Post by reptilianmaster on Nov 4, 2005 21:46:46 GMT -5
Introduction
The emperor scorpion(pandius imperator) is a large black scorpion which originates from west Africa where it inhabits cool damp forest areas or grassland where they prefer to shade under large rocks as it also can protect them from dangers and to ambush prey in the wild.
Under black light scorpions go fluorescent that is unexplainable to researchers but could be due to a natural chemical present in the scorpions body but its easy for researchers and naturalists to find specimens by using the lights and finding them to conduct their research.
These types of scorpions are venomous but it has the potency of a bee sting but be extra cautious near these types of animals if you have allergies to bee/wasp stings as it could have a similar effect as them which must result in a allergic reaction
Their large size and ease of care makes them a popular scorpion to keep for beginners and they are a quite social scorpion so is good if you wanted to make a colony up provided there’s plenty of hides for the scorpions or fights for dominance will happen resulting in death to a scorpion although they also do well singly which is another good thing.
There’s other scorpions available to the keeper today wanting to get into scorpion keeping maybe as an add on to tarantula and reptile keeping that may require more specialist care or more understanding to undertake as your first scorpion but a good addition once you feel ready after keeping emperors but other alternatives to the emperor that look nice too are the red clawed scorpion(p.africanus) and the Asian forest scorpion but things to consider in future is the Arizona desert scorpion that is once nice scorpion both in appearance and as a terrarium animal.
Housing your emperor scorpion
There are many types of housing available today to keep scorpions in, as they do not need a great deal of height a large flat faunarium is ideal housing for a pair(46L x 30W x 17H cm ) but more space can be given for multiple scorpions as this species do well in colonies and because they favour a quite humid environment a mixture of vermiculite and potting soil is an ideal substrate for this species as it holds moisture well ideal so allows good humidity to make this species thrive well.
Hides can be bits of cark bark or you can buy hides from any shop specialising in reptile/exotic pet care and once sterilised with miltons or any other cleaner it is safe for use in your scorpion cage
Substrate of scorpions depends on where they come from, for the ones that come from the hot humid forests of Africa, vermiculite and peat mixed together makes a suitable substrate for these as it holds a lot of moisture making it much easier to achieve the humidity needs of these species whereas sand is a good one for the desert species such as the the Arizona desert hairy
Heating them is relatively easy, if your room is quite hot there is no need for additional heating but a small heat mat controlled by a thermostat covering about 1/3 of the cage is sufficient for the scorpions, the temperatures needed is dependant on the type of habitat and places the scorpions live which is tropical/sub tropical places of the world.
A shallow drinking bowl is suitable for the scorpions but putting a few pebbles in the bottom will stop any prey items drowning or any cage inhabitants drowning too.
Foods and feeding
Scorpions generally are insectivores and their main foods include crickets,locusts,mealworms,roaches and any similar sized invertebrate but some of the larger species will take mice which always should be offered from defrost due to the complications of feeding live vertebrae foods,they use their claws to mush up prey,using their stings to subdue larger prey
Their metabolism is quite slow so do not need feeding as often as you would feed a lizard or mammal so every 2 days should be sufficient and feed them as much as they will eat in a set time as they usually are great feeders unless going through a shed or fasting for certain times of the year
Handling and temperament
the African scorpions(Pandinus) are some of the more calmer species available but there are aggressive species which shouldn’t even be attempted to handle but all handling must be carried out as close to the floor as possible and be confident in handling the scorpion as even a fall from a few inches could rupture the abdomen which is fatal to the scorpions and damages the fragile exoskeleton but make sure anyone handling has no adverse effects to insect stings as it could prove to be a very serious situation and a big risk to their health but when cleaning nudging them into temporary boxes is the safest way and stress free way to enjoy your scorpions.
The emperor scorpion(pandius imperator) is a large black scorpion which originates from west Africa where it inhabits cool damp forest areas or grassland where they prefer to shade under large rocks as it also can protect them from dangers and to ambush prey in the wild.
Under black light scorpions go fluorescent that is unexplainable to researchers but could be due to a natural chemical present in the scorpions body but its easy for researchers and naturalists to find specimens by using the lights and finding them to conduct their research.
These types of scorpions are venomous but it has the potency of a bee sting but be extra cautious near these types of animals if you have allergies to bee/wasp stings as it could have a similar effect as them which must result in a allergic reaction
Their large size and ease of care makes them a popular scorpion to keep for beginners and they are a quite social scorpion so is good if you wanted to make a colony up provided there’s plenty of hides for the scorpions or fights for dominance will happen resulting in death to a scorpion although they also do well singly which is another good thing.
There’s other scorpions available to the keeper today wanting to get into scorpion keeping maybe as an add on to tarantula and reptile keeping that may require more specialist care or more understanding to undertake as your first scorpion but a good addition once you feel ready after keeping emperors but other alternatives to the emperor that look nice too are the red clawed scorpion(p.africanus) and the Asian forest scorpion but things to consider in future is the Arizona desert scorpion that is once nice scorpion both in appearance and as a terrarium animal.
Housing your emperor scorpion
There are many types of housing available today to keep scorpions in, as they do not need a great deal of height a large flat faunarium is ideal housing for a pair(46L x 30W x 17H cm ) but more space can be given for multiple scorpions as this species do well in colonies and because they favour a quite humid environment a mixture of vermiculite and potting soil is an ideal substrate for this species as it holds moisture well ideal so allows good humidity to make this species thrive well.
Hides can be bits of cark bark or you can buy hides from any shop specialising in reptile/exotic pet care and once sterilised with miltons or any other cleaner it is safe for use in your scorpion cage
Substrate of scorpions depends on where they come from, for the ones that come from the hot humid forests of Africa, vermiculite and peat mixed together makes a suitable substrate for these as it holds a lot of moisture making it much easier to achieve the humidity needs of these species whereas sand is a good one for the desert species such as the the Arizona desert hairy
Heating them is relatively easy, if your room is quite hot there is no need for additional heating but a small heat mat controlled by a thermostat covering about 1/3 of the cage is sufficient for the scorpions, the temperatures needed is dependant on the type of habitat and places the scorpions live which is tropical/sub tropical places of the world.
A shallow drinking bowl is suitable for the scorpions but putting a few pebbles in the bottom will stop any prey items drowning or any cage inhabitants drowning too.
Foods and feeding
Scorpions generally are insectivores and their main foods include crickets,locusts,mealworms,roaches and any similar sized invertebrate but some of the larger species will take mice which always should be offered from defrost due to the complications of feeding live vertebrae foods,they use their claws to mush up prey,using their stings to subdue larger prey
Their metabolism is quite slow so do not need feeding as often as you would feed a lizard or mammal so every 2 days should be sufficient and feed them as much as they will eat in a set time as they usually are great feeders unless going through a shed or fasting for certain times of the year
Handling and temperament
the African scorpions(Pandinus) are some of the more calmer species available but there are aggressive species which shouldn’t even be attempted to handle but all handling must be carried out as close to the floor as possible and be confident in handling the scorpion as even a fall from a few inches could rupture the abdomen which is fatal to the scorpions and damages the fragile exoskeleton but make sure anyone handling has no adverse effects to insect stings as it could prove to be a very serious situation and a big risk to their health but when cleaning nudging them into temporary boxes is the safest way and stress free way to enjoy your scorpions.
