Parabuthus Transvaalicus and Schlechteri Care

[ChiefinOnSomeSkunk]

Hello all,

I am fairly new to the forums, but I am not new to keeping scorpions and tarantulas. However one species that I am not very familiar with (care wise) is the Parabuthus species. I have kept many Androctonus fat tail species and decided why not venture over to the Parabuthus thick tail side? I do only enjoy keeping HOT species and this species seems to have a mixture of substrate opinions. Some sites and individuals say to only use sand while others say to use a ratio mix of sand or clay and coconut fiber. If I can get more information on the substrate and burrowing I will be greatly appreciative of this information. If you have any other great tips and tricks for care I would love to hear them as well. I like to get as much information as I can about my scorpions before jumping into the species.

- Stephen

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Parabuthus naturally burrow in the wild in fact their heavy cauda is adapted for burrowing into semi consolidated soils however some species are psammophilous. I would not give them a burrowable soil until they are 1.5"-2" in length. Up til that you can keep them on sand or sand mixed with dried coconut coir. The reason up til the fifth instar Parabuthus benefit from light misting 1-2 times a month just mist one wall of their enclosures but basically keep the substrate dry.

Parabuthus are simply awesome and quite active even as adults. Aggressive feeding responses no matter their instar or fully mature.

Day temps 85F-95F

 

[ChiefinOnSomeSkunk]

Parabuthus naturally burrow in the wild in fact their heavy cauda is adapted for burrowing into semi consolidated soils however some species are psammophilous. I would not give them a burrowable soil until they are 1.5"-2" in length. Up til that you can keep them on sand or sand mixed with dried coconut coir. The reason up til the fifth instar Parabuthus benefit from light misting 1-2 times a month just mist one wall of their enclosures but basically keep the substrate dry.

Parabuthus are simply awesome and quite active even as adults. Aggressive feeding responses no matter their instar or fully mature.

Day temps 85F-95F

Thank you for the reply. I recently had acquired two for a great price. The P. Schlechteri is a 5I and the P. Transvaalicus is a 3i. The information you gave is very helpful and I am excited to begin setting up their tanks since they will be arriving tomorrow at 12pm. One extra thing I need to get tomorrow for sure is more heat mats! Running out of space haha.

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Thank you for the reply. I recently had acquired two for a great price. The P. Schlechteri is a 5I and the P. Transvaalicus is a 3i. The information you gave is very helpful and I am excited to begin setting up their tanks since they will be arriving tomorrow at 12pm. One extra thing I need to get tomorrow for sure is more heat mats! Running out of space haha.

A CHE or heat lamp would be a better choice but also requires a thermostat. Heat mats were made for reptiles and incapable of raising the ambient temperatures inside the enclosure adequately in fact they simply do a piss poor job of it especially for semi-arid and arid species that require additional heat compared to a forest species.
View attachment Video.Guru_20210324_235754512.mp4

 

[AkaManto]

hey you seem to know alot, i was just wondering whether i should use a heat mat or heat lamp if i were to get a P. Schlechteri, if heat lamp is the way to go would you have any recommendations, thanks.

 

[Dry Desert]

A CHE or heat lamp would be a better choice but also requires a thermostat. Heat mats were made for reptiles and incapable of raising the ambient temperatures inside the enclosure adequately in fact they simply do a piss poor job of it especially for semi-arid and arid species that require additional heat compared to a forest species.
View attachment 379845

Incorrect.

Heat mats were initially designed for inverts and similar smaller species - hence the low wattage range.

Reptile keepers would never use heat mats as warmth produced only travels for an inch or so from the mat.

Reason many invert keepers use larger heat mats and place several containers on the mat in a 50/50 style.

I don't know where your information comes from, probably not able to cut and paste for this subject.!!

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Incorrect.

Heat mats were initially designed for inverts and similar smaller species - hence the low wattage range.

Reptile keepers would never use heat mats as warmth produced only travels for an inch or so from the mat.

