P. trans breeding project

[Reitz]

I've been wanting to do this for a while, so I figure I might as well start planning.

I want to introduce two adult P. trans into a 10 gallon tank with 6 or so hides. Will it work? I remember someone else keeping them communally in the past (Ed? Dave?), but couldn't find the post. Did it work? They would, of course, be a breeding pair, so that might make a difference.

Also, do you think I could keep them together throughout the entire process? Will the female drop her young with the male in the tank?

Finally (for now), what do you think about a false bottom? How humid do you keep them, and how deep do they burrow? If they're going to dig for humidity I'd be tempted to add the false bottom, if they're only going to use scrapes (which I've heard they tend to do) I won't worry about it.

Thanks ahead of time,
Chris

 

[CID143ti]

Reitz,

I just started my P. trans breeding project about a week ago. They are getting along fine. No fights. I observed the pair dancing almost instantly. They male spent about an hour trying to coax her into a acceptable area for breeding.

I'm keeping my pair in a 10 gallon. I am using 70% sand, 20% peat, and 10% Central Texas soil (red clay/sand). They have about 5" of soil to burrow. Humidity is about 50% or so at night and it drops to about 30% during the day. They haven't burrowed. They have choose to stay under the cork bark that I have provided. The female was introduced about 3 weeks ago and she hasn't even attempted to burrow. Well, I have had her since March and she didn't burrow in the container that I originally housed her. She preferred to use the above ground hides. I am using a gravel bottom and have added water once.

I don't plan on removing the male. I think they will be okay together...but this is my first time to try to breed Parabuthus.

Today, I started my P. leiosoma breeding project and I noticed similar behavior. The female was introduced a couple of weeks ago and has not burrowed. Again, she is using the cork bark as a hide. The male instantly ran to her and tried to get coax her onto the cork bark. They gave up about an half an hour into the mating for some roaming crickets. They are currently under the same hide.

Hope that helps,

W. Smith

 

[Kugellager]

I would not recommend the false-bottom humidification method for desert species. As CID stated they are a low humidity desert/savannah species. Just have a small water dish for them that you fill once a week and all should be fine. I have witnessed P.transvaalicus drinking from a water dish.

IMO I would remove the male from the female's enclosure after I witnessed a sucessful mating as it would prevent any injury to either scorp. These guys don't mess around if they feel threatened by the other and either is capable of doing serious injury to the other if they wish.

John
];')

 

[Reitz]

It looks as though the pair is coming this weekend--though my fingers are crossed as sometimes these things don't work out.

I read over Dave's post, and though he separated the two when the female sealed herself off in her burrow, from what I read it sounds like they never actually fought (or at least he didn't see it). Dave, I realize I'm talking for you here, so please feel free to correct me. At any rate, I think I'm going to house the two together indefinitly--that is, till I see aggression.

I've decided not to use the false bottom, since it sounds like they don't really burrow anyway, though I'm still going to have 2 hides on either side of the tank, one being warmer, the other cooler. A cactus also might be nice . I think that's about it for now. How does this sound to everyone? My safety precautions include a clamped lid, goggles (though I have glasses), and a 2 inch layer of vaseline around the top of the tank, just in case one of them finds some remarkable way of climbing to the top of a 10 gallon tank (impossible, I know, esp since the lid is wire mesh, but still).

Any other recomendations?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Eurypterid]

Sounds good. A little paranoia when dealing with hot animals isn't bad. It's a lot easier to take a few extra precautions than it is to deal with the fallout if one ever does get loose. Good luck with the project!

Gary

 

[Reitz]

I'll post an update here just incase anyone is thinking of doing something similar in the future:

As I said in another post, the two moved in together. The male is much larger than the female (he's about 3.5-3.75 inches while she's 3), though this hasn't been a problem so far (*knocks on wood*).

The female is out exploring as soon as the lights go out. She digs, checks the walls for weakness, digs some more, etc. At the slightest sound, however, she races back to the burrow--people have told me that this is a relatively slow sp, but trust me, she can move faster than my C. gracilis when she wants to. The male is a lot more laid back. He'll come out at night, check the perimiter, and then sit outside waiting for food.

When they bump into eachother they used to dance (or fight, who knows), but that's stopped. If the female approaches the male he won't even flinch. She can walk all over him for all he cares. If the male bumps into the female she usually runs, though everything scares her, so it's not suprising. If anyone wants pics of the tank just ask, though it's fairly straight forward; 10 gallon, 6 inches of substrate on one side down to 2 on the other. 2 burrows built into the slope, one on top and one at the bottom. Water dish and soon perhaps a cactus. On the higher end I keep the bottom 2 inches of substrate damp using a straw. This way the deeper they burrow into the side of the "hill" the more humid it gets.

