I finally have a verified pair of Hottentotta Franzwerneri

[RMLeone]

I finally got a verified pair of Hottentotta Franzwerneri from my friend. I have an adult female and about 4 unsexed juveniles. This gives me 7 total (yes im obsessed ). I can't wait until they become adults so I can breed this species.

I would have to say this is my favorite species overall. Other favorites are my Hottentotta Salei, Parabuthus Radus Bi-Color, Parabuthus Schlechteri, Parabuthus Capensis Bright.

My friend also gave me a Hottentotta Gentili Ziz Cade, they start off similar to Hottentotta Franzwerneri as babies but then eventually become all black. I would love to find a female Parabuthus Capensis Bright for my male. I also want more Hottentotta Salei they look so amazing.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Congrats on the find ! Best if luck breeding there very cool looking thick tail. How do you figure out care for a particular species? With so much outdated info everywhere. I got to get a beginner one someday.

 

[RMLeone]

Congrats on the find ! Best if luck breeding there very cool looking thick tail. How do you figure out care for a particular species? With so much outdated info everywhere. I got to get a beginner one someday.

I consult often with a friend who works with, researches and breeds arachnids. He is a Biotechnologist, I agree many species have little to no information especially the more rare species. I have noticed outdated or conflicting information as well. I try to research the climate and habitat of species as best as I can, but I trust my friend to give me the best information when I'm in doubt. I wish there was much more information on species than we have at the moment.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I consult often with a friend who works with, researches and breeds arachnids. He is a Biotechnologist, I agree many species have little to no information especially the more rare species. I have noticed outdated or conflicting information as well. I try to research the climate and habitat of species as best as I can, but I trust my friend to give me the best information when I'm in doubt. I wish there was much more information on species than we have at the moment.

Yeah someone here needs to write more caresheets. I don’t know anything about them so I can’t help anyone. But it’s risky to try a scorpion when I got tarantula care down for the most part. Besides breeding but other people can do that.
I can find info on afs , some on desert hairy and emporer . But other than that it’s a shot in the dark. O well, maybe someone on YouTube or something knows more about scorpions . ?? I haven’t looked.
Are people just making stuff up? Coming up with their own ideas for care.
I don’t have money anyways right now, to buy anything but I see care questions daily because no info anywere lol.

 

[RMLeone]

Yeah someone here needs to write more caresheets. I don’t know anything about them so I can’t help anyone. But it’s risky to try a scorpion when I got tarantula care down for the most part. Besides breeding but other people can do that.
I can find info on afs , some on desert hairy and emporer . But other than that it’s a shot in the dark. O well, maybe someone on YouTube or something knows more about scorpions . ?? I haven’t looked.
Are people just making stuff up? Coming up with their own ideas for care.
I don’t have money anyways right now, to buy anything but I see care questions daily because no info anywere lol.

I've found several social media personalities to completely have care disturbingly wrong. I don't name people, but I will say that I have called them out for it. Arid species such as Leiurus Quinquestriatus, Androctonus Australis etc. Are very easy care, some species are much more difficult for care such as Heteroctenus Junceus (Cuban blue) they actually need for their subrate to always be damp which can be difficult to maintain you don't want it sopping wet, but you can't have it dry out either. For many of my Hottentotta and Parabuthus genus' I do 50/50 mix of reptisoil and sand and I mist weekly. Typically any bark scorpions you can do 50/50 mix (tityus, Hottentotta, Centruroides) the Arizona Bark tend to have a much more arid environment so you can go like 70% sand 30% reptisoil and keep it a bit more dry.

I recommend always using corkbark as hides/climbs, you can use driftwood too. If you use any rock make sure that you use hot glue/aquarium sealer to secure rocks so that they don't accidentally crush your scorpion. Some scorpions really love to wedge themselves into places and that could cause objects to shift and cause harm.

Most of my scorpions have temperatures of about 85-90° for baby scorpions I will dampen a corner with water so they can hydrate, it's helps them in earlier development. As they advance in instar for desert species I will not add water. Mycosis is always a concern with arid species since it is an incurable fungal infection that will kill them. You want to avoid too much humidity with them, I typically have about 34-39% depending upon the day.

