emperor scorpion general chat and care

i was examining my emp today, and i noticed little insect-mite things on her. they are very small, nearly unnoticable, and they are always moving about. they dont seem to be bothering her. any idea what they could be? predatory mites, maybe?

If they're always moving, they're predatory mites.

If they congregate in huge numbers around the joints and don't move, they're bad mites (which predatory mites eat).

so predetory mites are good?

scorpion111 wrote:

so predetory mites are good?

Spot on. They act as scavengers, feeding on dead carcasses of feeders and etc..

I work in a lab where one of my duties includes monitoring mite populations. I know my mites!

IHeartMantids wrote:

I work in a lab where one of my duties includes monitoring mite populations. I know my mites!

do you work with that family? scorps, mites, spiders, etc?

As far as arachnids, just mites. I help monitor the populations of Eriophyid mites on grape leaves as well as the predatory Phytoseiid mites that feed on them -- sometime's I'll find spider mites, too (Tetranychidae).

...is it... exciting?

When I see a Phytoseiid attack an Eriophyid it is.

Or when swallows strafe / dive-bomb us when we're collecting leaves from a vineyard.

ive noticed something weired lately, my scorpie is walking about with it's belly higer above the ground than usual, and its back is in a slight arch. is it about to moult or....? whats it doing? just being weired?

It's called stilting. They do that if they're too warm or if they feel like being weird.

cool. she doesnt seem to be doing it anymore.

the old pet shop got alot of new stuff in today, they have been runnin a little low on feeders latley, but i got all my stuff. i got a box of roaches, too. i have to say, they smell like roses compared to crickets. i also got my first proper glass tank. its brilliant and alot nicer looking than a kritter keeper. and on a less pleaseant note, i got tagged by my scorp. it didnt hurt as much as i thought, and i dont think she skooshed to much in,anyway.

Nice! Now go post a sting report.

scorpion111 wrote:

i have to say, they smell like roses compared to crickets.

Tell me about it! That was my reaction when I first got roaches. So what species?

*Connie* wrote:

how did you manage to get tagged? what happened?

i had her in a small box while i set up her new home, and she was hiding under a loghide thingy. anyway, i went to lift up the hide and she felt it rubbing against her side. out of all the hide, she grabed my thumb and jabbed her barb into it. damn. it didnt hurt to much at first, but a couple of minutes later it was throbbing. im impresed! its fine now, though.

IHeartMantids wrote:

Nice! Now go post a sting report.

scorpion111 wrote:

i have to say, they smell like roses compared to crickets.

Tell me about it! That was my reaction when I first got roaches. So what species?

lobsters, i think. they're quite big!

Lobsters are glass-climbers and they can run FAST, so make sure to coat the top inside of the container with vaseline and use a good lid (recommend stretching fabric across the top under the lid -- first instars are pretty tiny). I don't think lobsters are very large; perhaps you've gotten a different species (B. dubia are quite large and very common in the hobby).

>lobster roach pic<

they are definetly lobs. i took one out to look at it, and droped it. it ran out my room. the dog got it though! muhahahahaha!!!

i'll be getting pics of my scorp up soon! yay!

good news!
i found a moulted exo in the scorplings tank! ive seen the culprit he's/she is quite a bit bigger than the other 2i's, who are also about to moult, cause they look considerebly fatter than usual, and the cricket i put in last feed was barely touched. from what i can see of the exo, it was a perfect moult. i hope its the same for his siblings.

good news and annoying news.


good news.
they scorplings are doing brilliantly, i fed them tonight. as soon as i took the lid off one came charging out. i gave him his own locust (hoppers) and he seemed rather stingy tonight
and all his bro's and sis' are doing fine.

annoyning news.
mum hasnt fed for ages! 2 months now, i think. she still comes out at night, and does all the ususal stuff. so i havent seen any feeding action for a while. the weird thing is, she acts like she wants fed! she sits at the edge of the hide in the "feed me" position, but when i offer her food she seem scared frassless of it. or she pics it up, kills it, then sorta.... throws it away.

Try not feeding her for a few weeks.

I would just not bother feeding also for a few weeks. if she is not hungry by then I would wait another few weeks.

xxx

cool, thanks guys. shes done this before and she suddenly starts eating again for a few feeds then stops eating again. mabye she has a slow metabolism or someting.