Reason many invert keepers use larger heat mats and place several containers on the mat in a 50/50 style.

I don't know where your information comes from, probably not able to cut and paste for this subject.!!

Heat mats were made for reptiles and amphibians to recreate UTH basking spots for both snakes and lizards NOT to heat the whole air of the terrarium (especially taller well-ventilated ones) like a lamp is designed to do.

Under Tank Heaters

Undertank heater - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

hey you seem to know alot, i was just wondering whether i should use a heat mat or heat lamp if i were to get a P. Schlechteri, if heat lamp is the way to go would you have any recommendations, thanks.

I would recommend CHE or red bulb heat lamps with a thermostat of course. CHE requires a pulse proportional thermostat and red bulb heat lamps requires a dimming thermostat. A perfect daytime temperature gradient is 85F-95F.

 

[Dry Desert]

Heat mats were made for reptiles and amphibians to recreate UTH basking spots for both snakes and lizards NOT to heat the whole air of the terrarium (especially taller well-ventilated ones) like a lamp is designed to do.

Under Tank Heaters

Undertank heater - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

" Heat mats are a flat piece of metal and plastic used to heat, even fish tanks ".

I've seen it all now.

Wikipedia, another American "cut and paster" from other sources, many unreliable.

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

" Heat mats are a flat piece of metal and plastic used to heat, even fish tanks ".

I've seen it all now.

Wikipedia, another American "cut and paster" from other sources, many unreliable.

You are looking quite laughable now. BTW, just how familiar are you with the reptile and amphibian pet trade? Have you ever seen a snake rack and reptile incubators in your life?

Maybe Google can help you?

Google Search

 

[Dry Desert]

You are looking quite laughable now. BTW, just how familiar are you with the reptile and amphibian pet trade? Have you ever seen a snake rack and reptile incubators in your life?

Maybe Google can help you?

Google Search

Regarding my reptile experience, bit involved really, but I think it started early teens when we used to see how many sand lizards, green lizards and slow worms we could catch in a day, count them up then release at the end of day.

Then in '79 catching and studying the various scorpion species in the Middle East, fot 10 years.

I am 76 now and still keep a few low maintenance species.
No need for Google, mine is first hand experience, mine and others like me that have been doing it for a looong time

Heat mats are used for hatchling snakes and hatchling Leopard Geckos in " reptile battery farming " where row after row of racks are stacked floor to ceiling..

Other than battery breeders, that do it for ease and low maintenance reasons, no serious reptile or amphibian keeper keep creatures that way.

Obviously you have not witnessed the many cases of serious belly burns and scarring on snakes and heavy lizards due to thermal blocking using heat mats, where the creature is too cold to move off the mat and gets burnt.

I have often wondered why overhead ceramic reptile radiators are so popular to the extent that they are becoming very hard to source now.

Also why there is such a bouyant market for ceramic heater wire guards used in reptile keeping, and why many quality vivariums for reptiles now come with overhead fixings.

I'm talking quality European products and reptile keeping, not the half cock ways some countries seem to use.

Keep " cutting and pasting" my friend, you'll be fine.

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Regarding my reptile experience, bit involved really, but I think it started early teens when we used to see how many sand lizards, green lizards and slow worms we could catch in a day, count them up then release at the end of day.

Then in '79 catching and studying the various scorpion species in the Middle East, fot 10 years.

I am 76 now and still keep a few low maintenance species.
No need for Google, mine is first hand experience, mine and others like me that have been doing it for a looong time

Heat mats are used for hatchling snakes and hatchling Leopard Geckos in " reptile battery farming " where row after row of racks are stacked floor to ceiling..

Other than battery breeders, that do it for ease and low maintenance reasons, no serious reptile or amphibian keeper keep creatures that way.

Obviously you have not witnessed the many cases of serious belly burns and scarring on snakes and heavy lizards due to thermal blocking using heat mats, where the creature is too cold to move off the mat and gets burnt.

