1.1 Pandinus imperator

[SCReptiles]

I have not tried to house these in many years. Recently I began to do animal shows at social gatherings commercially. I thought a pair of these would be a good addition to the show. I purchased 1.1 in hopes of them also breeding. I had trouble keeping these alive in years past, and I think it might have been due to over feeding. I have them in my slide rack in a room that runs between 80 and 85 degrees. I have them on a base of vermiculite with moss stacked in the back. They enjoy hiding under the moss and coming out only to eat and drink. I keep a shallow dish in the tub with Flucker Farm calcium quencher in it at all times. I have watched them eat it, so they must like it. About every 3 days or so, I spray them in the face with water, and I can watch them drink it. I am tong feeding them crickets, mill worms, and wax worms so that I can strictly monitor the food intake. My question is to keepers who have maintained these guys for more then a year.

How much should they be eating on a weekly basis?

[Gramma Rose]

I had problems with overfeeding my little girl. Because she lived in a museum for awhile, no one knew when she had eaten and she ended up being overstuffed. Scorpions don't need to eat every day, just like spiders. If you can see their stomach between the ribbing on their thorax, they are too fat. I wish I could see a pic of your guys. You can tell obesity just by looking at them. Also, if they're kinda squishy and round on the sides, that's another indication.

Imperators can deal with a feeding every second to fourth day, depending on age (more often when younger, of course). Full grown, as you know, are about nine inches in length.

Another thing to keep in mind. A scorpion doesn't know when to stop eating. If it's offered food, it will take it, no matter what. Worst case scenario is the stomach rupturing, and the thing dying. Which is why I banned people from feeding mine!

Hope this is helpful!

Rose.

[BrianS]

I have been keeping/breeding them for several years and believe me, you can NOT over feed one. The reason yours died could have been any number of reasons from being an old WC specimen to even wrong husbandry (not knockin' ya btw )
Go to this thread and scroll down and you will see my P imperator set up.
http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15

Remeber that they are a tropical species thus requiring hot temps (up to 90F) and high humidity (around 80%)

[Gramma Rose]

Oh, mine is quite alive, and much thinner after her last molt