Pre-Molt or just fat?

[Roblicious]

This is my 3rd instar Emperor Scorpion I got in the middle of January, I guess it just molted a few weeks before to 3i.

I feed it small crickets every 3-4 days.

I was able to snap a shot of it hanging out outside of its burrow/tunnel:

Molting soon or just fat? I wont feed for another week if its just fat.

 

[Michiel]

What's the difference in this life stage between fat and pre-molt Scorpions that are close to a molt are fat. When this animal would be adult, it would just be fat, since it isn't adult, it's obviously in pre molt....It will probably molt within two weeks....Things are not as complicated as they might seem

 

[Roblicious]

fat as in overfed, I was not sure if 2 small crickets a week was too much or not

 

[Nomadinexile]

Michiel is a little cheeky sometimes. In a growing young scorpion, if they will eat it, feed it. The worse that will happen is that it will mature faster (and consequently live a little less long). But it will stop eating when it can't anymore. Then it will molt short thereafter. Feed away. But take out leftovers quickly as a molt is coming.

 

[Roblicious]

Didnt feel like trolling michiel anyways

Like I said ive read and have been told twice a week is perfect, wasn't sure if I was overfeeding or not.

Normally I offer it a cricket and it snags it and runs into the tunnel it has built, I never see any leftovers and I got like 10 Isopods in there, but they are all in the opposite corner by the moss :/ they seem to love it there, even when I put them in random spots of the enclosure, they all seem to migrate to that corner with the moss lol.

Yeah I wanna see it grow soon, wonder how big 4i is? I can see the difference between 2i-3i although its small, but I had a 2i and a 3i side by side, wonder if I will notice a difference between 3i-4i?

 

[BAM1082]

Pre-Molt.

Dont think scorps are ever over fed ... although this is debated.

They'll just stop eating.

Keep your humidity up and u'll have a freshly molted scorpion soon.

 

[Nomadinexile]

Yes you will notice. I notice all instar ups. Of course, some 3i's will be as big as other 4i's sometimes, but within each individual yes you will notice.

 

[Roblicious]

The temp is anywhere between 80-90 depending on the day and area inside the enclosure, I got a 75W shooting down on it.

I am not sure the humidity since I have that exo terra hygrometer and its at the very top, it says 40 but I am sure thats way off.

I used to mist daily, but I poured a bunch of water in there like every 4 days, and I try to water the pothos plant every other day with a mist or I just pour the water into the pot (which I dont like doing since the scorpion has made a tunnel along side of it :/, would hate to stress it out, maybe it thinks its rain?)

The substrate is moist to the touch and it looks dark. I can even see some water that has drained all the way to the bottom of the substrate even though there isnt a false bottom I am sure the water will rise up as it evaporates.

I also have half the lid covered with a moist old t shirt I dont wear anymore. I am pretty sure the humidity is easily 80ish

But I will start misting daily just in case. I got a bunch of Isopods, so I am not too concerned with mold.

EDIT

if you look at the pic, where the pot is closest to the fake background along the wall, theres a tunnel leading down, thats where it has made its burrow/home.

I almost want to take out the exo terra cave the terrarium came with since it has NEVER once gone in there, ironically, before the plant, it made its burrow BEHIND the cave

If the scorpion is too big for the burrow that its made in that little corner will it just abandon it and go somewhere else?

 

[Michiel]

Michiel is a little cheeky sometimes. In a growing young scorpion, if they will eat it, feed it. The worse that will happen is that it will mature faster (and consequently live a little less long). But it will stop eating when it can't anymore. Then it will molt short thereafter. Feed away. But take out leftovers quickly as a molt is coming.

It has nothing to do with cheekyness, at least not this time . It has to do with thinking logically..there is just no difference other than a fat adult will not molt....Pre molt= fat and vice versa in young scorps, that's it, period....you can yack about it all you want, but it comes down to what I said. Scorpions eat and eat and grow and grow and the state they reach just before they molt, is called pre-molt....My point is that the question is not logical, it is like asking: "Is my towel wet or just not dry?"
Go to facebook or twitter if you just want to chit chat (now this remarks WAS cheeky )

PS. What is trolling? you didn't feel like trolling me, sounds rather cheeky...