I've been working with arachnids a long time, and sometimes I've even gotten things wrong, which unfortunately made me lose the animal. Now if I'm ever in doubt I ask my friend. Sometimes even when everything is good you lose an animal unexpectedly such as get a stuck molt or just the animals failed to thrive for whatever reason.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I've found several social media personalities to completely have care disturbingly wrong. I don't name people, but I will say that I have called them out for it. Arid species such as Leiurus Quinquestriatus, Androctonus Australis etc. Are very easy care, some species are much more difficult for care such as Heteroctenus Junceus (Cuban blue) they actually need for their subrate to always be damp which can be difficult to maintain you don't want it sopping wet, but you can't have it dry out either. For many of my Hottentotta and Parabuthus genus' I do 50/50 mix of reptisoil and sand and I mist weekly. Typically any bark scorpions you can do 50/50 mix (tityus, Hottentotta, Centruroides) the Arizona Bark tend to have a much more arid environment so you can go like 70% sand 30% reptisoil and keep it a bit more dry.

I recommend always using corkbark as hides/climbs, you can use driftwood too. If you use any rock make sure that you use hot glue/aquarium sealer to secure rocks so that they don't accidentally crush your scorpion. Some scorpions really love to wedge themselves into places and that could cause objects to shift and cause harm.

Most of my scorpions have temperatures of about 85-90° for baby scorpions I will dampen a corner with water so they can hydrate, it's helps them in earlier development. As they advance in instar for desert species I will not add water. Mycosis is always a concern with arid species since it is an incurable fungal infection that will kill them. You want to avoid too much humidity with them, I typically have about 34-39% depending upon the day.

I've been working with arachnids a long time, and sometimes I've even gotten things wrong, which unfortunately made me lose the animal. Now if I'm ever in doubt I ask my friend. Sometimes even when everything is good you lose an animal unexpectedly such as get a stuck molt or just the animals failed to thrive for whatever reason.

I stopped using rocks , lost a valuable tarantula to one kept climbing for no reason Over 10 years ago wont make that mistake again. Very informative my pet shop only carry’s the basic ones I mentioned. 🫤
Could be a while until I can order anything online. How do you keep the baby scorpions at such high temperature?

 

[RMLeone]

I stopped using rocks , lost a valuable tarantula to one kept climbing for no reason Over 10 years ago wont make that mistake again. Very informative my pet shop only carry’s the basic ones I mentioned. 🫤
Could be a while until I can order anything online. How do you keep the baby scorpions at such high temperature?

I have a ceramic heater overhead. The ambient temperature of my reptile/invert room is about 83°. I have 27 snakes and about 40 scorpions so it is always warm in the room from all the heaters. I used a digital thermometer (laser gun) to find the proper distance from the heater to the surface. I literally die in the room but my animals need it. You can use IR heater, scorpions can't see the red spectrum so it won't bother them. The neat thing about using the IR heater is you can observe your scorpions at night without disturbing them. Black light should be used sparingly, that light not only bothers them, it can cause blindness as well as burns if exposed for prolonged periods. I use a black light flashlight when I need to locate them when I'm doing maintenance, or upgrading. My babies start out in snap top boxes and as they get bigger I get them a bigger size container. I want to ensure successful feedings so I use several sizes of containers. Eventually the adults will go into a 3 section betta tank with a lid.

 

[RMLeone]

I stopped using rocks , lost a valuable tarantula to one kept climbing for no reason Over 10 years ago wont make that mistake again. Very informative my pet shop only carry’s the basic ones I mentioned. 🫤
Could be a while until I can order anything online. How do you keep the baby scorpions at such high temperature?

