Please Help ASAP Liocheles waigiensis problems :(!

[Justblayzee]

Hello everyone today i received a male & female Liocheles waigiensis (Northern rainforest scorpion) Which cost me $65 for both.
I put them in there tank which is very big with about 4 hides, as soon as i got them the male ran to his hide for about 5 hours & the female sat around doing nothing, i decided to pick her up just to feel what it's like as these are my first scorpion but ever since then she hasn't moved very much at all. She's not in her hide & has had the cricket sit on her for about 5 seconds then decided to move her claw & then hasn't moved since it's been about 5 hours of no movement i decided to see if she's alive by just putting my finger near her & she moved the slightest bit were as the male is active as anything such as Running around exploring, trying to climb the glass, climbing his fake tree & has lapped his tank about 20 times. Is there something wrong with the female? I've had absolutely no help from the guy i bought them from even though he claims he has been doing it for 30 years. They have't had any water drinks of water yet either . Also if anyone could give me any tips on keeping them like feedings what size crickets & such.
Thanks is advance.
Blayze.

 

[Keister]

Do you have them under any sort of heat lamp at all? If they are cold they become very lazy and inactive. This may be your problem but I am not positive. It could also be alot of stress from shipping. Crickets are all based off the size of each scorpion. My rule of thumb is that the cricket should be no larger then the body of the scorpion. I personally would try a heat lamp if you don't have one and see what that does for you. Give us some updates too if you get the chance.

 

[Justblayzee]

Thank you. Where do i go about getting a heat lamp being it's Queensland its usually 30degrees Celsius which is very hot.
Should i just use a red lamp?

 

[Keister]

I personally use a 60 watt night glow bulb in a 150 watt capable lamp so that the heat is more spread so its not so direct and so that it isn't very hot only about 80 to 85 degrees fahrenheit. As to where to get one in Queensland I have no clue, but I would try Ebay, if you have that in Queensland. If not I personally would just search it on the internet unless you have a local pet store, where they would most likely be found in the reptile section. Hope ths helps! Has she moved at all yet?

 

[Hornets inverts]

no need for any heating here, iva ebeen keeping liocheles for 8years now, never once needed to heat, even in winter. Remember, 99% of inverts for sale in australia are wildcaught which causes alot of stress with the shipping and they are of an unknown are and may be just about ready to cark it. Anyway what you described doesnt sound good, just leave them alone and check back later.

 

[Keister]

This is a very good point. Stress seems to be the most resonable conclusion at this point, so just leave them go and just check on them occasionally and see what is happening without entering their cage at all, because this may stir them up and only add additional stress.

 

[Justblayzee]

Thanks everyone! They're currently sitting in my lounge room as my tank is very, very heavy. But I'll move it to my room tomorrow so everyone will stop wanting to look at them & such. I bought some medium crickets today & last night the crickets that were in there kept rubbing there legs together making that annoying sound. Ill probably feed them in 2 days or so or is there. Strict first of one a week? Because I'll let the others go if that's the case don't paticualy want an animal to die for nothing. Thanks again.

 

[Michiel]

panic for nothing. This is normal behaviour for scorpions...give them some time to settle in.......When you meet a female somewhere, do you jump her, or do you date her a couple of times first????

 

[Justblayzee]

Well I usually jump on them haha, it's only because they're my first & cost me a fare bit of money. I thought this was normal just wanted to make sure & had no where to turn.

 

[Michiel]

Yeah, me too. I get a lot of black eyes, strange don't you think?

 

[Hornets inverts]

panic for nothing. This is normal behaviour for scorpions

Certainly not normal, i can say that much. Could be major stress, injury, old age. May recover, may not.