I have often wondered why overhead ceramic reptile radiators are so popular to the extent that they are becoming very hard to source now.

Also why there is such a bouyant market for ceramic heater wire guards used in reptile keeping, and why many quality vivariums for reptiles now come with overhead fixings.

I'm talking quality European products and reptile keeping, not the half cock ways some countries seem to use.

Keep " cutting and pasting" my friend, you'll be fine.

I am not advocating their use at all but they are made for the reptile and amphibian pet trade nonetheless. They are supposed to be used with a thermostat to prevent overheating and avoid injuring your pet. But I would never use them. Since when have UTH ever been sold with under the label this product is strictly "for invertebrates only". Your argument is silly. Absolutely silly. And in regards to scorpions especially, UTHs are crap they fail to get the job done best suited for small tanks of small depth with low to zero ventilation. Also, scorpions burrow to escape heat and thermoregulate rendering the UTH design absolutely worthless that has to be mounted on the side of the terrarium yet it will never produce enough heat to properly raise the air temperature in the terrarium afterall it is only designed to create a warm (basking) area. This is an invertebrates only product, right?!

All of your posts in this thread have been nonsense absolute rubbish. 100% moot point.

 

[ScorpionEvo687]

Parabuthus naturally burrow in the wild in fact their heavy cauda is adapted for burrowing into semi consolidated soils however some species are psammophilous. I would not give them a burrowable soil until they are 1.5"-2" in length. Up til that you can keep them on sand or sand mixed with dried coconut coir. The reason up til the fifth instar Parabuthus benefit from light misting 1-2 times a month just mist one wall of their enclosures but basically keep the substrate dry.

Parabuthus are simply awesome and quite active even as adults. Aggressive feeding responses no matter their instar or fully mature.

Day temps 85F-95F

Would a Parabuthus be easier to take care of than a DHS in any way? The dealer I bought my DHS from, one that died, still has a P. villosus in stock. Adult individual. How much burrowing do they do? More or less than a DHS? I'll probably ultimately end up just getting another DHS, but I wouldn't rule the villosus out.

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Would a Parabuthus be easier to take care of than a DHS in any way? The dealer I bought my DHS from, one that died, still has a P. villosus in stock. Adult individual. How much burrowing do they do? More or less than a DHS? I'll probably ultimately end up just getting another DHS, but I wouldn't rule the villosus out.

They will burrow but not near as much as a DHS will. Keep between 85F-95F daytime gradient. Two hides at each end. Easy, hardy species to keep.

 

[ScorpionEvo687]

They will burrow but not near as much as a DHS will. Keep between 85F-95F daytime gradient. Two hides at each end. Easy, hardy species to keep.

Basically just don't stick your hands in front of the scorp since it's a Parabuthus. Good to hear they aren't too difficult to care for though.

 

[bjjpokemon910]

" Heat mats are a flat piece of metal and plastic used to heat, even fish tanks ".

I've seen it all now.

Wikipedia, another American "cut and paster" from other sources, many unreliable.

Bro you stay coming for people dawg, aint nobody bothering you. You log on to this website wanting the smoke. ''Another American" Son you what are you tryna say frfr

 

[bjjpokemon910]

I am not advocating their use at all but they are made for the reptile and amphibian pet trade nonetheless. They are supposed to be used with a thermostat to prevent overheating and avoid injuring your pet. But I would never use them. Since when have UTH ever been sold with under the label this product is strictly "for invertebrates only". Your argument is silly. Absolutely silly. And in regards to scorpions especially, UTHs are crap they fail to get the job done best suited for small tanks of small depth with low to zero ventilation. Also, scorpions burrow to escape heat and thermoregulate rendering the UTH design absolutely worthless that has to be mounted on the side of the terrarium yet it will never produce enough heat to properly raise the air temperature in the terrarium afterall it is only designed to create a warm (basking) area. This is an invertebrates only product, right?!

All of your posts in this thread have been nonsense absolute rubbish. 100% moot point.

Bro facts