Emperor scorpion colony...

[spider4747]

I've recently set my arachnids and snake up on modestly regal displays and wanted to start the same on a huge scorpion enclosure. How many scorpions will fit in a 20 gallon enclosure ? And what kind of substrate for a desert looking setup?

 

[Lady Lilith]

HI. I keep both desert and forest scorpions. At the moment, I have a pair of Hadruras arizonensis (breeding adults) in a 30 high and a pair of juvenile Heterometrus spinifers raised since scorpling-hood (sexes unknown) in a 30 long. I have had a pair of Emperor Scorpions (the true P. imperators not the P. cavimanus, or red claws) and one H. petersii (my fave of the heterometrus sp.)

For a 20 gallon I wouldn't go bigger than 2, 3 at the most, depending of course on the size your chosen sp of scorpion, as most sp of scorpions like to burrow and the more space taken up by a large colony, the less space the individuals have for burrowing which leads to "stress" and fighting over food and territory etc etc etc. Some keepers push the boundaries of how many they like to keep, but for me personally, I feel that even though I COULD survive living in a three room tiny house with 20 people living in it, I'd be more comfortable in a two room house with only one roommate.

As for substrate in a desert set up, I like a mix of excavator clay and playsand (available really cheap at Lowes/Home Depot). Ratios vary, so I'd check the boards for what makes you comfortable. I wouldn't recommend simple sand, as, like their forest friends, most desert species are obligate burrowers capable of making very extravagant burrows, with this opportunity removed, again though they CAN survive, their quality of life is a bit diminished. It would be like a bird in a cage; your nature is to fly, yet you are forbidden to. I'd go crazy too


There are some sp of scorpions that are naturally communal, and I did keep a colony of a sp known as Arizona Bark Scorpions, but, despite the fascination in watching them, these are very small scorpions hard to see that own one of the world's deadliest toxic venoms, and since I have little ones from the neighborhood and children of relatives etc that like to poke around my house to see what "Miss Kelly" has and if she's gotten anything new, i figured it would be prudent to err on the side of not having a mischievous little hand dart into a cage to pick one up and end up seriously, seriously ill, or worse, and so adopted them out to a keeper without such a risk.

 

[spider4747]

To start where should I order a handle-friendly emperor scorpion?

 

[MassExodus]

Don't see emperors much anymore. Do they do well in a desert set up? Don't they like it moist?

 

[Lady Lilith]

Don't see emperors much anymore. Do they do well in a desert set up? Don't they like it moist?

I would not suggest Emperors, or any other forest scorp, go into a desert setting. It is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to their natural habitat. Emps need high levels of moisture and humidity. Emps have been put on the CITES list, so you won't find them for sale here in the US, unless they are from a private breeder. I suggest you take a look at this forum, they have most all answers to your questions

http://www.scorpion-forum.com

 

[Chubbs]

Yeah emperors are rainforest scorpions and require quite a bit of humidity and deep moist substrate.

 

[Lady Lilith]

To start where should I order a handle-friendly emperor scorpion?

Handle friendly... Most Emps can be handled with little repercussion. They tolerate it, they don't "enjoy" it. They have brains that don't give off the same chemicals or function in the same manner or that have the same neurons and receptors humans do. They are truly incapable of love or "friendship" because of this difference in brain functions. We are human beings, sentient and warm blooded and capable of rational thought and of the creation of "loving" relationships. Scorpions are not biologically capable of this. True you will see owners claims of "my scorpion comes when I call it" or "my Emp looooves it when I hold it", but I would caution you to be aware that we, again as complex and sentient beings, have the tendency to transfer our emotional abilities onto any living creature we feel the need to bond with And IF you see a species of scorpion living in a colony, it is because there is safety in numbers and this is a survival mechanism meant to keep them from being munched on by a predator. Basically they are using their "scorpion friends" as shields and would gladly eat them if food became scarce. Not so friendly when you think of it that way Now as for where to purchase a Pandinus imperator (Emperor scorpion) I would suggest searching various scorpion forums that have a list of reputable breeders with reviews. Emps were added to the CITES list about a year ago, and so importing them is against the law. There are, however, available through private breeders lucky enough to have secured a pair or two and have built colonies for sale around those. If you see any Emps advertised on sites like BackWater reptiles or LLL reptiles, bad places to purchase ANY living creature in my opinion at least, be suspicious please. More than likely what you are being told and what you are getting are two different things. Many, many new hobbyists have been fooled into buying a RED CLAW emp rather than a true Emp, the difference being, aside from the red tinted claws, attitude. Red Claws can be notoriously nasty and much less handleable than the true Emps. The care and keeping of the Red Claws is the same as it is for a true Emp, though, a fair amount of heat and lots of moisture and humidity.