HELP - What the hell is she doing???

What is my emp doing? I saw her last night onher back in the water dish, I thought she'd fell and moved her out, also left just a bit water in the dish. Now, she's there again. Could it be she is going to moult, or is she just trying to kill herself?






Should I just leave her like this, or should I move her out of the dish again?

Or it is trying to moult, which isnt possible if it is adult, or it tried to climb the glass and toppled over, hitting the dish. you could move the dish a bit, away from the glass wall

If it is an adult, yes you should try to flip it, because it might have difficulty doing that (which I doubt) scorpions dont like to be on their backs, because it is a dangerous position to be in, in the wild.

If it is trying to moult in a weird kind of way and place, you should let it be.

Weird, it does look heavy premolt but I wouldn't have thought it was molting on it's back

thats strange but have to say it looks like its about to molt

I've been waiting her to molt for couple of weeks already. She's so swollen that my wife tarted calling her popcorn lol. She got on her feet for a while and an hour or so ago, she've turned on her back again. I bumped up the humidity a bit and took out the cricket I put there last night. I guess the only thing I can do now i to leave her alone and hope that she will molt.

I would move the water dish. She definitely toppled over while glass dancing.

I think she's at most, a sub-adult or your water dish is really big.
More likely she'll in premolt i hope
If she's in premolt, they tend to get sluggish and would definitely need to muster more strength to overcome an accidental fall/topple. Probably can fill the dish up will some pebbles.

'glass dancing' i love it, my P. cav does it

She's 4i or so, around 2" full length (chelae to telson). Water dish is the smallest from zoomed. Now she's on her feet though, until now, she's been 3-4 times on her back lol.

Should I maybe temporarily replace the dish with something smaller?

epyleptic comes to mind

Just move the water dish away from the glass wall and see if it still happens. Odd though because when my P. Imps fall over they immediately turn back on their feet.

I checked on her this morning, she's in the same pot as yesterday, but she's not moving at all.
Could it be she's going to molt and has no strength to move? Either that, or she has died. If it i the latter I might have to rethink my staying in the hobby. There has been way too much casualties and although I believe I'm giving them the perfect conditions, it is starting to look more like I am the problem.

Oh man, best wishes your way! I really hope it's alright. When you touch the tail it should still move a bit if it's molting.

I tried touching the tail and the chelae, but she did not move at all.

That doesn't sound good man. Really though, if she's passed you shouldn't take it too hard. It's always a tough thing to experience, but we learn and evolve. It happens sometimes for no reason. It could have been any number of things and isn't necessarily that you did wrong.

Yeah, I know. But, 5 deaths out of 11 scorpions in less than 6 months does not sound very normal.

True, but still. We are only human. We learn and adapt. If I'd stopped keeping my inverts after my first experiences I'd have quit years ago. My early endeavors were a great learning experience, and I didn't have the internet or a wonderful forum to go to for advice or experience back then...

Whatever decision you make from here is yours to make and will be the right one. I for one enjoy your presence here and hope that you'll continue in the hobby. Also, I'm just going to say that the keeping of tropical species is more difficult that most people let on. I had terrible experiences with "beginner" scorpions in my early days. Keeping tropical animals was something that I swore off for years afterwards, but with life comes experience and I made my way back.

I have kept many desert species over the years and highly recommend any of them as they are generally easier to care for, and quite hardy. Also, I recently lost a couple scorpions of my own further going to show that even with experience, these things are bound to happen.

Unfortunately it's getting quite late here, and I have to get some sleep. Again, best wishes...

If she has passed bro then I'm sorry for your loss.

But like Street said don't be to hard on yourself these things happen.

There could be times like you have had where you could lose 5 in 6 mos
and there could be years where everything flourishes and strives.

But don't give up though, I lost 4 in 1 mos before(1 of them being my favorite
Azrael my Opistophthalmus ecristatus I played with her every night used to take her out
with me everywhere) and I wanted to quit but didn't and am very glad I didn't

Street and Saleen, thanks a lot for your support!

Yeah, I was gonna say that I guess I'll get off of forest species for a while. I should have a Haddy coming soon (finally, I'm saying that from 3 months already) and I'm now searching 2 adult M.Martensii females.

Looking into getting some Hottentottas and Scorpio Maurus as well. I can't take Leiurus or Androctonus for now (I've promised my wife there won't be any lethal spp. at home).

I don't think I'd be able to live without inverts anymore though. Thinking about taking a T or 2 more, but really, they're not my thing, I much prefer scorpions.

I hear you on the T thing , I had a Rose Hair and a Goliath Bird Eater (6in) but just not as cool as scorps to me.

Hottentottas are nice but I'd def go with the Scorpio maurus if I were you there awesome and
feisty little bastards. They don't take crap from anything plus look cool.

Dolby, I'd be inclined to follow street here. Try to take care of a desert species.
They are piss easy and give much in return. They are more active, they are faster.. They literally stalk prey when they are hungry and they STING

That is also the worst part about desert species, they also try to sting you when you have to do something in their vicinity.

I am having trouble keeping the right humidity with some of my T's.. Between too moist and getting fungus, and too dry and seeing the spiders go to the substrate to get some humidity on them. Not only that, but temperatures are connected to moistureness. Warm an enclosure up to 30 degrees celsius in a dry environment, no big deal if it cools down it cools down, you heat it up, and it goes up again.

Humidity keeps warmth inside, heat one up to 30 degrees and it will feel pressing, cool it down and it will slowly cool down, to being VERY cold and wet, which the animals don't like either. I am no fan of keeping tropic species since they are just very hard to simulate their natural habitat. Some of us here get it nailed, some of us don't.

I am no expert on the arthropod field, but I think I do fine, since I only ever lost one during transport and on DKS. I still do not feel that I take 100% care of the tropical species and that is a pain in the ...

Andros, Leiurus, some Tityus and what not are painful when they sting, no doubt. Only 1% or less ends up fatal. I wouldnt be too affraid of the "lethal' thingy. If you have kids, don't do it. If you don't, go for it.

It died? It seemed almost dead already being so pale so you can't help it much dude..

what kind of heating are you using? My female is very docile, she wont move at the first touch of her tail.

IR lamp. The tank stays at 25-28 at all times.

aw man did it die?