I think the reason pet shops don't carry the hots is for safety of their employees and customers. I'm sure they don't want the liability. All of my scorpions are hots except for my Heterometrus Spinifer (AFS). There are a lot of less venomous species available online if safety is a concern.
I have been stung by my baby Deathstalker and that was an unpleasant experience, you can read my sting report on this site.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I have a ceramic heater overhead. The ambient temperature of my reptile/invert room is about 83°. I have 27 snakes and about 40 scorpions so it is always warm in the room from all the heaters. I used a digital thermometer (laser gun) to find the proper distance from the heater to the surface. I literally die in the room but my animals need it. You can use IR heater, scorpions can't see the red spectrum so it won't bother them. The neat thing about using the IR heater is you can observe your scorpions at night without disturbing them. Black light should be used sparingly, that light not only bothers them, it can cause blindness as well as burns if exposed for prolonged periods. I use a black light flashlight when I need to locate them when I'm doing maintenance, or upgrading. My babies start out in snap top boxes and as they get bigger I get them a bigger size container. I want to ensure successful feedings so I use several sizes of containers. Eventually the adults will go into a 3 section betta tank with a lid.

Yeah I have an oil filled one it burns so much electricity I have to move out to use it . I have to use a heat mat for my roaches. So I might have to use one for any pets that need higher than room temperature.

I think the reason pet shops don't carry the hots is for safety of their employees and customers. I'm sure they don't want the liability. All of my scorpions are hots except for my Heterometrus Spinifer (AFS). There are a lot of less venomous species available online if safety is a concern.
I have been stung by my baby Deathstalker and that was an unpleasant experience, you can read my sting report on this site.

yeah are those afs and desert hairy easy? I heard desert hairy slings are fragile, but pet shops sell larger ones . I don’t know how long these species live on average.

 

[RMLeone]

Yeah I have an oil filled one it burns so much electricity I have to move out to use it . I have to use a heat mat for my roaches. So I might have to use one for any pets that need higher than room temperature.

yeah are those afs and desert hairy easy? I heard desert hairy slings are fragile, but pet shops sell larger ones . I don’t know how long these species live on average.

I wouldn't recommend heat mats, you want an overhead radiant heat. You want to have enough subrate and hide so they can escape the heat as needed.

Desert hairy can be difficult because they need burrows that offer a gradient. I tend to stay away from the more difficult species as well as the partheneogenic ones. I don't want 1 scorpion turning into 100. With several of the tityus genus they are partheneogenic just like the Congo bark scorpion Hottentotta Hottentotta. With a species such as Tityus serrulatus, they mature in 8 months, and being partheneogenic they don't need a mate, you can very quickly get inundated with scorpions. I don't believe in harming animals needlessly so I just avoid partho all together I dont want to have to put down animals without cause, I don't believe having too many is a valid reason. With the partho species they can be kept communally which is neat, but it becomes an issue of what to do with all the babies.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I wouldn't recommend heat mats, you want an overhead radiant heat. You want to have enough subrate and hide so they can escape the heat as needed.

Desert hairy can be difficult because they need burrows that offer a gradient. I tend to stay away from the more difficult species as well as the partheneogenic ones. I don't want 1 scorpion turning into 100. With several of the tityus genus they are partheneogenic just like the Congo bark scorpion Hottentotta Hottentotta. With a species such as Tityus serrulatus, they mature in 8 months, and being partheneogenic they don't need a mate, you can very quickly get inundated with scorpions. I don't believe in harming animals needlessly so I just avoid partho all together I dont want to have to put down animals without cause, I don't believe having too many is a valid reason. With the partho species they can be kept communally which is neat, but it becomes an issue of what to do with all the babies.

So like how a lizard basks? I know tarantulas don’t need this although some people keep them 85-90. So that’s one spot care is differ ent. So only afs is easier?

 

[RMLeone]

So like how a lizard basks? I know tarantulas don’t need this although some people keep them 85-90. So that’s one spot care is differ ent. So only afs is easier?

Several of my scorpions love to lay on top of their cork bark to soak up the heat. Scorpions are exothermic just like reptiles. AFS can theoretically be kept at room temperature, they love to burrow into the substrate so you want a deep enough layer. The attached picture of my sub-adult Hottentotta Franzwerneri shows how they are typically found in their enclosures, they will lay out often, and then hide as they need. I would say personality wise they are cautious but I haven't observed the level of aggressive behavior as my Androctonus Australis Garzoni or my Leiurus Quinquestriatus.

