paruroctonus boreus TERRIFIED by its food

samantha

Arachnopeon
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Jul 21, 2007
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OK, so I caught a northern scorpion in eastern Washington, and I still need some guidance. I was sure it had eaten a meal moth I put in with it last week.

Now I'm wondering. The meal moth seemed 'empty' when i removed it, but I didn't see any actual feeding. Last night I put a tiny earwig (about 1/2 the scorpion's size) in with the scorpion. The scorpion was sitting on top of the irregularly-shaped rock I put in for it to hide under. The earwig was wandering all over the jar trying to find a way out. Then it bumped into the scorpion and the scorpion freaked out and did the same thing: frantically wandered around and attempted to climb the glass wall of the jar. every time they met the scorpion freaked. it didn't for a second seem to percieve the earwig to be a food source. I removed the earwig because if not giving the scorpion a hide was stressful to it, this earwig must've just about put it into cardiac arrest.

Also, my scorpion is so small, about this long [-------------] with its tail curled up. not sure what kind of 'bowl' i could use to give it water. can i just put a wet chunk of paper towel in with it?

I must say that watching it run around in the blacklight was a trip.
 

looper

Arachnosquire
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Also, my scorpion is so small, about this long [-------------] with its tail curled up. not sure what kind of 'bowl' i could use to give it water. can i just put a wet chunk of paper towel in with it?
not too sure about the papre towel business try a bottle cap or some thing to that size i would suggest.
 

JLDomestics

Arachnoknight
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Maybe just let it settle in for a week or so before you try feeding it again. I went out last night with the blacklights and seen about 100 of these guys. Didn't keep any but I did keep a large solifugid which scared the crap out of me.
 

Mr. Mordax

Arachnoking
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It may be approaching a molt. As for the water, I'm not familiar with how dry its natural habitat is, but the bottle cap suggestion is a good one. Paper towels or sponges are breeding grounds for bacteria unless changed very frequently. Also, the risk of scorps drowning in a water dish is negligible if they have any way to climb out -- some species even like going in for a bath, including completely submerging themselves.
 

Crono

Arachnobaron
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It may be that the scorpion would not normally prey on an earwig. Try another prey item.
Or you could just have a wimpy scorpion. The Vaejovis sp. I have do the same thing everytime I put prey with them, but the prey is usually gone by morning.
 

Canth

Arachnolord
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It could just be not hungry. Or is that too obvious?
 

Rigelus

Arachnoknight
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Sam
A lot of scorpions will go off their food now and again and it doesn't have to be in connection with birthing or moulting.

For example theres not many scorpions that'll dig into a hearty meal if they have recently been relocated....it's like they lose their appetite until they have had time to re-established their bearings.

Or as Canth said....it could simply not be hungry.

Even though scorpions are predators they are not generally kitted out with overtly confident personalities. It's totally normal for a scorpion to run away from something we had intended as a food item if that scorpion is "not in the mood"....

Don't worry about your scorpion Sam...it'll be just fine. If you've recreated it's natural enviroment (and given it a hide i hope;-) then just give it a couple of weeks to settle in. If's it's still of it's food (try Brians suggestion) then maybe it is approaching a moult...just keep offering food once a week and removing before the night period.....just in case!
 

JLDomestics

Arachnoknight
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I have found that these scorpions tend to die if given too moist of a habitat.
 

samantha

Arachnopeon
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Jul 21, 2007
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These are awesome posts, guys! Yay! Thanks so much!

Between my last post and now I went to petco and bought a bag of "small" crickets that are nevertheless bigger than my scorpion. I don't want to start an argument but I felt bad doing this as I only feel OK about killing animals I feel I really should kill anyway (I also felt bad about the earwig, but not the meal moth). Anyway, I put the smallest one in (probably a micron smaller than my scorpion) and... same thing. After they've been in together for a couple hours, the scorpion has receded deep into its hide and the cricket is hanging out just outside the 'entrance' with impunity.

BTW: while at petco I saw a few emperor scorpions for $14. OH MY GOD ! ! Those things could eat my scorpion in one bite!

JLD- do you need a really powerful portable blacklight to see them outside at night? I have a pocket light, and I'm going back out east to contest a ticket soon. :( {D

Thanks again for the input everybody!
 

Mr. Mordax

Arachnoking
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Well, that settles it. Your scorpion isn't hungry. :)

Feeder crickets tend to die in a day or too unless kept in just the right conditions (in my experience, anyway), so if you have somewhere damp with a hidey-hole and some veggies they'll last a few days longer.

And you think Emperors are big? Check this guy out: (hope this isn't too OT)
 

samantha

Arachnopeon
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Jul 21, 2007
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Well, that settles it. Your scorpion isn't hungry. :)
At least not until this morning! I woke up to see him almost done eating (not just sucking on like a spider) the cricket! Yay!

Feeder crickets tend to die in a day or too unless kept in just the right conditions (in my experience, anyway), so if you have somewhere damp with a hidey-hole and some veggies they'll last a few days longer.
I bought a bag of 12. Is there any way I could just breed crickets from this bag by putting them in a terrarium of their own? Or do they purposely give only males so you don't do that?

And you think Emperors are big? Check this guy out: (hope this isn't too OT)
That thing is unbelievable. Kinda takes the neatness away from mine, other than that I found it semi-locally.

BTW: I'm disappointed in my Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Arachnids: I doesn't even mention the Northern Scorpion!
 

JLDomestics

Arachnoknight
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You don't need a very powerful light at all to see them at night when it is pitch black. They stand out real nice and it's pretty hard to miss them actually. Depending where you go watch out for cliffs, and I wouldn't go by yourself because it's too easy to walk right off a cliff to your death at night when you scanning the ground with your blacklight. Plus whenever I go by myself it's always freaky out there at night alone away from people, so keep that in mind too. And if you bought small crickets they are still immature to sex properly and you probably have a mxture of males and females. And you should feed your scorpions at night or just before you goto bed because that's the only time Ive ever seen them eat.
 

Mr. Mordax

Arachnoking
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Breeding crickets has always been a pain for me, anyway. The first instars are freakishly small and I can never keep them from dying. If you want to breed feeders I'd suggest roaches -- but they'll give you more food than you need if you only have one scorpion. (hint, hint, get more scorps :razz:)

Don't let your scorpion feel any less neat! :eek: I just wanted to show how big some species can get. Native scorps are always cool (I've got a little U. mordax that was caught near Eugene).

Anywho, I'm glad your scorpion finally ate. Huzzah! :D

Edit: Now I remembered what I wanted to say! Mature crickets have wings instead of those tiny wing buds that the immatures have, and the females have a long black doo-dad sticking out their rear they use to lay eggs (ovipositor). Males are the ones that chirp. If you try breeding crickets you need a damp substrate for them to lay eggs.
 
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