All you can do is wait, let us know how they go

 

[Michiel]

Hi Hornets,


you say: certainly not normal, and then you follow with "could be..." That's a bit of a contradiction don't you think?
Let me explain a bit more what I meant. The female's behaviour, sitting still in the open, letting crickets run over her...is a similar response you can get when you uncover a scorpion....Scorpion have a pigment in the median eyes that act like sunglasses, this pigment dissappears when it gradually becomes darker outside, enabling them to wander outside their hides. That's why scorpion hunting is more ideal on moonless nights.
Anyway, what I am trying to explain is that when scorpions are uncovered, and are in the full light all of the sudden, they will freeze for a few seconds to more seconds, and then run for cover. Mostly when you put scorpions in a new enclosure, they will run for cover immediately, but some end up in corner and then cuddle up.
Put on quality sunglasses, than look at the sun, and then remove the shades.....you'll pinch your eyes immediately, now imagine your reaction, but with eyes 10.000 times more sensitive.......

So based upon the limited information, I suspect the light and the new surroundings and other possible stressors might caused her behaviour and the behaviour to these stressors are not abnormal.

 

[Hornets inverts]

There was no contradiction, i said its not normal but gave a few idea's of what it could be.
Yes, as you said its normal for them to sit still then disturbed, they pretty much all do it. What he described though with the scorpion hardly moving when touched, from my experience with liocheles, is not normal for a healthy specimen, even immediatly after transit or collection. If you give them a prod they should take off like lightening or in 1 form i have came across, go stiff and play dead. I've kept hundreds of liocheles and what he described doesnt sound right

 

[Justblayzee]

So I thought it was bad so I just put the hide over her to get her out of the light. Since then she has moved & walked out of her hide & walked back in. I get the idea it's a stress thing, after being in a box with little mulch not much bigger then my size with a cricket & no air hole & being then put in a box getting kicked around & knocked I wouldn't paticuly be to active or happy either. I hope she recovers I have them in about a 70x40x45 tank with about 4" of peat moss so they have a lot of room & lots of food & a lot of water I hope they can adjust living in captivity after being in the wild. I wish there was a breeder so I know they wouldn't have to go through this.

 

[Michiel]

There was no contradiction, i said its not normal but gave a few idea's of what it could be.
Yes, as you said its normal for them to sit still then disturbed, they pretty much all do it. What he described though with the scorpion hardly moving when touched, from my experience with liocheles, is not normal for a healthy specimen, even immediatly after transit or collection. If you give them a prod they should take off like lightening or in 1 form i have came across, go stiff and play dead. I've kept hundreds of liocheles and what he described doesnt sound right

Hi Hornets,

I guess I misinterpreted that then. Thanks for explaining what you meant. You certainly have more experience with Liocheles than me, and I share your observations, prod----running away or catalepsy (playing dead)...

@Justblayzee, that is what I also do, just cover them up....

 

[Keister]

It is good to hear that she has finally moved. Shipping scorpions expecially wild caught, because just catching them puts alot of stress on them, stresses most scorpions out big time. It's nice to hear she's making a good recovery and it isn't anything more major such as her kicking the bucket!

 

[Justblayzee]

Yeah I'd be pretty devo if that happened. Does anyone know about mating them? I don't paticurlaly want babies but I guess it'd be nice. I just don't know how to take care of them I have no clue but there apparently 3/4 grown & third instar I think he said.

Thanks everyone again! You all are great for helping me

 

[Keister]

They will mate on their own and you seperate the babies into individual containers, to prevent canablism, after they leave the females back on their own. They will be in 2nd instar that that point. The female when she is close to giving birth should be seperated from the male also. That is basic breeding info though, not specifically for Liocheles Waigiensis. Someone with experiance breeding Liocheles Waigiensis may be able to further help you!

 

[snippy]

A simple advice: Never judge the behavior of a scorpion by the first few days in a new tank - especially when it just has been shipped to you It is simply not representative!
And when you find a scorpion to show unusual behavior, don't stress it more by grapping it!

there apparently 3/4 grown & third instar I think he said.

These two basically contradict each other.

Regards
Finn

 

[Justblayzee]

Yeah, I just let stress get a head of me. Anyone able to tell me about there water & weekly feeding? Is it once a week? & tap water left out side over night?