Oh no... Dyskinetic Syndrome

Yes I have a scorpions with it! one of my recently purchased opistophthalmus boehmi

It hasn't been right since I got it. it hasn't burrowed or eaten. conditions are right though and the other 2 are thriving. I had noticed a little leg twitching but thought it was having a clean.

Then today when I was sorting out the water, I thought it was dead, so I gently blew on it and it slowly came back to life and started contorting and twitching like mad. It had done this to a lesser degree before but it didn't dawn on me what the problem was at the time! Doh!

However the good news is that I have a friend studying DS in tarantula's and scorpions so it will be going to research once it dies. This will be the first scorpion he has had with the syndrome so will be interesting to see what he finds.

So on this sad note I would like to ask the UK members that if they have a suspected scorpion with DS, can they get in contact with Colin Wilson on the British Tarantula Society Website once the scorpion has died to aid into research.

that's a shame. I wonder if it has anything to do with contaminated food... like pesticides or something.

dont know but all my other scorpions dont show any signs. Anyway I will hopefully getting a report of colins findings

What are the effects of this syndrome? ;x

From what I have read and seen. twitching and trembling limbs are obvious sign. When touched or disturbed, or just feeling threatened they will contort and writhe around, unable to run away they will turn around in circles on the spot. It's like they want to run away but their limbs wont do as they want them to.

Also just generally not behaving like a scorpion. not eating or just unable to catch food. unable to burrow

Dyskenetic syndrome, from what I was told last night is not the correct term to use in arachnids. it is more of a term used for mammals but has been used to describe similar symptoms in other species. Its more of a term used to describe a number of symptoms that cannot be explained by something else. As a BTS member said it's like calling it 'unidentified flying object'

DS symptoms can be caused by incorrect conditions, i.e. dehydration, pesticide exposure, stresses and probably build up of toxins from garbage feeder insects. Not 100% sure but it may also be a later symptom of mycosis. My specimen has a touch of mycosis in the foot but from what I have heard from other members, it takes a fair amount of these spots (infection) to kill a scorpion and be kept in check by raising temperature and ensuring ventilation.
Most of my specimens are wild caught so there is no knowing what they have been exposed to, the only thankful thing about 'DS' is that it isn't contagious.

so can pesticides lead to DS?
if does,i think my scorp died due to DS also..
the syndrom is similar with what u mentioned..

It is thought that they are. I am going on the information given to me by a friend who is currently researching the syndrome.

I have also heard that in a home environment aerosols or generally anything that atomises (furniture polish , body spray, air fresheners etc.) will not do your scorpion a lot of good and could possibly give these symptoms.

There is also the possibility that these symptoms may be an underlying genetic problem, throwing up major questions about in breeding... so you can see why it was called 'unidentified flying object' there are so many things that causes this shaking and disability you never know if it's an environment problem or a genetic one!

DS is just a term used to describe the debilitating effects of 'something'

LadyRiotControl wrote:

DS is just a term used to describe the debilitating effects of 'something'

That's probably the best way to put it -- perhaps that a wide variety of ailments all manifest as the same symptom.

aye I didn't realise how loose a term 'dyskenetic syndrome' was until yesterday.

Technically, anything that ends in "syndrome" is just that -- a syndrome, not a disease. Like AIDS? If you want to get technical about it, anything that severely compromises the immune system could be called that, unless you get specific and call it HIV-induced AIDS.

Or SIDS might be a better example. Don't know what the hell causes it, but we sure know what it does.

Aye as a new parent thats one thing that worries you in the quiet of the night.

when I kept scorpions before I never encountered mycosis or 'DS'. But that could be because if the subtle signs were there I had no idea what they were. Back in the dark ages when I didn't have a PC lol

Good job the new was invented really

Oh connie didn't want to freak you out or anybody for that matter. But it's good we now have this information to think about

I didn't know a lot of this until very recently so we're changing our daily routines, i.e. body spray only in the bathroom and bedroom door is kept closed at all times.

I used to use air freshener and all sorts in the same room I kept scorpions in the past and none (that I know of) ever showed signs of 'DS'. So dont panic too much

Lisa, I think I have a scorpion with D.S. It's a 4i P.imp, it seems limp, it twitches from time to time, and keeps grooming it's chela, and randomly trying to pinch stuff... it look like it's in pain... I feel bad for the little guy. all the others are doing fine as well. you can also pick it up, and squeeze it, no reaction.


Hmm...

hmmm doesn't sound good. well i'm sure you have conditions right. just keep an eye on it in case it gets worse and do ya best for it.

Keep a record of environment, not a daily one just a general one, usual day/night temps, humidity/misting and any aerosols etc it may have come into contact with, when you first noticed sypmtoms, will help with their investigations. If it gets worse then would really appreciate it if you could get in contact with colin on BTS to get it sent to him when (but hopefully not) it dies.

It's dead. found it lying on it's back

I'm gonna keep it around in a different setup for a day or two to see if it will "revive".

fingers crossed.

oh dear sorry to hear that hun.
let me know if it comes around

It's dead. ah well, not everyone makes it I guess. this guy prolly wouldn't have made it anyway, he was missing 4 legs to a bad moult.

So sorry for your loss man!

I've shoved him in the freezer. he's only 4i so I'm not gonna try and preserve him.

man, dead scorpions stink.

oh dear sorry to hear that

missing 4 legs??? did it have one on each side? that is one unlucky scorp...

yes, he was a poor little guy. anyway he's in the burrow in the sky now.