 

[Roblicious]

Looks like we got a keyboard warrior up in here.

If I knew the answer I would never have made a thread asking about it, I have heard that overeating can be/could be a problem, so hence the reasoning behind my post.

All you had to say was it was premolt and give a polite reasoning behind it, instead of coming on here with your all knowingness and E-peening it out.

 

[Bayushi]

If the scorpion is too big for the burrow that its made in that little corner will it just abandon it and go somewhere else?

I have always found that they just dig the burrow bigger

 

[Nomadinexile]

The temp is anywhere between 80-90 depending on the day and area inside the enclosure, I got a 75W shooting down on it.

I am not sure the humidity since I have that exo terra hygrometer and its at the very top, it says 40 but I am sure thats way off.

I used to mist daily, but I poured a bunch of water in there like every 4 days, and I try to water the pothos plant every other day with a mist or I just pour the water into the pot (which I dont like doing since the scorpion has made a tunnel along side of it :/, would hate to stress it out, maybe it thinks its rain?)

The substrate is moist to the touch and it looks dark. I can even see some water that has drained all the way to the bottom of the substrate even though there isnt a false bottom I am sure the water will rise up as it evaporates.

I also have half the lid covered with a moist old t shirt I dont wear anymore. I am pretty sure the humidity is easily 80ish

But I will start misting daily just in case. I got a bunch of Isopods, so I am not too concerned with mold.

EDIT

if you look at the pic, where the pot is closest to the fake background along the wall, theres a tunnel leading down, thats where it has made its burrow/home.

I almost want to take out the exo terra cave the terrarium came with since it has NEVER once gone in there, ironically, before the plant, it made its burrow BEHIND the cave

If the scorpion is too big for the burrow that its made in that little corner will it just abandon it and go somewhere else?

Don't make it a swamp habitat! I think you have the humidity covered. :razz:
As for the burrow, don't worry one bit about it. They grow in nature and handle burrowing just fine.

It has nothing to do with cheekyness, at least not this time . It has to do with thinking logically..there is just no difference other than a fat adult will not molt....Pre molt= fat and vice versa in young scorps, that's it, period....you can yack about it all you want, but it comes down to what I said. Scorpions eat and eat and grow and grow and the state they reach just before they molt, is called pre-molt....My point is that the question is not logical, it is like asking: "Is my towel wet or just not dry?"
Go to facebook or twitter if you just want to chit chat (now this remarks WAS cheeky )

PS. What is trolling? you didn't feel like trolling me, sounds rather cheeky...

What you said wasn't cheeky, it was the "tone" that is cheeky. You sometimes come across as a smart-tailed know it all. Like everyone should just automatically be as genius as you! Like most of the time though, what you said is correct. But just remember, not all of us are einsteins smarter cousin here!

Looks like we got a keyboard warrior up in here.

If I knew the answer I would never have made a thread asking about it, I have heard that overeating can be/could be a problem, so hence the reasoning behind my post.

All you had to say was it was premolt and give a polite reasoning behind it, instead of coming on here with your all knowingness and E-peening it out.

Calm down Rob. He comes across as a _________ sometimes. But he is really nice and very helpful here. Just give him a little bit back, and realize that's his personality. Don't take it personally, and you will be better off for it. He's helped me more times than I can count and he really does know what he's talking about. He just has the couth of a rampaging polar bear sometimes. Just relax, it really is okay.

 

[Roblicious]

I am not upset at all lol

I thought it was just funny thats all

So dont feed for a week after it molts right? Even if you use tongs to 'hand feed' the cricket? Or even pre-kill the cricket?

