Diet
King mealworms, crickets and other
insects and also pinkie mice.
Housing
Scorpions need a humid
terrarium kept between 76° and 86°. You should mist the terrarium daily and one possible (best) heat source would be an
under the tank heater. No artificial light is needed because this is a nocturnal species. If you place a
black night light on top the scorpion will appear a glowing greenish color.
A couple of scorpions (emperors) can be kept together if the tank is large enough to provide hiding places for all the scorpions. Fresh water should be available in a
shallow dish.
Males have a large pectimal combs behind their rear legs and they have been known to reproduce in captivity. This type scorpion is very hardy when properly maintained.
Reptibark and
moss seem to work out well for substrate and
cork bark (cage furniture) does great! They also seem to do well in
Jungle Mix.
Be careful not to use heavy cage furniture as scorpions will burrow and could get crushed by anything heavy.
Heating & Lighting Requirements
76°-86° F You can use a black light to make them glow. No direct light.
Handling
Do not handle. If necessary, use 12" forceps or longer.
Helpful Hints
Be an educated pet owner and purchase a
book about your new pets! There is plenty of information available about keeping scorpions. We recommend vet visits for all animals.
Scorpions should be
misted daily and given a shallow water dish or
easy water gel. We recommend feeding them every few days and keeping them well fed if kept in groups. Be a responsible pet owner and be sure your lid is securely on your pet scorpions, remember that some people can develop a severe reaction to even an emperor scorpion sting. Emperor scorpions are less likely to sting but this does not mean that they will never sting!
Use caution when cleaning and feeding them and we do not recommend handling them.
If you do get stung by your scorpion it is critical to seek medical care immediately. If you do decide to offer thawed frozen food to your scorpions, be sure the food is completely thawed and warmed before offering it to the scorpion.
Scorpions and tarantulas do not have clotting agents in their blood-if your scorpion suffers a fall or other injury you may need to use super glue on the cut to prevent death.
We recommend keeping a small patch of damp
moss in the cage to prevent dehydration and to assist the scorpion during molting.
If you have any questions please call our Reptile Room at 717-299-5691 ext. 1246 and don’t forget to check out our scorpion books in our store.
The most commonly kept scorpion is the Emperor Scorpion which comes from Africa. They can reach about 8 inches and are usually very docile and usually do not sting. Our advice is to not touch scorpions because they do possess a venomous substance in its stinger. Just as some people can be allergic to bee stings - some people can be allergic to scorpion stings - some people can be allergic to scorpion stings and have a severe allergic reaction.