Frankie my adult female Hottentotta Franzwerneri often climbs up to the lid.
They are a fun species to keep.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Several of my scorpions love to lay on top of their cork bark to soak up the heat. Scorpions are exothermic just like reptiles. AFS can theoretically be kept at room temperature, they love to burrow into the substrate so you want a deep enough layer. The attached picture of my sub-adult Hottentotta Franzwerneri shows how they are typically found in their enclosures, they will lay out often, and then hide as they need. I would say personality wise they are cautious but I haven't observed the level of aggressive behavior as my Androctonus Australis Garzoni or my Leiurus Quinquestriatus.

Frankie my adult female Hottentotta Franzwerneri often climbs up to the lid.
They are a fun species to keep.

I guess being exothermic makes sense living in the tropics it just makes care harder. Heat Matt can cook them.? overhead lighting can cook them?
Maybe AFS is worth a shot but I don’t know how many years they live, or how old the pet shop ones are. Might be better off waiting till I can afford to order online.

 

[RMLeone]

I guess being exothermic makes sense living in the tropics it just makes care harder. Heat Matt can cook them.? overhead lighting can cook them?
Maybe AFS is worth a shot but I don’t know how many years they live, or how old the pet shop ones are. Might be better off waiting till I can afford to order online.

Yes too much heat isn't good just as not enough heat. The problem with heat mats is they just don't heat in a proper way. If you place the mat underneath you only heat the substrate. Scorpions behavior is to burrow when they want to avoid heat so if the heat is under them they aren't going to go to the surface, instead they will attempt to burrow and end up overheating.

As far as AFS they can lived 7 or 8 years, possibly longer if cared for. Typically the ones found in pet stores are typically near adult or adult, they may be of unknown age or origin. I got my Heterometrus Spinifer from a pet shop and she molted once for me, and now she is an adult. I am unsure if she was a wild caught or Captive born. Many scorpions tend to be wild caught, so you are never sure about condition and health of them, some come to you gravid, so you end up with unexpected babies.

I recommend going to a reputable breeder who will tell you whether they are CB or WC. Some scorpions are difficult to breed in captivity, so many of them tend to be WC. My friend has successfully bred several species that are difficult. I try to avoid WC whenever possible for ethical reasons. Sometimes I just can't get a CB. I don't want to support poachers or possible criminal enterprises. We need our native populations of animals for a healthy ecosystem. Demand for exotic animals encourages poachers. We don't want to enrich criminals, and they don't care about the animals so they aren't kept properly, they just want money.

As far as big box stores go, we don't know the source of their animals. There has been reports of poor conditions, animals coming in sick or with parasites.

I would recommend save your money until you can order from a reputable supplier. I can't mention names/sales here as it's against forum rules, but there are reputable dealers available.

AFS are a good beginner species, typically scorpions are a hands off animal, but people do hold the less venomous ones. Pandinus Imperator are also a great beginner species. AFS tend to be more feisty than the Imperator which makes them less keen to being held. My AFS is super Feisty and she can pinch hard. Either species tend to rely on their chelae over their telson, but they will use them if provoked enough. Their venom is mild like a bee sting or less and its more localied than systemic of the more venomous ones.

When I got stung by my baby LQ at 1st the sting wasn't too bad, a little hot pin prick but as the venom spread the intensity ramped up considerably.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Yes too much heat isn't good just as not enough heat. The problem with heat mats is they just don't heat in a proper way. If you place the mat underneath you only heat the substrate. Scorpions behavior is to burrow when they want to avoid heat so if the heat is under them they aren't going to go to the surface, instead they will attempt to burrow and end up overheating.

As far as AFS they can lived 7 or 8 years, possibly longer if cared for. Typically the ones found in pet stores are typically near adult or adult, they may be of unknown age or origin. I got my Heterometrus Spinifer from a pet shop and she molted once for me, and now she is an adult. I am unsure if she was a wild caught or Captive born. Many scorpions tend to be wild caught, so you are never sure about condition and health of them, some come to you gravid, so you end up with unexpected babies.

