sexing emperor scorpions

[sschind]

I got 5 scorpions from a guy that I pretty much trust at a swap several months ago. He said they were P imperator and they were all females. He also said that they had been with males. A month or so ago the largest one gave birth confirming that she was in fact a female. The others are smaller and the last time I tried to sex smaller emperors I didn't do so well (2 females turned out to be males) Here are some poor pictures but I hop they will be good enough.

#1 smallest of the bunch maybe 2, minus the tail

#1

#2 a bit bigger but not much

#2

#3 maybe 2.5 maybe 2.75



#4 about 3 inches



Here is #5 with her babies.

 

[TarantulaMan138]

I got 5 scorpions from a guy that I pretty much trust at a swap several months ago. He said they were P imperator and they were all females. He also said that they had been with males. A month or so ago the largest one gave birth confirming that she was in fact a female. The others are smaller and the last time I tried to sex smaller emperors I didn't do so well (2 females turned out to be males) Here are some poor pictures but I hop they will be good enough.

#1 smallest of the bunch maybe 2, minus the tail

#1 View attachment 456807

#2 a bit bigger but not much

#2 View attachment 456808

#3 maybe 2.5 maybe 2.75

View attachment 456809

#4 about 3 inches

View attachment 456810

Here is #5 with her babies.

View attachment 456814

Based on my experience and what I've learned scorpions with smaller featherlike appendages like these are that of females and males have them about three times as long. I wish I still had pictures of my deceased buddy Scorpinok as he had the long appendages but I'm pretty sure those are female. I hope this helps.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

1 and 2 look male to me. Picture 3 is way too bad to tell with any certainty, might be female, and 4 is likely a female.

 

[sschind]

1 and 2 look male to me. Picture 3 is way too bad to tell with any certainty, might be female, and 4 is likely a female.

Thanks. I know several years ago I tried sexing a bunch of them and ended up being wrong on several I thought were females. They were smaller and I think what I thought were "smaller pectines" were just small because they were on immature specimens and as the scorpions grew so did the pectines. I know I have at least 1 female and I agree that #4 looks female. She is the biggest of my 4 unsexed ones so I'm happy about that. Now that I think about it he did not say they were all females. He had the 5 in separate containers and all he said was that they had been in with males. I took that to mean they were females but he could have just meant that they had all been in mixed enclosures and that those that were females had been in with males. I wouldn't mind if any of the others turned out to be male so I wouldn't have to go out looking for one.

 

[sschind]

Based on my experience and what I've learned scorpions with smaller featherlike appendages like these are that of females and males have them about three times as long. I wish I still had pictures of my deceased buddy Scorpinok as he had the long appendages but I'm pretty sure those are female. I hope this helps.

Thanks. Either way I'm happy. I'm pretty sure I have at least 2 females so I wouldn't mind a couple of the other being males.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Thanks. Either way I'm happy. I'm pretty sure I have at least 2 females so I wouldn't mind a couple of the other being males.

Wow nice buy!!! First 2 males the rest look female but one pic was blurry.

 

[sschind]

Wow nice buy!!! First 2 males the rest look female but one pic was blurry.

Thanks. Are you looking at the pectines or the genital operculum shape. I didn't know you could use the GO method on them. I use it for my Damon medius but I haven't looked at the scorpions yet.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Thanks. Are you looking at the pectines or the genital operculum shape. I didn't know you could use the GO method on them. I use it for my Damon medius but I haven't looked at the scorpions yet.

Genital operculum is usually fairly reliable, especially on Heterometrinae, but on Pandinus it can be more difficult, especially when immature. In that case I look at pectines as well and combined that gives a fairly good idea.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Thanks. Are you looking at the pectines or the genital operculum shape. I didn't know you could use the GO method on them. I use it for my Damon medius but I haven't looked at the scorpions yet.

pectines I had a male once I know to look for larger ones on males. I don’t know how to sex them the other way you stated .

 

[sschind]

pectines I had a male once I know to look for larger ones on males. I don’t know how to sex them the other way you stated .

OK. That's how I always knew how to do it as well but i saw something else on line that showed another way. I haven't had a chance to look at that yet.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

OK. That's how I always knew how to do it as well but i saw something else on line that showed another way. I haven't had a chance to look at that yet.

View attachment 457581

Wow who knew !