Emp. Scorp Preggo?

[Dani33]

Here's my Emp. Scorp. As you can see, she is huugggee. She looks like she's gonna explode. What do you think? Pregnant? What is the gestation period? Does anyone have or know where I can find info. to care for her and babies if she is? I tried to serch the net w/out success.

She was big when I got her, but I thought that she was just fed well. Recently, she disappeared for a month in a burrow by the heat source. I figured that she was ok because food was going missing. I decided to do some house cleaning and found her like this. She has always been a bit aggressive as well. Any thought are appreciated.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/503/3313Emp_Scorp_2-med.jpg

[manville]

sure does look really big not sure if it is pregnant though

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

If she has been eating a lot chances are she is fat, although my emp is pregnant and she looks very much like that one.

[Dani33]

Well, she occasionally gets a super worm and usually a couple of 1/2 inch crickets per week. Is that enough to make her fat like that?

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Yes. Mine is just a little baby 1incher. He gets fat when i throw 3 or so crikets in there. 2 days later i check and theres only 1 crik left and i pick him up and hes fat. I think if you have had her for more than a month(lets say two months) she should have had a little by now. If she does end up having babies, just throw in alot of smaller crikets, like quarter inch. She will feed her young. Once they are about 1-2wks old throw in lots of pinheads for the babies because i think i that age(correct me if im wrong) they start to come off their mothers back for a little trot around. For water, i use a dish with cotton wadding in it so the scorp does not drown. Anyways, shes probably just fat from food but if you do have babies, good luck!

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

When did you obtain her and is she with a male now or in the past?

Aidan

[Dani33]

I got her a few months ago. She is alone now. I'm not sure if she was kept communally where I got her or not. I read that if they are wild caught that they are often shipped communally and end up pregnant on the way here. She always seemed big from day one compared to pics that I have seen.

Thanx for your help everyone!

[m1k3_88]

Approx. how many babies would an emp have?

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

anywhere from 1-30, although having one baby would be the result of stress or lack of food for the scorpion.

Aidan

[skinheaddave]

Originally posted by Dani33
I read that if they are wild caught that they are often shipped communally and end up pregnant on the way here.

It is actualy a bit more elegant than that. In the wild, P.imperator shows a greater seasonality in its various life functions. As a result, there is a great regularity to events like moults, partuition and mating. In fact, the three events are linked quite nicely to coordinate mating with the end of instar care and the maturing moults of previously immature females. The end result is that almost all the mature females in a population will be gravid for nearly the entire year. About the only time they aren't gravid is when they are caring for their young -- a time when they do not venture forth to be caught by trappers for the pet trade. Thus, if you catch a female emp in the wild, it is almost always going to be gravid. A lot of people buy males and females, put them together and then announce that they have bred them in captivity within a year. More often than not, the female was already gravid but not yet showing it.

Cheers,
Dave

[reptile boi]

an emp would normally get 15-18 babies from my experiences.




Thanks,
Ben

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

Yeah the average would be in about that range and maybe a bit more, maybe to 21 or so.

Aidan

[brandi]

nice post Dave, good info. I wound up caring for a group of 4 emperors, and know very little about them. Three of them look big and fat like the one pictured. How do you sex them? should i move the "fat" ones to separate containers? what will happen if/when they give birth? Geez... i feel like an expectant mother with no idea what to do! any advice will be appreciated. :)

[skinheaddave]

Check out this page (http://members.tripod.com/~c_kianwee/sex.htm) for sexing tips. Sperating out the females is something that some people do -- but for P.imperator I wouldn't bother. When she gives birth you will see all sorts of white squirmy things on her back. Once these moult they will start to develop colour. In this species, they will hang out with mommy for quite some time -- so you can leave them in there or take them out and put them in their own enclosure(s) once they start moving off her back.

Cheers,
Dave

[sleddergirl]

Hey Dave, did you have any opinions of the sex of the Emp at my store?........I don't recall you mentioning it............:confused:

[Dani33]

Thanks for the informative post Dave! Great stuff. I now have another question, she just molted for the first time in my care. Is this a possible sign of things to come if she is pregnant? Aside from that, it was really something to witness! I love these guys.

[skinheaddave]

Sue,

You know, I didn't think to check. Easy enough to tell, though. Just put it in a clear-bottomed container and use the link I posted.

Dani33,

So she moulted in your care? Do you have her in with a male? Scorpions only moult until they are sexualy mature -- then they stop. Thus, she can't be gravid (pregnant) and then moult. Furthermore if she "just moulted" and is in with a male, it is still way too early for her to be showing signs of gravidity. Gestation on this species is anywhere from 7-16 months. I would say that at least the first four months you aren't going to notice anything. More like 8+ months in most cases.

Cheers,
Dave

[Dani33]

Dave, no she is alone. I guess I'll have to cut back on her food - LOL. At least I got to learn some pretty cool stuff. The molt was awesome! Thanks for all your help.

[skinheaddave]

No worries. Food-wise, a couple large crickets a week will more than suffice.

Cheers,
Dave