I am new to scorpion care.

[Chicagoblue]

I am going to be receiving a desert hairy scorpion within the next few weeks. I'm wondering at what humidity level should i be shooting for. Ive heard some say between 55 to 65%, 50 to 60% and some even say as low as 30%. So which is it? Also. I am using a lighted heat lamp for my heat source. I'm wondering if this source of heat be damaging to a scorpion during & shortly after the molting process. can it?

 

[dannyboypede]

I don't know about the humidity, but I know that lights aren't really a problem with burrowing scorpions. They only come out at night, so the light shouldn't bother them. After molting, I would assume they stay underground until they harden. I think heat-lamps get kind of expensive to run, though. There is no such thing as an energy efficient heat lamp. You could try some heat tape or a heat pad, just be sure to put it on the vertical side of the tank. If it is underneath, it can burn the scorpion. Good luck, I hear this is a fun species.

--Dan

 

[Chicagoblue]

Thanks for your advice dannyboypede.

 

[Canth]

If yours is going to be an adult, I wouldn't worry about humidity. Just make sure it can burrow and mist every month or so, very lightly.

 

[Michiel]

Humidity is not a big issue, depending on the RH in your environment and i.e. your house. you don't need to spray them and if you don;t the RH will be lower than the surroundings anyway, because you use a light in the terrarium as heat source, lowering the RH even more. Give them a bottle cap or something with tepid water to drink.

Regular bulbs are insufficient and that's why they give of so much heat. Energy saving light do not emit enough heat to warm up most terra's. Ideally, the light is positioned on one of the ends, so you get a warm side and a colder side (temp gradient)....Adult scorpions do not molt anymore, so that won't pose a problem.

 

[TheDeathStalker]

I think the humidity IS a big issue, no matter what instar the Hadrurus Arizonensis is in! If you have it under too high humidity it could get mycosis which is a fungal infection and it will evntually result in death! So keep the scorpion at 30-40% humidity, NEVER spray and perhaps keep a small waterdish in one corner so it has the chance to get a drink (even though it gets the majority of the liquid from feeding)! The substrate should be 4inches minimum and should consist of 20% excavater sand and 80% regular sand! Mix it in water, put it in the enclosure and let it dry out COMPLETELY! The excavator/regular sand mix should allow the dessert hairy to burrow as it would in nature!

Good luck!

 

[Canth]

I think the humidity IS a big issue, no matter what instar the Hadrurus Arizonensis is in! If you have it under too high humidity it could get mycosis which is a fungal infection and it will evntually result in death! So keep the scorpion at 30-40% humidity, NEVER spray and perhaps keep a small waterdish in one corner so it has the chance to get a drink (even though it gets the majority of the liquid from feeding)! The substrate should be 4inches minimum and should consist of 20% excavater sand and 80% regular sand! Mix it in water, put it in the enclosure and let it dry out COMPLETELY! The excavator/regular sand mix should allow the dessert hairy to burrow as it would in nature!

Good luck!

Most of that is true, however an adult will not be affected by a very misting once a month as long as the ventilation is adequate. Do you think it NEVER rains in the desert? And imagine the humidity in the burrows they spend most of their lives in, it's higher than you'd think. And early instars require higher humidity in order to molt, that's way people have trouble with them. They keep babies too dry and they end up having problems.

The care advice you gave is just fine for an adult, but the earlier instars would benefit from a type of false bottom set up.

 

[Chicagoblue]

I thank all of you for your advice. It is greatly Appreciated!

 

[AzJohn]

The best way to understand how to keep this species is to understand how the species lives and the environment they live in. This species lives in a wide variety of enviroments. The Yuma area scorpions that have adapted to the very sandy environment (I'm talking sand dunes) by losing much of there dark color. Others live in a more scrubland environment. Plus everything in between. All dig deep burrows that allow for they scorpion to regulate the temperature and Rh. You also need to realize that the desert they live in gets annual monsoon rains that can raise the Rh to fairly high levels for weeks at a time. I've also seen them in areas that can recieve a few inches of snow and the resulting snow melt, again raising the Rh for weeks at a time. In short the enviroment they live in can have seasonal variations of Rh from very dry to very wet. These variations can last weeks at a time. Keeping them bone dry is common cause of death in molting instars. Adults can be given a good biweekly misting without problems. If you are worried give them lots of ventalation. If you keep it like an Emp it will die, but a good soaking every now and then won't hurt them provided substrate is allowed to drain and dry out. I keep my Ha in deep soil and allow the bottom to get damp, periodically, and the top to dry out. That way the scorpion can choose were it is most comfortable.

 

[Chicagoblue]

Thanks AzJohn!

 

[Michiel]

I think the humidity IS a big issue, no matter what instar the Hadrurus Arizonensis is in! If you have it under too high humidity it could get mycosis which is a fungal infection and it will evntually result in death! So keep the scorpion at 30-40% humidity, NEVER spray and perhaps keep a small waterdish in one corner so it has the chance to get a drink (even though it gets the majority of the liquid from feeding)! The substrate should be 4inches minimum and should consist of 20% excavater sand and 80% regular sand! Mix it in water, put it in the enclosure and let it dry out COMPLETELY! The excavator/regular sand mix should allow the dessert hairy to burrow as it would in nature!

Good luck!

I meant humidity isn't a big issue when you follow my advice Should have added that.........