Worried for our scorpion..

[Babycakes1902]

Hello everyone! We’re new to this forum but I have some concerns about our AFS. Lately, she appears to be bloated (more on her right side), has a distended stomach and stumbles around. Like she cannot sit still for 10-15 seconds without moving back and forth and stumbling. My boyfriend describes it almost as if shes “fighting demons” cause she acts like shes being terrorized even if nothing is touching her. One of her back plates (sorry i dont know the correct terminology) had started to separate from the other. This led us to believe she was pregnant, along with her growing belly, however the crazy stumbling is what worries us. I almost wonder if maybe shes in a great deal of pain and cant sit still? Her tail doesn’t seem injured and her legs all seem fine.

Im going to list a couple things that happened recently that might give a clue on whats going on:

• We got a little male scorpion. Theyve been together in the same enclosure for awhile now and always been fine.
• She ate a huge cockroach before she started acting weird. Like massive.

I included some pictures. Thanks for any info!

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

She could be gravid keep the temps between 80F-85F. The separation between the tergite plates aren't anything to be concerned about. Just miminumize disturbances and avoid stressing her and provide her a nice big piece of cork bark to retreat to and hide beneath.

 

[adam james]

A little male scorpion, of the exact same species I am assuming? Are they both adults?
I wonder if she got a little sting?

 

[Babycakes1902]

A little male scorpion, of the exact same species I am assuming? Are they both adults?
I wonder if she got a little sting?

According to Petsmart - where we got him - yes they are the same. And I mean up until this they were hanging together like all the time. So if she did get a sting maybe that would be when they were eating? He is a little more aggressive than she is but never showed any aggression towards her

 

[Babycakes1902]

I will say though that this morning when i checked on her she was doing her weird stumbling around but flexing her tail straight out? While stumbling? And she just does that all day. She’ll settle for a couple seconds and then just start “dancing” or moving around all crazy, back and forth while raising her claws and flexing/unflexing her tail

 

[Babycakes1902]

She could be gravid keep the temps between 80F-85F. The separation between the tergite plates aren't anything to be concerned about. Just miminumize disturbances and avoid stressing her and provide her a nice big piece of cork bark to retreat to and hide beneath.

When they are gravid are they know to do that weird dancing/stumbling thing?

 

[adam james]

Do you have video of the odd behavior? I have seen them shudder when they are excited for some reason (like an intimidation tactic or mating), but that is like a quick double spasm (not extending appendages, just a quick jump). I have seen them also look like they are fighting an invisible enemy (flicking the tail) after being stung or injured. its like they sense the injury and assume something is hurting them so they attack back at the direction of the pain.

does the stumble look like this?

note this is not my video.

 

[Babycakes1902]

Do you have video of the odd behavior? I have seen them shudder when they are excited for some reason (like an intimidation tactic or mating), but that is like a quick double spasm (not extending appendages, just a quick jump). I have seen them also look like they are fighting an invisible enemy (flicking the tail) after being stung or injured. its like they sense the injury and assume something is hurting them so they attack back at the direction of the pain.

does the stumble look like this?

note this is not my video.

No unfortunately not like that. She actually takes a few steps and moves ber whole body. Im at work right now so i dont have a video. the one i tried to upload wasnt the right format so ill take a new one when i get home. Especially with the bloated belly, Im beginning to think shes internally injured? But i have no idea how that couldve happened unless it had something to do with that roach we gave her?

 

[Tbone192]

Parasite maybe? You said it is from PetSmart and they take less than adequate care, especially for arachnids.

 

[Babycakes1902]

Parasite maybe? You said it is from PetSmart and they take less than adequate care, especially for arachnids.

thats kind of my fear too. Quick side story: My boyfriend (these are his scorpions) left the lid open to the roaches ( hissing roaches) and they got out. So as we find them, we give them to the scorpions. So this one was found and maybe it got a parasite? Would there be any way to tell?

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

She looks fully adult to me. There is not way to know whether or not if she has a parasite. But a word of advice never feed an escaped feeder to a pet I would flush it down the toilet instead. We have no way of knowing what kind of residual toxins, chemicals, and poisons the fugitive feeder may have come into contact with. You risk fatally poisoning your pet. Try catching her behavior on video and posting it up. Also post a photo of the little male too. Petsmart can not be trusted to sell properly identified species.

