Old Flat rock scorpion from pet shop -- rough shape

[Cecropia1999]

I recently stumbled across this Flat Rock Scorpion at a pet store. It was being kept in a glass aquarium tank with sand and no hide.

It did not look healthy, so I bought it and have been trying to nurse it back to health. Its telson was completely covered in feces to the point where it could no longer move it. I used a wet cutip to remove the feces and that seems to have restored movement. It also seems extremely sluggish, but I have been warming it up and it is moving around more.

The one issue I am not sure about is that it has absolutely no movement in its right claw...as in its right claw is stuck opened. I cannot even close it with my fingers. Seems to be something lodged between the pincers and honestly looks like a scab as nothing happens when I dabble water on it. Maybe a foreign object? Does anyone know what this is or how to remove it???

I have almost no information as to how old the scorpion is or to how long it was for sale, but it looks to be quite old due to the size and the lack of availability in the hobby.

Let me know what you think regarding how to fix its right claw of anything can be done at all.

 

[MorbidArachnid]

Insanely lucky find! Let's hope she pulls through. Claw looks like it could be scabbed over from an injury, you can try the wet qtip method to see if it's just something stuck on that can be soaked off, but I wouldnt scrape at it too hard. Hydration is absolutely paramount as she is likely to be very dehydrated from stress and neglect, I would use a blunt-tip syringe, dropper, or a wet paintbrush to try to induce her to drink. Putting a droplet of water on their chelicerae usually gets them to start taking water, I also cut up some feeders in the water before I offer it to give them a bit extra and encourage them to take water. Some people use diluted honey or sugar water, but I've never really been convinced as to it's applicability for scorpions. I know jumping spiders and mantises might occasionally sip nectar or fruit but obligate carnivores are not going to really need a ton of sugar, and as far as I know scorpions are not known to scavenge fruit. Keeping her warm will also do a lot, really glad you're looking out for her! They can live a very long time but obviously it's really hard to say how old she is and what her health is like currently.

 

[Cecropia1999]

Insanely lucky find! Let's hope she pulls through. Claw looks like it could be scabbed over from an injury, you can try the wet qtip method to see if it's just something stuck on that can be soaked off, but I wouldnt scrape at it too hard. Hydration is absolutely paramount as she is likely to be very dehydrated from stress and neglect, I would use a blunt-tip syringe, dropper, or a wet paintbrush to try to induce her to drink. Putting a droplet of water on their chelicerae usually gets them to start taking water, I also cut up some feeders in the water before I offer it to give them a bit extra and encourage them to take water. Some people use diluted honey or sugar water, but I've never really been convinced as to it's applicability for scorpions. I know jumping spiders and mantises might occasionally sip nectar or fruit but obligate carnivores are not going to really need a ton of sugar, and as far as I know scorpions are not known to scavenge fruit. Keeping her warm will also do a lot, really glad you're looking out for her! They can live a very long time but obviously it's really hard to say how old she is and what her health is like currently.

Thanks. Dabbled water on the chelicerae and it did drink. Seems to have perked up considerably since being placed in the warmth.

 

[Glorfindel]

thankyou for taking in and caring for this lovely scorpion, your efforts are appreciated.

 

[Diao]

Unbelievable find, contrats! You're doing everything right to help her out; providing proper heat (and maybe a bit extra in a basking spot), offering water and assisting drinking, cleaning any debris that could be causing an issue, and finally offering pre-killed food items. If she is sick, offering the food is going to be of lowest priority, and offering heat and water the highest. There is every chance this big gal is a couple decades old, so she could very well just be getting close to being on her way out. These were usually WC as adults all the time back in the day (babies, juvies, and sub-adults came in too, but not nearly as often or as many as the adults), but I couldn't tell you how many years its been since there was an import of these. Not to mention the years and years it takes for them to grow to maturity like this one in the first place. If she continues following the this path of mending, then your next priority should definitely to be going on the lookout for a male ASAP. Breeding these guys is super important right now if we want them to survive in the hobby. Some native populations were absolutely decimated by WC exporting, then you combine that with habitat loss, long gestation periods and then glacial growth rates on top of all that make this guys super vulnerable to disappearing all together if we're not careful.

Fingers crossed she continues to improve, keep us updated!

 

[parabuthus]

Goodluck! This was the second species I ever kept, back in the day!