quite common in the animal kingdom. I mean, if there's no males around to breed with, they have to "come up" with something or go extinct.

Remember Jurassic Park? All the dinosaurs were females yet they some how managed to reproduce (parthenogenesis)

It's a perfectly sound and logical means of reproduction, there are plenty of asexual animals out there. Wikipedia it man!

 

[alexi]

they are all females, they EVOLVED parthenogenesis as a means to survive. It is rare in scorpions but quite common in the animal kingdom. I mean, if there's no males around to breed with, they have to "come up" with something or go extinct.

Remember Jurassic Park? All the dinosaurs were females yet they some how managed to reproduce (parthenogenesis)

It's a perfectly sound and logical means of reproduction, there are plenty of asexual animals out there. Wikipedia it man!

I didn't realize they reproduced ONLY by parthenogenesis. Some animals can switch back and forth depending on the availability of partners, I mistakenly thought this was one of those cases.

 

[Brandelmouche]

I have 5 Hottentotta trilineatus adulte female in the same terra for 3 years now and no problem at all, whit a lot of space, higing place and food no problem Tabor.

 

[Treynok]

You really can't overfeed them, if they are full / don't want to eat, they won't.
If they eat that well keep feeding them, they will metabolize it and grow that much faster, if they stop eating for a while no big deal either.

 

[alexi]

But isn't it true that if you feed them more they (as you say) progress through life faster and will live shorter lives? Not a concern for everyone I know, but if you want them to live a long time power feeding's not the way to go. Hehe, has anyone ever had a contest to see how long they could get a scorpion to live by keeping it at lower temperatures and feeding it just the right amount?

 

[Treynok]

I don't really think anyone has done thorough enough research to support that it shortens their life, it is believed that since they grow faster they reach maturity faster, thus having a shorter life. I would like to see more research done on this with a control group to see if there is any noticeable difference to be honest. I feed mine whenever they eat, my imperators barely eat, my gracilis eat every other day or so, and my arizonensis eats daily even know it is an adult. I feed a mixture and crickets and very few roaches as my colony isn't fully established yet. Personal experience is really all there is to go by and it can vary greatly from one person to another, and everyone keeps them differently.

 

[tzuruchi]

I have read somewhere in the tarantula section that some tarantulas reach maturity when their time comes regardless of feeding. I believe it was a male P. Murinus which reached maturity despite being small compared to others. I don't know if this is applicable to scorpions as well.

 

[deadly_elegance]

I have read somewhere in the tarantula section that some tarantulas reach maturity when their time comes regardless of feeding. I believe it was a male P. Murinus which reached maturity despite being small compared to others. I don't know if this is applicable to scorpions as well.

yes it can, I have seen some centruroides species giving birth at 6th instar