Chris

 

[Reitz]

A couple of people have PMed me about keeping P. trans communally so I thought I'd post an update.

Basically everything's the same. They still live together in the same burrow, despite my attempts to re-arrange it in a manner that would allow each to have a private home. The female has gotten fat. I don't want to say she's gravid yet, as she's still only about 3 inches. But who knows, maybe she's a runt.

I've actually found the female to be much more active despite what current literature states about the males being nomadic. He stays at home while she wanders the tank all night. This may be due to the fact that she's not yet an adult, but again, that's still in question.

Hope this proves useful,
Chris

 

[zoobugs]

Chris,
I just had transvaals born about a month ago so this bit of info may help. I originally had 8 transvaals in a 40 gal tank, they lived together peacefully until one of the females became gravid. Once she was getting close to birthing, she killed all of the rest of the other scorps except one lone male, presumably the father, and holed herself up in a burrow. I never saw her out at night for a long while, (about two months), saw the male out hunting, but never her. I assumed she had died somewhere in the tank. Besides keeping a water dish within the tank, I spray water into the tank at about 2 week intervals to simulate a rain shower. I drench the soil to about an inch in depth. Now even though I realize that this species is a desert one, rainfall will often stimulate females to give birth. About one day after one of my rain showers, I checked the tank at night and saw 2nd instars running about. I collected all of the instars and located the female, along with the male, and had 62 born. Both adults were kept in the tank together, and so as to not destroy the burrow system in the tank, it took me about a week to finally capture all of the little guys. Sure, some may have been eaten by the father but I couldn't tell and with 62 babies, I figured that was a decent sized litter. For temps, I kept the surface of the sand at around 100F. I have never checked on any of the temps in the many burrows there are but I'm sure it is a few degrees less. If you have any more Q's, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Wolvie56X]

i have a male and female, not living together, and they are pretty aggressive, i dont know how well mine would do together, also the female is gravid anyways, but both burrowed in the same exact place in their seperate tanks, away from the heat source under their flat slate like water dish, mine are both pretty big, both over 4", but what an awesome scorp to watch eat, the females burrow is down and close enough to the glass, i can see in and watch her, last night a cricket decided to fo spelunking, caving hehe, and she had a fat meal

Wolvie

 

[Reitz]

That's interesting Jim,

I don't really know what's going on with mine. At 3 and 3.5 inches I assumed they were both sub-adults. But strangely enough I have seen them mate (or at least the male try to mate). The female has gotten fat, but I'm just going to assume that she's just a big eater.

I'll keep an eye out for signs of pregnancy, but I'm expecting a molt well before then,

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Drosera123]

I can't seem to find sexed specimens of P. transvaalicus. Am I looking in all the wrong places or should I buy a few and sex them myself?
Steve

 

[Kugellager]

I can't seem to find sexed specimens of P. transvaalicus. Am I looking in all the wrong places or should I buy a few and sex them myself?
Steve

You could always ask for photos of the scorpions first and hope they send you the ones you want...

John
];')

 

[Reitz]

This might be inappropriate (if so, mods go ahead and cut it) but I got mine from Vince at Regals. And he did a great job. However, P. trans, despite it's seeming prevalance, can be hard to find. I'd say take what you can get and sex them yourself. Males tend to be more common, so if you've got the cash buy 4 and hope for a female. Or, as John said, ask for pics. They're very easy to sex (if you're not sure post the pics and we'll do it!)

Good luck,
Chris

 

[Reitz]

Another follow-up, again, just in case anyone is planning a P. trans project,

The female molted successfully, in the same burrow as the male. I hadn't fed them in two weeks because they were getting a little fat, but then she molted, so I waited another week. The male never bothered her.

Again, just an update,
Chris

 

[darrelldlc]

P. trans molt.

Hey, did your female burrow and then close off the burrow before the molt? I have separated my male and female after observing some aggression from the female. She was agressively eating and then after about a week just burrowed in the substrate down to the glass and shut off the entrance. I assumed she was approaching a molt. Just wanting to be sure. Thanks for any advice.
Cordially,
DLC.

 

[Wolvie56X]

my female is burrowed down under her water dish along the glass, i can see her in there, but shes still eating but doesnt leave the burrow, the dumb crickets like dark areas haha kinda like ordering a pizza, 30 minutes or less and shes eating

my male hides under his water dish but doesnt burrow, just cleans out a small spot under his dish, how often will they molt? mine are about 3-4"

Wolvie

 

[Reitz]

Darrelldlc--

Sort of. She tried to close off the burrow, but the male kept going in and out so she never succeeded entirely.

She was never aggressive, however.

Chris