Wonder if I will see it out more after it molts since it might outgrow its tunnel

 

[Nomadinexile]

Correct. 1 week should be good. Some might say two, but you should be able to tell if the exo has hardened. Pre-killed wouldn't hurt for first feeding.

glad you aren't upset. some people have thicker skin than others.

 

[Michiel]

Don't make it a swamp habitat! I think you have the humidity covered. :razz:
As for the burrow, don't worry one bit about it. They grow in nature and handle burrowing just fine.



What you said wasn't cheeky, it was the "tone" that is cheeky. You sometimes come across as a smart-tailed know it all. Like everyone should just automatically be as genius as you! Like most of the time though, what you said is correct. But just remember, not all of us are einsteins smarter cousin here!



Calm down Rob. He comes across as a _________ sometimes. But he is really nice and very helpful here. Just give him a little bit back, and realize that's his personality. Don't take it personally, and you will be better off for it. He's helped me more times than I can count and he really does know what he's talking about. He just has the couth of a rampaging polar bear sometimes. Just relax, it really is okay.

I think it is the difference between us sober Northern Europeans and some of you Americans.....You are so hippie kumbaya-my-lord-harmony-tiptoe-through-the-tulips-all-the-time.....When someone comes on a bit strong and says things straight forward, you all start crying and your little feelings are hurt, pffffffffffffffffffffff....I am sort of a New Yorker I guess...
It is just the way I say things, straight forward....I also like to agitate a bit, to tickle people, so I know they are awake and I have their full attention.

The other side is that you can be the same to me, because I am used to that.

PS. You still didn't tell me what trolling is

 

[gromgrom]

I am not upset at all lol

I thought it was just funny thats all

So dont feed for a week after it molts right? Even if you use tongs to 'hand feed' the cricket? Or even pre-kill the cricket?

Wonder if I will see it out more after it molts since it might outgrow its tunnel

If you find Michel offputting, dont talk to xhedx on the tarantula section of this site. Or Rasputin, wherever he is now. But it turns out, those three are probably the smartest contributing members still frequently active (not in the case of ras, and im not saying others arent as smart/etc/etc/etc).

I feed my scorps a day after they molt, if its on the weekend, during which i normally feed them, otherwise, i make them wait. but they arent emps/hets. tarantulas i give more time for their fangs to harden.

 

[Roblicious]

Not too worried about it, was asking a simple question and I got my answer, it still hasn't molted it does come out every so often though, maybe within the next few weeks?

I dropped a 'injured' cricket into its burrow, hope it ate it and the cricket didnt just die in there lol

 

[gromgrom]

Not too worried about it, was asking a simple question and I got my answer, it still hasn't molted it does come out every so often though, maybe within the next few weeks?

I dropped a 'injured' cricket into its burrow, hope it ate it and the cricket didnt just die in there lol

my premolt emps a year ago took weeks to molt. they like to tease you about it.

 

[Roblicious]

So they do eat even though they are pre molt right? I have yet to witness mine eat ever since I noticed it was fat.

Like I said I dropped a injured cricket in there and I dont see it anywhere only 2 options.

It died in there lol, or emperor ate it

 

[Michiel]

So they do eat even though they are pre molt right? I have yet to witness mine eat ever since I noticed it was fat.

Like I said I dropped a injured cricket in there and I dont see it anywhere only 2 options.

It died in there lol, or emperor ate it

When the prey item is not eaten within 48-72 hours, remove it. Then it is safe to assume the scorpion is not hungry and will not eat. Then wait at least 7-10 days to see if the scorp will molt in the meantime, if it doesn't, you could try to feed again. Take live prey items every time...Handicapping crickets or feeding dead ones is not necessary per se...

On my previous comments: 1) Yes, there is a certain tone in my comments sometimes and that's deliberate. 2) What I still do not realize enough sometimes is that on the net, people can't see my face. I'll bet that if you could see me asking those questions with a smile on my face, or if we where talking 1-1 this would not happen....

anyway, hope your scorpion molts soon.