Is my Flat rock scorpion gravid?

Nightstalker47

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So I've owned this scorpion for about 2 years and it was bought as a female. I have been keeping it half dry and half moist with a water dish. I feed her at night, she never eats in front of me like my emperor, but I always catch her stuffing her face like 30 minutes later lol. I was reading about these scorpions and I heard they get very big, what I don't understand is mine hasn't molted once since I've had her, she's very active and has been getting extremely fat lately. Is it possible that I bought her gravid? I will show some pics they aren't the best but it shows her physical form, and she is only about 4 inches.
 

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WeightedAbyss75

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So I've owned this scorpion for about 2 years and it was bought as a female. I have been keeping it half dry and half moist with a water dish. I feed her at night, she never eats in front of me like my emperor, but I always catch her stuffing her face like 30 minutes later lol. I was reading about these scorpions and I heard they get very big, what I don't understand is mine hasn't molted once since I've had her, she's very active and has been getting extremely fat lately. Is it possible that I bought her gravid? I will show some pics they aren't the best but it shows her physical form, and she is only about 4 inches.
I have been wondering the same about mine. My flat rock (H. paucidens) hasn't been eating it the last few months. It is also very fat like yours and is very active. Hope it is babies for us both. More CB paucidens are always needed in the hobby ;)
 

Nightstalker47

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Yup lets hope we get lucky!! These are a great species. Do you think your scorpion would be eating more if it were gravid? And what size is yours? mine was likely wild caught.
 

WeightedAbyss75

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Yup lets hope we get lucky!! These are a great species. Do you think your scorpion would be eating more if it were gravid? And what size is yours? mine was likely wild caught.
Not sure if mine was wild caught. I bought it from a local expo and they didn't specify. She is about 3-4" with tail and is very fat. Lately, she has been super skittish too... not sure if those are signs of pregnancy or not. Tbh, I believe they don't eat when gravid to prepare their bodies like when they molt, but I have never bred scorpions ever. I recently just bought a pair of C. gracilis that may have a gravid female, but we'll see ;) Can't wait to see, I hear these guys take a long time to have babies once they are gravid. I have had mine for about a year and no problems yet. Wet the sub around the dish every time I fill it and have her with a nice rock hide.
 

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darkness975

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@Nightstalker47 They do not molt anymore once they reach their final instar unlike their Tarantula cousins.

Regarding its bloated appearance: I would bet my money on an approaching molt in the future. One of my H. arizonensis has had that bloated appearance for the better part of the last year and a half. I know it is not fully grown so an approaching molt is the scenario.

Good luck.
 

Red Eunice

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You've had it 2 years and no pairing, its in premolt. Granted gestation for these are long, 7-8 months, I believe. Yours would have given birth at least a year ago if it was gravid at purchase. At 4" its a juvenile, adults at 6th instar are 6"+. My AF is just over 7" at 7th instar and ready for breeding. Slow growing and known to fast for no apparent reason.
 

Nightstalker47

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@Nightstalker47 They do not molt anymore once they reach their final instar unlike their Tarantula cousins.

Regarding its bloated appearance: I would bet my money on an approaching molt in the future. One of my H. arizonensis has had that bloated appearance for the better part of the last year and a half. I know it is not fully grown so an approaching molt is the scenario.

Good luck.
I was also leaning towards this possibility just was not sure. I have and adult P. imperator and Asian forest scorpion, neither have molted since I've had them and it's been almost 2 years as well. they are significantly larger and I did find it strange for such a large species to be gravid so small, I guess she's going to molt soon! I'm looking forward to it I have yet to own a scorpion that has molted!
thanks for the help.
 

Nightstalker47

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You've had it 2 years and no pairing, its in premolt. Granted gestation for these are long, 7-8 months, I believe. Yours would have given birth at least a year ago if it was gravid at purchase. At 4" its a juvenile, adults at 6th instar are 6"+. My AF is just over 7" at 7th instar and ready for breeding. Slow growing and known to fast for no apparent reason.
Well that explains a lot, cause mine still eats just keeps getting fatter, should I add more humidity to aid in her molt? do you think she could be avoiding it if she doesn't feel like she's in the right conditions? or do they really grow this slowly? I must have fed her 3 times her body mass by now.
 

WeightedAbyss75

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I believe they really grow this slowly... The brachys of the scorpion world ;) Thank god they are uniquely shaped and get huge. Not too much else to them, unfortunately
 

Red Eunice

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Well that explains a lot, cause mine still eats just keeps getting fatter, should I add more humidity to aid in her molt? do you think she could be avoiding it if she doesn't feel like she's in the right conditions? or do they really grow this slowly? I must have fed her 3 times her body mass by now.
Indeed, a slow growing species and large as adults.
I've not heard/read of molt issues from lack of humidity. Arid species, give layered shale or cork for hiding, a water dish and dry substrate (I use topsoil). I feed weekly, 1 or 2 prey depending on their size. Nice easy species to keep. IMO/E
 

darkness975

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My trio of P. imperator little ones are at 4i and I have had them seemingly forever (but probably more like 2.5 years. They are kept on the lower end of their temperature range so their lower metabolism is the factor to cite with regards to their slower growth rate in comparison to others who keep them at higher temperatures throughout the duration of their lives.
 
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