escapee!! help!!!

hi guys.. im new here and to keeping scorpions. i brought a long clawed scorpion (Iomachus politus) about 5 months ago, and with some help from my local rep centre, it has been eating, and living quite happily.. its even shed its skin twice while ive had it.
but all of a sudden, i cant find him at all! my boyfriend got it out this morning to check onit, put it back, then as i went to feed, i thoguht id check on it aswell but i just couldnt find it.. ive looked at least 5 times in all its usual hiding spots in the cork bark, nothing.. ive even just spent 30 minutes sieving the substrate tryin to find it, and nothing..
we've been keeping it in a small exo-terra breeding box, with spider-life and vermiculite as a sub, with 3 pieces of cork bark for hiding places.
could he have climbed up the side of the tank and escaped thru the vents? it would have ben a squeeze for it to do so, but still.. or could it be hiding in the substrate somewhere? what do i do?!?!

help please!!

thanks, Danni

Well, about any scorp can escape through a tight spot if givin the chance. I dont know about climbing the cage wall but could he or she have reached the vent from the cork bark ?

no.. its too far down

Im not familiar with your scorp and I do know that some small scorps can climb the corners of the tanks. Does it burrow alot ? How about a pic of your tank setup ?

it never used to burrow as far as im aware.. it always used to be sitting on the underside of the bark when ive looked for it before..
the tank isnt set up how it was set up before.. the substrate is piled up higher at the back than before, and the cork bark used to be in 3 bigger pieces rather than lots of little bits.. one in each of the back corners and one in the middle at the front.

With the curved corners I find hard to believe it climbed the tank. Have you ever seen it stuck to or climb the side ? If it did get out, is your home cool enough to create a warm spot to try to atract it to ?

ive never seen it up at the sides ever.. always hiding under the cork bark. its ina bedroom, with a 500litre fish tank that cant be moved, loads of cables, couple of chests of drawers, a massive waredrobe and a double bed with loads of junk under it..
its rather warm in here so i wouldnt be able to make a hot spot..

If there is anything in the room that produces more heat, like computer or radiator, I'd look there a bit closer but it sounds like a project to find.

well the tank sits on top of the sky + box, and that gets warm.. looked under that and nothing.. there is also the transformer for the xbox power, looked there aswell.. nothing.. the radiator is the other side of the room and behind the bed, so that would be a major effort to try and get there.. but we could look 2morowhen we have more time.. i dont think theres anywhere else he would have gone.. i hope we can find it.. my other half is really upset that its gone!

I feel for u guys, my emp died about a month ago so I know how it feels to be missing a friend. Just hang in there and keep looking. As the more expert people on this forum see your post you will get better ideas on how to try to find it. Wish I could help more and good luck.

thank you very much for your help i just hope it hasnt escaped and is just hiding very well in the tank!! or if it has got out, i hope it turns up alive!!
thank you again

Do you have a uv light? A uv keyring will do. My suggestion would be to carefully go through the substrate again constantly shining the light looking out for the luminescence. I couldn't find my baby emps when i cleared them out coz they were covered in dirt from being under the substrate and when i searched again with the uv light i found them all right at the bottom.

If you don't have one, again i know it takes patience i had to do a 2ft by 1ft by 1ft 6 inch deep of substrate tank but go through very slowly bit by bit and i'm sure you'll find it.

I'm suggesting this route because i can't see that sized scorp escaping like that.

If there really isn't anything in there after that, then try and create a hot spot and check existing ones regularly. A uv light comes in handy in these situations.

Hope this helps

we havent got a uv light but i may invest in one!! ive also been thru the substrate with a sieve, and didnt seem to find it.. ill have to have a look again 2moro see what happens! thanks for your reply

No probs and good luck!

panic over! we found it this morning!! still in the tank, safe and sound!!

thanks for all your advice tho guys! much appreciated!

sweet!

As has been suggested, get a blacklight ASAP and check everywhere, especially nooks and crannies or warm spots.

Are you absolutely positive your boyfriend put it back? And put the lid back on?

I can easily see a small scorpion squeezing through those vents if it managed to reach them -- and I've been surprised by scorps reaching things that they shouldn't have been able to.

it's been found Mordax lol

Gha! Didn't see the "page 2" button at the bottom.

lol no worries. i think we will invest in a blacklight for sure now. just makes it easier if we loose it again!!! thanks tho

Glad to hear you found him.