My first scorp!!!!

[siucfi]

I went in to my local pet store the other day and stumbled upon this H. arizonensis for $19.99!! Since I have never had a scorp I decided that I had to pick it up. I also have a few questions, what is another good beginner scorp species? Is this species communal?(the store just got another one). If they are communal how many can I put in a five or ten gallon tank? I also found a pic of a red scorp the other day online but I cannot find the pic again for the life of me so if anyone knows of red scorps let me know. I have been collecting T's for about a year now so this may be the begining of a new obsesion. I guess thats it for now so here are a few pics.

 

[Div1nE]

change its substrate to around 70/30 sand and peatmoss ASAP.

 

[SpaceHawk]

Yeah, thats a desert species. They like to burrow in the sand, and they don't do well with high humidity. They are pretty easy to keep though. E-mail Darrin at www.goldenphoenixexotica.com, he has a ton of the best info on keeping this species. Even though they are a desert species and need a higher heat, try to cycle it and give them a cooling period (do the four seasons). I have heard that this really helps to maintain this species, but still e-mail Darrin for good info, he really knows his stuff on these guys.

 

[Raan_Jodus]

5 inches of sand/peat will make him feel much more at home. Also in the near future if you find a larger tank, that might be nice for him. I feel its nice to let a species like this roam some. Mine is in a 10 gallon, and sometimes i feel like its too small for him.

But its a beaut of a specimen. You'll love him. Once you get him some sand, he'll burrow for hte day usually, and then he'll be out as soon as the lights out. All nite long digging, tons of fun

enjoy and welcome to the addiction.

 

[siucfi]

Originally I was gonna put the sand and peat mix in but the only sand Lowes had was a 60LB bag, and the stuff at the pet store was ten bucks a bag! The stuff that's in there now is BONE dry. So far he has been digging and hiding pretty well. I am still wondering if these guys are communal? Well keep the tips comin I can use as much as possible. Thanks for the help.

 

[edesign]

i put mine in a 10g aquarium and bought a 50 pound bag of play sand at Home Depot for $3...I put about 40 pounds of it in the tank and he has used every bit of it almost lol. The whole bag wouldn't have been a bad idea, just makes for a VERY heavy tank. Change his substrate even if he's hiding well in that one...i mixed mine about 80/20 sand/peat (couple pound bag of peat for $2...just make sure it's pure peat and has no fertilizer or anything in it, no miracle grow, blah blah).

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=38316&highlight=arizonensis+burrow

i have some pics of my tank in that thread...also showing how much they burrow. The picture with the yellow line tracing his burrow is a bit outdated...it has now burrowed from that last point to the back of the tank, cut back to the left again til about halfway across...and then burrowed to the center of the tank and has made a 3-4" cavern where it currently resides lol. Well over a four foot long burrow...which is why I too recommend giving it a much larger enclosure and putting as much sand in there as you can. Just be sure it's not so much they can climb out of the tank, although they will move mounds of sand...think of them as little bulldozers

very good deal on the scorp too! congrats!

 

[edesign]

oh...as for communal, you're going to get varied answers...boils down to if you want to risk losing one. Some have kept two in the same 10g tank but you MUST keep them well fed and close to the same size as each other...and even then it's not guaranteed. In general they are not communal, not like say Centuroides or Vaejovis'...

 

[siucfi]

Thanks for the help, I will have to look into a ten gallon and pick up some sand. My last question was in regards to a red scorp? If anyone knows of one let me know.

 

[edesign]

try these sites as they offer care sheets and should have pics to go along with:

http://www.visualadvance.com/invertcare/ (in the drop down menu, click on "common names" to lose the scientific names...i didn't see a "red claw" in there though. that is the problem with common names, leaves WAY too much to the discretion of the dealer. Best bet is to learn scientific names, you'll learn them a lot faster than you think)

http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/scorpions.html

http://centralpets.com/pages/insects/scorpions.shtml

i've heard the name before I just can't recall what species it may have been...might try the search engine here on the forum as well, tons of good info there too (upper right hand corner, small bold text)

 

[knottyduke]

You took some very good photos there!!!

I don't think I need to say anything else that is not already covered, but I had to say something about the pictures!! :razz:

 

[siucfi]

You took some very good photos there!!!

I don't think I need to say anything else that is not already covered, but I had to say something about the pictures!! :razz:

Thanks for the compliment and edesign the links were a huge help thanks.

 

[redhourglass]

Hello all,

Darrin is active on the email based yahoo groups for several years. There is no need to email him directly with captivity questions about Hadrurus. Simply join the list provided below and he will respond at his hearts content.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scorpionfans/

Best Wishes,

Sinc. Chad

Yeah, thats a desert species. They like to burrow in the sand, and they don't do well with high humidity. They are pretty easy to keep though. E-mail Darrin at www.goldenphoenixexotica.com, he has a ton of the best info on keeping this species. Even though they are a desert species and need a higher heat, try to cycle it and give them a cooling period (do the four seasons). I have heard that this really helps to maintain this species, but still e-mail Darrin for good info, he really knows his stuff on these guys.

 

[Brian S]

Is this the red scorp you was talking about?

 

[edesign]

chocolate clawed mine were heat bathing earlier...3 out of the 5 anyway

 

[siucfi]

Is this the red scorp you was talking about?

I believe that's the one, I also saw a pick of a "red claw" that may it as well, none the less thanks for the pic. I am still looking for sand and Mike jacobi (spider shoppe) told me I could find decorative sand at Lowes. Well since its winter in southern illinois stores don't have much in their garden centers I also tried tried walmart. The only thing I can find is a 60LB bag of playground sand and I dont need 60LB's! So if anyone has any other ideas where to get sand for scorp substrate please let me know. Thanks for the input you guys have been a great help.

 

[Div1nE]

i got like a 50LB bag of play sand from home depot for $2 or something like that....

i know michaels has colored sand....but its like $1.50 for 1 1/2 lbs......

there is also a third type of sand you can use, called "silica sand"

it's a finer type sand, almost white colored. these would contrast well with darker colored scorpions.

 

[siucfi]

On that note I will have to check out hobby lobby. They have the stuff at the pet store but its the exo terra brand and costs ten bucks a bag. Anway thanks for the help.

 

[edesign]

it's cheap enough that if you don't need the rest just throw it out...i have about 5 pounds left in my bag and i just leave it sitting on the floor in the corner by the trash. Doesn't take up that much room...or throw it in the closet you will find a use for it (more scorps!)

 

[SpaceHawk]

My last question was in regards to a red scorp? If anyone knows of one let me know.

Red claws are not a red scorp though, not like B.Jacksoni is. They just have red claws, and sometimes a little red tint, but its not a red scorp.

 

[siucfi]

it's cheap enough that if you don't need the rest just throw it out...i have about 5 pounds left in my bag and i just leave it sitting on the floor in the corner by the trash. Doesn't take up that much room...or throw it in the closet you will find a use for it (more scorps!)

My girlfriend will kill me if I get anymore scorps. I have 9 T's and 3 snakes, she almost killed me when I came home with this scorp. Well thanks for all the help guys. Is the b.jacksoni sp? a good beginner species? Based on looks I'm sold!