Hey everyone, I have an emperor scorpion and he hasn't come out of his cave for 4 days straight which is not like him cause usually he does every night. Well I check to see if he was alive and all seemed well. But later he comes out and I notice something is very wrong with him. It's hard to describe what I'm seeing but he is basically moving around like a malfunctioning robot. His legs move as if he can coordinate himself and he falls over a lot. He moves like he's been poisoned or something. Does anyone have any clue what’s wrong with him? He can't even climb a small dirt mound cause he can't get all his legs to work properly.
Help please somethings wrong!
- Thread starter Nolable
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Does he have a water source? Perhaps he is dehydrated. Give him access to water ensuring that the dish is large enough for him/her to actually be able to draw water from....i.e., wide enough.
scorpionguy
Arachnopeon
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It may be too late, but get water to the scorpion imediately even douse the water over the specimen if it will not drink.
You should make sure you know the requirements for each spp you keep in the future.
if the emp does pull through make sure you keep the enclosure around 80-85 degrees and humid , alot of moisture in the substrate.
You should make sure you know the requirements for each spp you keep in the future.
if the emp does pull through make sure you keep the enclosure around 80-85 degrees and humid , alot of moisture in the substrate.
How do you suppose I do this, I'm not one for handling it. And honestly hes so far distorted that hes too scared to drink...
The behaviour that you describe is a bad sign and your scorpion is not healthy. The next time before you get a scorp, try to find out more about what it needs. These Pandinus drink regularly and need water to thrive. You might try to put some water in a shallow container, put the scorp in aswell and tilt the container a bit, so the water goes to one side of the container and persuade the scorpion to drink, by gently pushing it to the water.
Spraying directly on to the scorpion is only done by members of the Heterometrus, because they like this. P.imperators, in my experience, do not like to be sprayed.
Good luck, Michiel
Spraying directly on to the scorpion is only done by members of the Heterometrus, because they like this. P.imperators, in my experience, do not like to be sprayed.
Good luck, Michiel
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Heterometrus species and Pandinus species, thats a start, also different sizes / colors / shapes / temperment / location...to name a few differences, most of them can be kept the same- high humidity and heat.
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Chock this up as a learning experience! We all have a learning experience we aren't too proud of.
But do your research first! as has been noted. I always set up my tank a week in advance to a purchase too, this allows for your tank to acclimate and for you to see what needs so as to maintain a proper environment without having an animal in there.
PS: welcome to the boards
<EDIT> it not too advisable to listen to most pet shop employees on how to house your scorp, most (not all) don't know much at all .
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Yeah I called the pet store from where I got him not to long ago and they said they just spray them a lot and don't give them any water dish. Right now my scorpion is in a large pan filled with a very shallow amount of water and as I type he is drinking some. So it appears to me that listening to them wasn't exactly to his best needs. Not trying to bash anyone in particular or anything.Chock tis up as a learning experience! We all have a learning experience we aren't too proud of.
But do your research first! as has been noted. I always set up my tank a week in advance to a purchase too, this allows for your tank to acclimate and for you to see what needs so as to maintain a proper environment without having an animal in there.
PS: welcome to the boards
<EDIT> it not too advisable to listen to most pet shop employees on how to house your scorp, most (not all) don't know much at all .
I just hope he isn't to far gone that he wont live but at the same time I hope that if he does live he isn't scarred to much from the dehydration. But now that we've all discussed this, I'd like a 2nd opinion from anyone of you on here about his cage settings. Therefore I hopefully don't run into any problems in the future. Right now I have a dirt like terrian that holds moister well, heat lamp that keeps the cage around 80-84 F, hiding place for the scorpion, and a shallow water supply. Anything else I should have for him?
Thanks for the welcome and to all of you thanks for your help and concern.
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My usuall advice, check out Thaedion's excellent 'You Tube' vid - false bottom tank setup (10 clips), well worth the effort.
Damo
Damo
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Pet stores are among the worst places to get information on the pets that they themselves sell. Most pet store employees are morons* when it comes to doing anything other than measuring out the daily dose of food and water. This often inludes their inablility to even properly clean up the <edit> in the canine kennels.
*This does not include every petstore employee. There are indeed a number of them who care and take the time to research what they're selling. Most however can barely tell you a poodle from a pitbull, let alone what kind of requirements a more exotic pet might need.
No he's not looking anything out of the usual. I really do think that dehydration is the case here. I just get the feeling from watching him that he's on his death bed and knowing how little water he was giving thanks to the advice I was given from the pet store. He goes in to spasims and I've seem him get scared of nothing as if he were being attacked. Whatever is wrong he's not well. Unless I just further stimulated your idea of him about to molt. As far as him being fed...he has food in the cage right now. But I don't think he's going to eat it.