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 A: Housing Spacious cages are unnecessary and may be detrimental. Most scorpions are ambush predators with very small home ranges. They may have trouble finding and catching fast prey (like crickets) in a large cage. Scorpions are highly capable of escaping so ideal housing would be a plastic terrarium or glass aquarium with a tightly sealed lid. Ideal Environment Emperor scorpions are native to tropical Africa where they require high humidity and a damp substrate for burrowing. They will dig burrows, and do well in a mixture of potting soil and mulch. Be sure that the soil does not have added fertilizers and chemicals. Pearlite, which is a natural volcanic silicate (glass) or vermiculite (mica) can be mixed in to help retain water and keep the humidity high. Both of these substances are natural and found in some potting soil mixes. Regardless of the components of substrate mixture, before you use it, it should and soaked to moisten all the small particles, thoroughly squeezed, and partially air-dried until it is just damp. It should not be sopping wet. You should also mist a large portion of the soil frequently to help with the humidity. The material used for burrows is the critical environmental factor for fossorial scorpions. You should also have a heat lamp with 60-75 wattage UV black light bulb. The temperature should be between 80-95°F in order for your tropical emperor scorpion to feed, digest, and grow normally. You can regulate the heat by placing a plastic strip thermometer on the aquarium wall. Place it near the warmest part of the burrowing substrate. Food and Feeding A hungry scorpion will eat almost anything small enough for it to grab and kill. Logically, larger scorpions eat larger food items than smaller ones. In fact, bigger scorpions have trouble catching small prey. Crickets and mealworms are the main choice for captive scorpions. The scorpion’s low metabolism and the ability to consume large meals enable it to fast for long periods. If you feed a scorpion as much as it will eat, it will continue to eat, gorging itself to death. So, feed it a few crickets or mealworms every few days to a week. If kept at its optimum temperature, the scorpion will digest its meal, defecate, and in a few days feed again. Sometimes scorpions will refuse to eat for some time. Healthy adult males are notorious for undertaking long fasts. A small clay or plastic dish is good for holding water. A small piece of sponge inside the dish prevents the scorpion from drowning. You can also bury the dish into the soil so that the rim of the dish is level with the top of the soil. Handling There is no reason for free-handling scorpions, however, there are times when they must be moved or transported. The best and safest method is scooping. A large soup ladle or mug is the perfect implement for catching scorpions. Scorpions are known to move in quick spurts and will run for the nearest dark place so be careful when transporting them. Growth and Molting As a scorpion grows, its hard exoskeleton becomes too small to contain the growing internal structures, so the body forms a new larger one to replace it. Basically, a new outer exoskeleton forms beneath the current one. When it has developed sufficiently, the scorpion goes into hiding, some remaining motionless for as long as a day. Blood pressure is increased, causing the old exoskeleton to crack along the side and at the front of the prosoma. All external parts are now replaced by a molt. The shed is a translucent replica of the scorpion. The newly molted scorpion is white and extremely soft bodied. Needless to say, it is extremely vulnerable at this time. As time goes on the exoskeleton darkens and hardens. Fun Facts An Emperor scorpion can reach an overall length of more than 8 inches and is the largest scorpion in the world. Generally, adult males are smaller and less bulky than females. The size, massiveness, and amount of granulation are greater on the “pinchers” of males. It appears that smaller species of scorpions have a short life span, perhaps 3 or 4 years. Larger scorpions have been reported to live 20 years or more. If properly cared for, a scorpion has its best chance of surviving to old age in capacity.  | Animal Facts | New Puppy FAQ's | Green Water | Chinchilla Information | Rabbit Care Sheet | Scorpion Care Sheet | Guinea Pig Care Sheet | Hypoglcemia Care | | Return Home | Puppies and Kittens | Events Schedule | Our Services | Great Links | FAQ Page | Contact Us | Photo Page | |
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