Hottentotta got problems

hi guys, seems my Hottentotta hottentotta got some serious problems here, i think it going to molt, but it can't make it, have been 3 days like that. or is there any another problem? here're the pics, sorry about the quality.

Definitely doesn't look good. . . (s)he's been in this same position for 3 days? Has it been moving at all? Did you notice it becoming lethargic and/or dragging it's tail beforehand?

Not much you can do but hope for the best I'm afraid. You may want to offer it some water, if it's unable to move, try using an eye dropper to give it a small amount of water.

yeah, it's been at the same position for 4 days just sometimes it moved lil bit. it's still moving and live. yup, i'm offered it some water at day 2, and i'm losing any hope now.

Sorry to hear this news bro..

By the way, what is her total length (including tail) and how often/method you used in terms of water provisioning?

I'm pretty sure I've seen desiccated Hottentotta die in that very position. I remember very early on into producing them that the young needed a tad bit more water than what I was giving them because I lost some good numbers with my first brood. I tend to offer mine water relatively often due to the fact that they're more of a savannah species than a true desert species.

GS wrote:

Sorry to hear this news bro..

By the way, what is her total length (including tail) and how often/method you used in terms of water provisioning?

Envyizm wrote:

I tend to offer mine water relatively often due to the fact that they're more of a savannah species

it's bout 4.5cm / almost 2 inches. I rarely mist it as I thought that humidity here already at high level as I live at Malaysia. all other desert scorpion could make it except this one. thanks guys for your comment, I really appreciate that. I think I should mist their enclosure more often. maybe due to the hot days here, and this fella still alive till now, it still moving. it's sad to see that, just look like it was cursed by voldermort, "crucio"

liocheles wrote:

I thought that humidity here already at high level as I live at Malaysia. all other desert scorpion could make it except this one

In terms of water provisioning, air humidity has no direct connection.

As for Envyizm's concerns, they are valid.

Just to add, even for true desert species (adults), it would be good to offer a small capful of water once every 1-2 weeks. Simply ensure that the bottle cap is not placed along the perimeter of the enclosure and provide good ventilation to the enclosure.

From they way i kept Hottentotta hottentotta, I mist once a week on the substrate and one side of the enclosure's wall to make sure that minimum 50% of the substrate surface is moist, at all times (if possible). Again, ensure good air ventilation and things will be fine.

Sample as follows:

Click here to view:

Each adult is between 6-7cm on average.

From your pics, when a specimen reaches this state, most likely she will not make it even though she's still "twitching" slightly now..

GS, have you got any mite problems with young instars? I rarely get mites anywhere, but I did lose a couple of H. caboverdensis to them.

+1 to anything else said before (GS & Envyizm), younger instars definitely appear to need higher moisture. I had a bunch of 2-3i's literally drying on me (still with metasoma up)

DolbyR wrote:

GS, have you got any mite problems with young instars?

Predatory mites, yes they'll appear occasionally if lets say, a cricket was left "unfinished" on a moist substrate area.

Not a problem for the young instars, hardly any death associate with them.

If the enclosure's floor space is very limited and the number of mites are overwhelming, it may cause stress to the scorpions, there might be impact to the scorpions during such extreme conditions. Let me know if there's other queries.

I got an "infestation" a couple weeks ago. No visible cricket parts etc. were present, but probably there was still something too small to be seen on naked eye.

The back and side of the 4i was full of them. I rehoused the specimen 2 times to a sterilized enclosure (8cm diam delicup) but within 3-4 days I lost her.

I've lost an A. bicolor the same way. The underside was full of mites, which I believe were slowly eating the scorpion to death. But it could also be that it was the stress from the mites that caused the death.

GS wrote:

she will not make it even though she's still "twitching" slightly now

yeah, she'll not make it.. thanks a lot for the advices! really really appreciate it. i'll get few more H.hottentotta to replace this girls. learned from the past.

DolbyR wrote:

I got an "infestation" a couple weeks ago. No visible cricket parts etc. were present, but probably there was still something too small to be seen on naked eye.

The back and side of the 4i was full of them. I rehoused the specimen 2 times to a sterilized enclosure (8cm diam delicup) but within 3-4 days I lost her.

I've lost an A. bicolor the same way. The underside was full of mites, which I believe were slowly eating the scorpion to death. But it could also be that it was the stress from the mites that caused the death.

Hmnn.. I have not gone in-depth in mites research before but it seems like mites of parasitic nature from your description.

liocheles wrote:

GS wrote:

she will not make it even though she's still "twitching" slightly now

yeah, she'll not make it.. thanks a lot for the advices! really really appreciate it. i'll get few more H.hottentotta to replace this girls. learned from the past.

Yeah, they're in abundance. I'm sure you'll get better on the next attempt

DolbyR wrote:

I got an "infestation" a couple weeks ago. No visible cricket parts etc. were present, but probably there was still something too small to be seen on naked eye.

maybe they came from cricket feeder, it happened to me once, those mites attacked my L.mucro and other tropical species also my T's but not desert. smaller than the mites that fed on the left over food. can be seen clearly under microscope. they're in metastigmata class., but can't define what species yet as i'm not good at ID mites. other mites found are dust mites.

Sounds about right.
I'll be getting a microscope in a couple of weeks, so if it ever happens again, I will hopefully be able to get a shot of what exactly are they.

DolbyR wrote:

Sounds about right.
I'll be getting a microscope in a couple of weeks, so if it ever happens again, I will hopefully be able to get a shot of what exactly are they.

that'll be awesome!

*update,, my H.hottentotta still live and moving but still at the same position. moulting problem really have this? i thought it'll die a day after it stuck there. it's bout 8 days, and it still live. i guess could be any other problem? is there scorpion wasp that paralyze scorpion and tend their egg in scorpion body? hope that's not happened because my scorpion is in secure lid, unless parasite infection.

*update., she still alive and moving............

liocheles wrote:

*update., she still alive and moving............

So, she started moving again?

DolbyR wrote:

liocheles wrote:

*update., she still alive and moving............

So, she started moving again?

not moving normally.. only the pedipalp, and the telson lil bit.. don't know what to do any more.. thinking to put her in sleep.