[Discussion] Parabuthus spp.

Growth rate.

My P. Trans's are doing very well and are kept in separate enclosures within a humidity controlled larger 3' fish tank at circa 33 deg C. They are all fed at the same intervals with near as dammit the same size crickets. The containers are rotated at each feed so that each gets the same exposure to the heat source which is three black heat heaters spread at even intervals.

Why then is the rate of growth so different? Currently they are busy with their 4th to 5th moult with the larger scorp's at least 1.5x the size of other siblings while some have yet to moult 30 days after the first.

I spent a lot of time and effort in making sure conditions were the same to ensure that growth was the same. At 5th instar the pedipalp's have yet to show any differentiation for sexing purposes but could it be that the sizes are due to gender?

Andrew Leigh wrote:

Growth rate.

My P. Trans's are doing very well and are kept in separate enclosures within a humidity controlled larger 3' fish tank at circa 33 deg C. They are all fed at the same intervals with near as dammit the same size crickets. The containers are rotated at each feed so that each gets the same exposure to the heat source which is three black heat heaters spread at even intervals.

Why then is the rate of growth so different? Currently they are busy with their 4th to 5th moult with the larger scorp's at least 1.5x the size of other siblings while some have yet to moult 30 days after the first.

I spent a lot of time and effort in making sure conditions were the same to ensure that growth was the same. At 5th instar the pedipalp's have yet to show any differentiation for sexing purposes but could it be that the sizes are due to gender?

They can be sexed as early as 2-3i. The females have an enlarged middle basal lamella

Parabuthus transvaalicus, another brood. This one from a larger, brown female that my friend Envyism gave me. This was totally a surprise, he was over and I wanted to pull her and the other females into separate brooding enclosures to find her with a brood! One male was sitting next to her, and as we found them, she batted him away with her metasoma

Beautiful.