Which species of Scorpion can go without food for a year?

Roy1982

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Mar 5, 2016
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That's really fascinating, but wouldn't do it on purpose. I actually own an Adult Female Chinese Mantis. So caring for inverts is something that I'm already doing, not to mention the dubia roaches I'm caring for too, because they're feeders for my mantis.

I'm well aware that this is the Scorpions section, but I also heard that spiders can do this too, for about a year.

Anyone here have any known facts and have seen their scorpion go without food for long periods of time?

I also ask because I might be getting a scorpion to learn about, and to care for. It might be obvious, but I figured I'd just put that out there.
 

ButhidaeBomb

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I would say that's a long shot. I have done zero research to educate myself on this topic but I would say there are none! specially more arid type scorpions since they also get moisture (very limited) from their food source.
just don't try it to find out and you should be good to go. otherwise, I would think you would have a dead scorp!!
 

brolloks

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Apr 6, 2016
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Scorpions are able to consume quite a bit of food at once which does allow them to go without food for a long time.
There is a bit about it in Jonathan Leeming's book 'Scorpions of Southern Africa'
"Their ability to store large amounts of food, coupled with a slow metabolic rate, allows many scorpions to go without food for as long as a year or more." (Leeming, 2003)

This is most definitively not the norm. I am sure there are a few other books or papers covering the subject.
 

Red Eunice

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Not a lot of experience on this subject, only been keeping scorps since June 2015.
I have an AF H. paucidens that went nearly 6 months without feeding. She was very plump when I got her and figured stress from enclosure change triggered the fasting. Now she eats on weekly feedings along with the other species I've got.
And yes, G. rosea/porteri tarantulas are well known for looong fasting periods. I've personally experienced this with a G. porteri that went 13 months between meals.
 

darkness975

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If they are not sick in any way and if they were a healthy weight to start with most species of Scorpion and Tarantula can go a year without food. I had a P. imperator go almost 15 months without food and never looked emaciated. He had a lot stored up.

I never worry about my Tarantulas or Scorpions if they refuse food for a few months even. What I would be concerned about though would be if I had a mantis like your Tenodera sinensis or my Hierodula membranacea refuse food for more than a few days. They do not have that same length of time capacity for fasting. Most mantids do not live longer than a few months for their entire life cycle so their metabolism is significantly different.

@ButhidaeBomb Always keep a water dish in with all species. I have seen them all drink at some point or another and for arid species it is usually a long drink every few months or so where their head is in the dish for 15 minutes or something.
 

Toxoderidae

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If they are not sick in any way and if they were a healthy weight to start with most species of Scorpion and Tarantula can go a year without food. I had a P. imperator go almost 15 months without food and never looked emaciated. He had a lot stored up.

I never worry about my Tarantulas or Scorpions if they refuse food for a few months even. What I would be concerned about though would be if I had a mantis like your Tenodera sinensis or my Hierodula membranacea refuse food for more than a few days. They do not have that same length of time capacity for fasting. Most mantids do not live longer than a few months for their entire life cycle so their metabolism is significantly different.

@ButhidaeBomb Always keep a water dish in with all species. I have seen them all drink at some point or another and for arid species it is usually a long drink every few months or so where their head is in the dish for 15 minutes or something.
I believe the only species of mantis that can push over a year without keeping cold temperatures or keeping them from eating to slow growth is P. paradoxa, as I had a male push 2 years once.
 

darkness975

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I believe the only species of mantis that can push over a year without keeping cold temperatures or keeping them from eating to slow growth is P. paradoxa, as I had a male push 2 years once.
I never kept those (yet) but Youre probably right.

From what I have been told by people here in the past they are the G rosea of the mantis world
 

Toxoderidae

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I never kept those (yet) but Youre probably right.

From what I have been told by people here in the past they are the G rosea of the mantis world
Yeah, my male went almost 2 weeks without food once. One day in December he just fell down dead. I think part of it was stress from the move.
 
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