First arachnid!

[Bartman]

A scorpian is an arachnid right?

I wasnt expecting this at all, but a friend got 4 in a trade and offered me one. I figured what they hell, and I brought home this new emperer scorp today. Hes about 2 inches.

Now just to see if this is right, as I did what this caresheet was saying.

Hes in a small kritter keeper with ecoearth (cocoa fibre?) with 2 hides and a bottle cap for a water dish. Hes being kept at 79, as thats what my room generally stays at. They said 80's, so thats fine right?

Thanks...

Here he is!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/BartmanReptiles/DSC00014.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/BartmanReptiles/DSC00019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/BartmanReptiles/DSC00015.jpg


btw, is there anyway to sex them and how would this be done if not now?

Thanks!

[Dragoon]

Hi
I would build up one end of the tank with substrate, and create a 'cave' for him to retreat from the light in. He will continue digging it out until its to his liking, but its nice to give him a start. Using a clay pot or piece of bark to burrow under helps give his hidey hole some support, so the roof doesn't cave in on him.

Give him lots of food! One cute thing I do with my scorps is feed them mealworms from tweezers. I put the worm in their open claw, and they close their hand and take it. Eh....well, I think its cute, anyway....

You can easily sex an emperor by putting it in a clear delicup, and looking at its underside with a flashlight. Those two winged things underneath there are called pectines. Males have longer 'feathers' on the 'wings' than a female. But until you have seen a few male and female scorps, you won't have any idea what is long or short. So in other words, you won't be able to tell, hahahahaha. (Get someone with some experience to look at it for you.)
The good news is that it doesn't matter much the sex. Both are cool pets. With my extremely limited experience, I'd have to say the females tend to grow larger and grumpier, and the males littler and more calm. But that's just my opinion....
cheers
D.

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

By the pics it may be another species, some sort of heterometrus sp., although it may be too young for me to tell.

Aidan

[Bartman]

Thanks guys.

Ill modify the tank a bit and post it up on this thread and you guys will tell me if thats okay :) The cocoa fibre is alright though?

I read they eat a crick once a week. Should I feed more, more often?

[Dragoon]

That animal looks pretty skinny....feed all it wants to eat...it should eat over a dozen a week, hahahahaha.

One cricket a week....hahahahaha.....(you're kidding us, right?)
D.

[BoidsUnlimited]

I had heard that too.

My Emperor would never last on 1 a week.

[Bartman]

One cricket a week....hahahahaha.....(you're kidding us, right?)
D.

lol, well thats why im askin! I have no, like none at all, knowledge on arachnids. Just the basics of what i read today. I just spoke with someone who said 8 a week should be good. Like 3 or 4 twice a week?

[BoidsUnlimited]

I think you should have kept it with your friend if you dont knwo anything like you say. Then take it when you do know something.

It might be a cheap, Emperor Scorpion. But its still a living animal.

[Dragoon]

Hmmmm....

In all seriousness, about the amount of food...it won't overeat. It will stop when it has had enough. Put your trust in the animal, not a human, LOL.
Right now it is underfed. If you give it 8 a week, it still could be darn hungry. I would feed it until the animal stops on its own. You will notice this when the scorpion ignores crickets running under its palps. Or when it kicks away crickets instead of grabbing them. Or when you hand it a mealworm, and it just drops it or flings it away.
Then you know it is full. :)
D.

[Bartman]

Will do!

I think you should have kept it with your friend if you dont knwo anything like you say. Then take it when you do know something.

It might be a cheap, Emperor Scorpion. But its still a living animal.



Im going to try and ignore this post, but im not sure what you're trying to say. I dont think giving it crickets is a very difficult task that will somehow lead to its death...

I think this type of comment is thrown around way to much. People assume that you dont care about the animal because it is cheep, but where is that point shown in ANY of my posts. Id like to know, so you could point that out.

[Dragoon]

BoidsUnlimited:
I disagree with what you say.
I have taken in many an animal without knowing anything about them. It spurred me to learn about them and figure out their care.
Not knowing anything is not a bad thing. Not trying to learn more, is.

Please, the purpose of a forum is to talk and offer advice if you can. Well....gee, it should be...
Please don't knock this guy's interest in his new pet, he's doing a great job so far. The fact he is bothering to ask questions put him miles ahead of the pack.
D.

[Bartman]

Got bored :p so I fixed up the tank.

Is this okay?

This is the hide I made, and helped him start his burrow. He seemed to like it, and investigated right away.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/BartmanReptiles/12515.jpg

And this is a bottle cap for water and a half dug thing I found which could sort of become a hide for him.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/BartmanReptiles/43636.jpg

Thanks


EDIT:

the left side substrate is much higher then the right and slopes as you said to do.

The higest point is about 5 inches and the lowest an inch

[Dragoon]

Hi
That's great.
I came back with a pic of what I was talking about, too.
Here is a pic of my H. lividum's tank. It is peat with a length of bark that holds up her little cave. You can just see a peek of her legs, which give her the common name of Cobalt.
And no, it is not as terribly dry as the flash makes the substrate seem. Tank pics always seem to come out terrible, haha.

I'm not sure how well those silk leaves will hold up, but that's the right idea...as long as your animal uses it, its OK.
D.
<IMG SRC="http://varanid.mvd2.com/Files/Dragoon/cobalt.jpg">

[Bartman]

Ill see if I can grab a small piece of cork tomorrow from work, or something similar.

Thanks so much btw, you've been a huge help!

[Manitoban Herps]

Looks like your doing a great job :)

Yes I don't like the comments Boids Unlimited said either, I have gotten some herps that I never new much about but then I reasearch about them and now there thriving :)

[Bartman]

Thanks.

I tried giving him a couple crickets, and I left them over night. He didnt take though, should I be worried? Is there another aproach I could take other then throwing in live crix?

[Manitoban Herps]

How long have you had him?

He might not be ready..

[Bartman]

Since thursday. So only one night with a cricket attempt and two nights that ive had him.

[RazzleMcDazzle]

Adam,

I have kept emperiors for the last decade.... you dont have to worry about them and food. I have 'lost' a juvinelle I bred for 2 months in a aquarium after I thought all were dead, he survived!!!! And matured.....
I feed mine once a week, about 6 crickets each (I have 4). They will eat what they need.... and if one doesn't, it will be the first one out next time. They are VERY resiliant creatures. Just make sure you keep it humid (plants help), and like already was said, give them hides.... they may not dig if it is warm enough and they feel secure. Mine tunnel through the soil none stop..... if a tunnel colapses, they just make a new one, and wait until the soil is hard enough to dig the old one again.

[RazzleMcDazzle]

also...
Like I've read about for snakes, just wait a week, and try again.... it will be all over them. Give it 6 or so every week.... more if it eats them and keeps looking.

[Bartman]

Thanks for the help. He seemed to move all the leaves over the black cup thing in the first picture. He looks to have built himself a new home, so ill take out the crix and try again next week. I hope he takes.

Thanks again