Molting process for Hadrurus arizonensis?

[LeFanDesBugs]

Hey guys,

I received 5 days ago my Hadrurus arizonensis, it's pretty small, I guess around 6 centimeters.
I noticed it was pretty fat, and I was assuming that was due to some overfeeding, it had happened with my Heterometrus spinifer that I received from the same guy, they were both pretty fat.

It dug a burrow under its rock (pics below) and didn't go out to get some food (it only only made its pincers stick out or sometimes went out but didn't get too far from the entrance, I guess it was only to evacuate some sand).
But two days ago, I noticed it blocked off the entrance..

The setup : 5" / 12,5 cm or so of substrate, 100% sand which was dampened and dried, btw not completely dried which is lucky, at the bottom there's still some humidity so my scorpion will have the moisture it needs to molt,once again if it is going to molt. Also, don't worry about the lamp being very close to the enclosure, it's not a high-power lamp and I get around 32 degrees celsius where the rock is!

The blocked entrance of the burrow (where there are those little blocks of sand)


/EDIT/ I found a picture my dad made of the scorpion itself



Now I have three questions:

-Judging by its size, what instar can it be?
-Is my scorpion going to molt? (I think it is)
-What can I do to give it the best conditions possible? I've read this species can have molt issues :/

Thanks!

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

Pleaasssee?
It still didn't get out of its burrow

 

[shining]

1. Possibly i4.
2. It looks promising.
3. Overfill that water dish some and mist that same corner a little. If there is still moist sand at the bottom it should be good with no extra watering.

I have never had this species but have kept other desert burrowers and straight sand never worked for me. Burrows always collapsed. I would suggest a mix of sand and clay ratio of 75/25.

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

Thanks for the advice, and for the sand it seems to be good atm, anyway I can't replace it now so it'll have to wait
But I'll make sure to change it if it proves unproper..

And yes there's still some moist substrate at the bottom, but the water tends to evaporate so I hope my scorpion will molt soon..

/EDIT/
Before digging the burrow it is actually in, it made a little one against the wall.. so I think the sand I have, at is it mixed with a little dirt (I collected it in my garden, no it's not dangerous, I live in the countryside haha), can sustain burrows

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

Update, it continued digging its burrow and ended up unblocking the entrance. False alarm I guess lol.
Though when it's resting it is cowering (hope it's the good word thanks google translate haha) at the bottom of the burrow where's it's the most moist, I'll try to get a pic when I get back home

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

Update here..
It blocked off the entrance again, and it dug a tunnel towards a straw I had placed in order to pour a tiny bit of water at the bottom of the enclosure. Looks like my scorpion needs some moisture! It has its chelas out and doesn't move them. He hasn't eaten since I got it and never walked out of its burrow to get some food (I go to sleep at 3-4 am so I would definitely have seen it)
Probably in premolt as far as I can tell..

 

[Smokehound714]

They require a subatrate depth of at least twice their total body length.

As mentioned above, they need clay added then saturated and allowed to dry for stable soil they can burrow into properly.

Hadrurus actually benefit from the occasional spritz here and there, and make sure it has a nice big water dish, a well hydrated hadrurus has an easier time molting

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

Hey! Don't worry I rehoused it 3 days ago. It has now even more substrate with a 50/50 excavator clay/sand mix, not COMPLETELY dry because it would be better in case it was effectively in premolt.
But in fact it wasn't as it took a grasshopper about 2 hours ago!
So I guess that's the end of the thread..

 

[ScorpSarah]

I realize this is an older thread but did this little guy molt yet? He does look premolt in the photo. Also I'm asking because I've had a scorpion who molted one week after eating a big juicy cricket, although that was a forest species