mating emperors

[Lycanthrope]

ok im about to try mating my emperors tonight. i got my 3rd adult 8 months ago, and tried puting him in with the other two. he ran down a burrow and come up with pedipalps locked with my largest one. i seperated them thinking it was fighting:8o . my big thing is t's. anyway ive since learned a bunch, and i believe the slightly smaller lankier fellow is male, and my biggest one female. there is a difference in pectines, so lets hope i get to see some scorps mate for the first time . ive never bred anything before and always thought my first would be a t, but i have different sex scorps so why not?;P

 

[Wade]

The male will have distictly longer pectines, there shouldn't be much confusion with this species. I'd include a flat stone (I use slate) in the enclosure for the male to attach a spermataphore to. He will then lead the female over it so she can pick it up. He may also sting her, it's really hard to tell courtship from fighting! Usually, though it looks more like dancing.

Wade

 

[Lycanthrope]

I'd include a flat stone (I use slate) in the enclosure for the male to attach a spermataphore to.

yeah i had placed a piece of flat ceramic roofing tile in there. i stuck him in the other night, and he wandered the tank aimlessly a bit. then he would pause every step or to and kind of quiver. stress you think?:?

 

[Wade]

Originally posted by Lycanthrope
yeah i had placed a piece of flat ceramic roofing tile in there. i stuck him in the other night, and he wandered the tank aimlessly a bit. then he would pause every step or to and kind of quiver. stress you think?:?

Could be, but it may also be part of the courtship behavior.

Wade

 

[skinheaddave]

Originally posted by Lycanthrope
pause every step or to and kind of quiver. stress you think?:?

I'd have to go with Wade on this one. Sounds like it might very well be juddering, which is part of the courtship.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Wade]

Dave-

Is the juddering associated with the making of the spermataphore? I seem to remember a certain amount of that going on when I paired up my emps awhile back, but I can't remember if they were doing it on the rocks.

Wade

 

[skinheaddave]

Wade,

I believe that the juddering is a method of identifying species/intent. Similar to the druming in Ts, it is used as a way of saying "I'm a _____ and I'm looking for action."

Cheers,
Dave