Sexing emperor scorps

[Herpguy2004]

i was wondering how to sex them. ive seen adults kept in communities and im assuming that there eather all females or one male? or do males get along? ive had one for awhile now and i dont know much about how they get along. and also when it comes to sized difference should they be nearly equal in size or does it matter. like will an adult kill/eat a juvy?

[jaracas]

best way is from underneath, if you get one of either sex the pectines (featherlike appendages underneath) are longer on the male than on the female, in fact they almost extend to the sides of the animal on the male.
this applies to all scorps, not just Pandinus.

HTH
Steve

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

No Jaracas, it doesn't apply to all scorpions, and from what I know, it doesn't apply to many. With many species you will have to count the number of pectinal teeth and use a key in order to establish gender.

This doesn't even work for Pandinus. With Imperators, you look at the POSITIONING of the pectines and the Genital Operculum (the little section which connects the pectines). For males, the Operculum is almost triangular in shape, and the pectines follow such a shape while in the females the operculum is rounded on top with more spread out pectines.


Aidan

[jaracas]

ok, i stand corrected, i'll stick to my Theraphosids, lol, although back in the UK i used to import 100's every year and used the length of pectines to sex various Pandinus sp. based on info from Jeff Dawson, Scott Stockwell and Jan Ove Rein.
Other info gathered over the years substantiates this also, although imperators show a more subtle difference in pectine length it is still there.

not too good a site, but it shows a couple of good pics:
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~caijw/sex/sex.htm

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

Maybe so, and by no means am I trying to demean you, but I wouldn't use it to outline exactly what is male, and what is female. Keys for certain species are probably best.

Aidan

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

BTW, The site has some decent information, but what is with that ghastly music?

Aidan

[jaracas]

thanks, and i agree that keys per sp. would be the best way.

and in regard to the what is male and what is female thing, i have been to clubs where i'm not sure in regard to our own sp.! lol

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

Heh, sounds like the same thing I experience when taking the streetcar... where breasts and facial hair blur the lines of male and female rather than strengthening them.

Aidan