My baby d. hairy is still full?

vtecgsr

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
200
I have a small 1.5 inch or so desert hairy that i keep in a small critter keeper. I record when all of my inverts eat and it has been a whole month since he last ate. I put 3 cricks in the tank he was in previously and when i came back they were all gone! That was a month ago and he is STILL fat in the abdomen... Is this a sign of a pre moult maybe?
 

JSN

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
683
probably pre-molt, keep it real warm and hope for the best...and by the way, get used to the name H. arizonensis, people around here recognize that name a little more I think...
 

Rigelus

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 12, 2006
Messages
235
If it's only 1½ inches in length then it's not coming up to it's final moult (thats the one that can take a while) so what would it be at 1½ inches...possibly instar 3 or 4 i would imagine (6 or 7 to adult).
You didn't mention when when your arizonensis last moulted however as JSN suggests keep it warm and hope for the best. From moult to moult at the lower instars shouldn't be more than 2-3 months.

This particular specie is notorius for not developing as it should when kept in captivity. Some speculate that it's due to hard to replicate humidity requirements, as H.arizonensis in the wild lives down long burrows.
Temperature and humidity at the entrance to the burrow wouldn't be the same at the end of the burrow. This gives the scorpion the chance to choose precisely the humidty level it requires at any given time.

Whether or not this is the reason for their restrained captive development hasn't been conclusively decided yet as far as i know.

However i have discovered at least with Smeringurus mesaensis (another desert scorpion from the same area as arizonensis) that a high night time temperature (not under 28C and not over 35C) is very condusive to succesfull moulting.
Maybe you could give that a try.

Good luck.
/Bryan
 

final-sting

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 25, 2005
Messages
149
i have 3 hadrurus babys, but one grow much faster and molt more often as the other 2, and i hold feed all same, for the bigger one i think 1-2 molts and than its he adult.


when they not can dig in, than they not moult.

not a fast growing species, but thats normal for scorpions that can live up to 20 years
 

kahoy

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
859
always keep a bit of humidity, they need it on molting.
;)
 
Top