Mycosis discussion thread

<Note from Mike: I thought the "A. bicolor growth rate" thread had gotten a bit off-topic, so I moved the mycosis discussion here.

g-thing wrote:

they get mycosis very very easy careful wetting the corner

>

wow just leanred something new about wetting a corner like that

now is it with desert species or just any scorpions at that

next question, what is mycosis, i have asked others on different forums never really gotten an answer

its a fungus or bacteria that will slowly eat at your scorpion
it does things like eat through a leg in till it falls off
and most desert scorp are highly prone to mycosis

thanks Labin, for expelaining this to me

Here's a picture of mycosis:


The female on the right has some bad spots on the metasoma and tergites. It wasn't in her booklungs, but she died a little over a week after that picture was taken.

now those black spotts on the female as you mentioned, id that mycosis, if so then my Desert hairy has it now.

is there there a way to cure this

and thanks for sharing the pic, now i know what it is


Ps, so far i am loving this forum

That doesn't all look like mycosis to me. How the hell did you manage to get mycosis on a tropial scorpion?

-Eddy

Hell if I know -- it looked to me like the pictures I'd seen of mycosis, and she died about a week later. (I've actually heard of emps getting it before too.)

Redknee, I wouldn't jump to the mycosis conclusion with your desert hairy just yet. When I first got mine I thought she had it, but this species tends to have dark-looking joints that can be mistaken for mycosis.

Yeah I get freaked when I see my pallidus and see black spot around then I realize thats just the color. If you have a pic posted up I'd like to see.
-Eddy

So Eddy, if that's not mycosis on my jacksoni, then what was it and why did it kill her? I thought B. jacksoni preferred mid-range humidity, so I expect that it's possible for them to get it but not as likely as say, an exclusively desert species.

Is mycosis exclusive to scorpions?

No as for the B.jacks it does seem to have some mycosis there but none that would kill her. How much humidity did you have them in? I think if it got mycosis then it wasn't being kept properly and thats what porbably killed it.
-Eddy

It was being kept at a mild humidity and was misted occasionaly. The conditions seemed fine for the male, as he was in the same tank and is still alive and well with no symptoms. My other female and my immature are also fine.

When I noticed it (about a week before she died), I moved her to a dry delicup with some cocofiber and a hide.

Well I usually keep mine at tropical humidity with a dry vertical hides so they can escape humidity. No problems as of yet. And never had mycosis. Thats just weird.
-Eddy

Hmm. Looks like I'm the new Repository of Unusual Deaths.

Bummer.

Well theres been cases of even emps and hets getting mycosis I just think it's either WC or they just didn't house it right.
-Eddy

WARNING:mycosis can spread by contact a journel of medicine said humans and animals can spread mycosis by contact
im looking for more info to narrow this down to insects



O a big note over the counter fungal ointments can combat mycosis even on your scorps

Something noteworthy to keep in mind . . .

I've only heard of one or two cases of emps getting it, so don't panic just yet.

I would guess that tropical scorps are just build better to resist the common occurance in the wild. Desert speices don't have to deal with this stuff in the wild so why would they be able to defend against it. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't scorps typically get the infection in spots that are weaker? ie: joints, accidents, areas from bad molts.

I have also heard different things on the anti-fungal that "could" be used. One problem is that desert species live in sand and with a creme solution the sand typically gets on the cream. I also heard that if too much is used it can kill your scorp.

It really doesnt matter how much you see its still probably going to kill the scorp. seems like once you notice it, its to late.
this one only had a few spots on it and within 2 weeks she was dead;

i've had others that died and after looking you can see it.
The only question that I have that still hasnt been answerd is if a inmature gets it will it come off in a molt?

wburke17 wrote:

The only question that I have that still hasnt been answerd is if a inmature gets it will it come off in a molt?

I guess we'll have to wait until it happens to someone.

I was going to start a new thread for this topic in the P imp forum but happened across this one... here's what I was posting:

So when I first got my emperor scorpion I was trying to sex it. On its pectines it had black spots. Coming from the tarantula world blackness is okay... it means a molt is coming. So I didn't think anything of it.

Well, the little bugger passed on today.

I now know what mycosis is and feel that's prolly what did her in.

I think something about mycosis should be added to the P imperator FAQ (or maybe a general scorpion FAQ) as it seems like that is a somewhat frequent thing. I know mycosis happens to other creatures poorly kept at high humidities and low ventilation but from what I read on AB it unfortunately happens a handful to Emps and other scorps. I think people should know 1) To really keep an eye on their set ups as far as ventilation goes and 2) How to recognize what mycosis looks like and how to deal with it when spotted (no pun intended). It seems like an easy thing to fend off if people are aware it can happen. ...or maybe an easy thing to contain if they're like me and was given a scorpion that had it already.

Now I have to wonder if my few high humidity tarantulas have anything to worry about. I keep their ventilation good but I know mycosis is contagious... who is to say they are going to be spared. I'm pretty good about not touching one container and then touching another... but who knows if I messed up once or something. *sigh*

i have never heard of forest scorps getting mycosis.. any one got a picture of that ?