 

[Babycakes1902]

Well shit. I just got home to fine her flipped over half in her water dish still semi moving. I flipped her over in a panic but i think shes passing. her tail is flat/slight arched and she isnt moving. I read in one of these spots that they can flip when molting but honestly she hasnt moved in at least 3mins now. Ill post some pics

 

[Babycakes1902]

i just blew on her to see if she would move and she moved a little. But now she just flipped over. Im sorry i cannot upload a video for some reason. Shes completely imobile but her legs keep moving?? Im scared to keep messing with her in case she is in molt. How do i know???

 

[Babycakes1902]

i just blew on her to see if she would move and she moved a little. But now she just flipped over. Im sorry i cannot upload a video for some reason. Shes completely imobile but her legs keep moving?? Im scared to keep messing with her in case she is in molt. How do i know???

 

[Babycakes1902]

Sorry im now using this as a little status update. I think she is dying because half of her legs she wont/cant move, the other half the are curled but shes trying to move them. Her tale is stretched behind her like in the photos even tho the very end will curl a tiny bit. her mouth still moves tho like shes eating. Ive been trying to keep her upright and noticed her little flaps on the bottom are slightly away from her body. she definitely looks fatter/fully round but im starting to think shes being paralyzed. The fact that her tail wont curl at all bothers me as well as her inability to move her legs. Its just sad cause idk if shes suffering

 

[adam james]

So sorry to hear this

I don't mean to be insensitive, but the substrate looks rather dry as well. It keeps going to the water dish? I wonder if the scorpion is dehydrating? However eating a large meal should help with that one would think.
This species is Asian rainforest, so requires quite decent amount of humidity. The substrate should be fully moist (with no standing water). This will help prevent the environment from drawing too much water out of the scorpion.

For future reference, looking at the images, it looks like the substrate could use an entire glass of water poured in or more. maybe restrict the ventilation a bit on top as well (you do still have a smaller male in there as well correct?).

Also if this is an adult when purchased, then there is no telling how long it has been an adult. Its possible it is at the end of its life as well?

 

[Babycakes1902]

The substrate looks rather dry as well. It keeps going to the water dish? I wonder if the scorpion is dehydrating? However eating a large meal should help with that one would think.
This species is Asian rainforest, so requires quite decent amount of humidity. The substrate should be fully moist (with no standing water) to avoid the environment from drawing too much water out of the scorpion.

No it was flipped over in the water dish when i got home. I dont know if you read the rest of the thread but i dont think shes dehydrated. We mist the enclosure pretty frequents so i dont think thats the issue. its pretty dry at the moment but thats because we havent wanted to do anything with her acting pretty crazy

 

[Babycakes1902]

So sorry to hear this

I don't mean to be insensitive, but the substrate looks rather dry as well. It keeps going to the water dish? I wonder if the scorpion is dehydrating? However eating a large meal should help with that one would think.
This species is Asian rainforest, so requires quite decent amount of humidity. The substrate should be fully moist (with no standing water) to avoid the environment from drawing too much water out of the scorpion.

Also if this is an adult when purchased, then there is no telling how long it has been an adult. Its possible it is at the end of its life as well?

Possibly. She never molted with us and we’ve had her for maybe a year? if not longer honestly im Unsure on the timeline but its been awhile. so that definitely could be the case - just all the things that happened around the time she started acting weird made me think one of those things caused it.

Yeah we typically mist her enclosure very well, plenty of water in her dish. She always ate well and acted normal. I hope this wasnt the consequences of human error but if it was i mean we definitely weren’t insanely educated. We definitely tried but who knows.

Im thinking we’ll leave her be for a couple days. I sprinkled a little water on her in case she was thirsty. But otherwise we’ll just see what happens.

Thanks for all the advice

 

[adam james]

No problem. Best of luck!

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

She looks like a goner. Never use wood chips, in scientific studies on species belonging to the Heterometrus genus from southeast Asia feature a high transpiration rate (high water loss rate - death by dehydration). They live in wet woodlands. They are real easy to kill if you keep their substrate too dry. But super easy to keep alive if a deep and 100% moist substrate is provided. They are also fossorial which means they construct burrows. Provide 4"-6" of coconut fiber (like Eco-Earth) and keep it 100% moist. If the substrate ever begins to have dry spots re-moisten these dry spots by pouring a minimal amount water over them necessary. Day time temps should be 75F-85F.