I recommend going to a reputable breeder who will tell you whether they are CB or WC. Some scorpions are difficult to breed in captivity, so many of them tend to be WC. My friend has successfully bred several species that are difficult. I try to avoid WC whenever possible for ethical reasons. Sometimes I just can't get a CB. I don't want to support poachers or possible criminal enterprises. We need our native populations of animals for a healthy ecosystem. Demand for exotic animals encourages poachers. We don't want to enrich criminals, and they don't care about the animals so they aren't kept properly, they just want money.

As far as big box stores go, we don't know the source of their animals. There has been reports of poor conditions, animals coming in sick or with parasites.

I would recommend save your money until you can order from a reputable supplier. I can't mention names/sales here as it's against forum rules, but there are reputable dealers available.

AFS are a good beginner species, typically scorpions are a hands off animal, but people do hold the less venomous ones. Pandinus Imperator are also a great beginner species. AFS tend to be more feisty than the Imperator which makes them less keen to being held. My AFS is super Feisty and she can pinch hard. Either species tend to rely on their chelae over their telson, but they will use them if provoked enough. Their venom is mild like a bee sting or less and its more localied than systemic of the more venomous ones.

When I got stung by my baby LQ at 1st the sting wasn't too bad, a little hot pin prick but as the venom spread the intensity ramped up considerably.

I can just pm when I can afford one lol. no rush .
I’m well aware of wc being bad ,
although my pet shop didn’t let me special order a rare t sling . Only $80. Same price as online. Captive Bred t.

Why Wc is Bad!!!

Wild caught tarantulas are often sold without labels saying they are. besides eradicating the wild stocks/populations of tarantulas they also can have bad health problems. for me I’ve been sold one t albo from pet stores that had underlying health issues and didn’t end well :sad: it lasted for...

arachnoboards.com

They had sold me sick specimens in the past that were larger . All the prices on sub adults/juvys were ridiculous.

Your Expensive pet shops !

All I see are stuff I can’t afford They have what looks like a 4” curly hair (looks possibly female but very skinny ) and a 2” seemani sling $45 each worth it ? Everything else is way too expensive. Some are reasonably priced being near adult size but unsexed . Sorry if it’s too many pics .

arachnoboards.com

Why Wc is Bad!!!

Wild caught tarantulas are often sold without labels saying they are. besides eradicating the wild stocks/populations of tarantulas they also can have bad health problems. for me I’ve been sold one t albo from pet stores that had underlying health issues and didn’t end well :sad: it lasted for...

arachnoboards.com

 

[RMLeone]

I can just pm when I can afford one lol. no rush .
I’m well aware of wc being bad ,
although my pet shop didn’t let me special order a rare t sling . Only $80. Same price as online. Captive Bred t.

Why Wc is Bad!!!

Wild caught tarantulas are often sold without labels saying they are. besides eradicating the wild stocks/populations of tarantulas they also can have bad health problems. for me I’ve been sold one t albo from pet stores that had underlying health issues and didn’t end well :sad: it lasted for...

arachnoboards.com

They had sold me sick specimens in the past that were larger . All the prices on sub adults/juvys were ridiculous.

Your Expensive pet shops !

All I see are stuff I can’t afford They have what looks like a 4” curly hair (looks possibly female but very skinny ) and a 2” seemani sling $45 each worth it ? Everything else is way too expensive. Some are reasonably priced being near adult size but unsexed . Sorry if it’s too many pics .

arachnoboards.com

Why Wc is Bad!!!

Wild caught tarantulas are often sold without labels saying they are. besides eradicating the wild stocks/populations of tarantulas they also can have bad health problems. for me I’ve been sold one t albo from pet stores that had underlying health issues and didn’t end well :sad: it lasted for...

arachnoboards.com

Yes you can always PM when ready. With buying online shipping can be 45 dollars or so, so I tend to order several at a time to make it worthwhile for the shipping. I know there are invert shows and sometimes at reptile shows inverts can be found. So it may be cheaper that route.