Scorpling (singular)

(note: I feel like I could write a novel so if I digress, I apologize)

Two weeks ago I was given what I believed to be, a rare opportunity, a scorpling to raise. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a complete novice at this having never done it before, but trying to do my best by reading any tidbit on the internet I can find, and in the variety of books racked up in any pet store. So if I have made any dire mistake thus far, feel free to yell at me, I'm told I respond well to it.

A fairly renowned museum up here in 'The Rockies' had an exhibit of bioluminescent critters from the world over come up and stay here for a few months, during which time they realized that they had a gravid Pandinus on their hands (clearly creatures traveling the world over have nothing better to do with their time then breed). So there was a call out to employees of the museum, and other closely related people to take care of them, individually, because they didn't have the space for them at the museum and they weren't going to go 'on tour' with the rest.

So 8 days ago, Calahan arrived. From what I was told, he was somewhere between 2 - 4 weeks old, and from what I could see about 3-4 cm long, tail - chela, light to medium brown, and adorable. I transferred him from the ghetto of a traveling container I was given, to his terrarium (10 gallon, 5 or 6 cm of bark, temps/hygros, heating mat on the back wall, heating lamp - used part time).

Right off the bat, he kinda looked around, and then headed for part of a log that was in place and worked his way under it. I'd placed a small small small cricket inside with him, and although I never saw him feed, its definitely dead, whether it was dinner, or burrowed and died somewhere.


Day 2

I wake up and turn around, and Calahan is flush against the glass behind my head, kinda cute to me, really wish he was there every morning so I knew he was alright. I looked a little closer, and he had squeezed himself between the rocks in the terrarium and the side, and being the overly concerned parent, I thought he was stuck and so I shifted the rocks and helped him right himself, at which point he worked his way back to the log.


Day 3

In the morning, no sign of him. After work, I did some thorough checking and with the addition of another cricket that pathed around the cage, a claw leering out of a hole nested in the back corner of the cage (next to the heating mat) and next to a piece of buried drift wood. Clearly this is his burrow. That evening I watched him scare away either of the baby crickets that got near the entrance, but I of course was worried cause he wasn't eating them.


Day 4

I placed a mealworm (dead, but moist) a little ways away from his burrow in the afternoon, hoping to give him either some variety, or his first meal if all the crickets have evaded him and are just somehow breaking out of a sealed glass terrarium.


Day 5

I was ecstatic, the mealworm was gone. And I really pretty sure that the crickets didn't drag it away.


Til Now (~Day

Addition of an occasional small small cricket, and a second mealworm last night. I woke up to find that part of it had be gnawed on, maybe Calahan, maybe a cricket, I don't know. I haven't seen him in two days, as his burrow, due to the location of the heating pad makes me completely unable to see if he's in there and doing good/bad. The temperature ranges from 22 C at the very coldest to nearly 30 at the hottest, with it averaging about 25ish, probably more like 27 - 28 where the burrow is. I do my best to keep humidity high by misting the terrarium, telling myself that I'm simulating rain, but its pretty tough to keep the burrow area terrain as moist as the rest of the terrarium... oh and the humidity never gets below 50%, with it peaking out around 90%.

I just realize that I've written the better half of a short story without any real real questions. But after reading a couple dozen posts here, I've realized that I've read all of the 'How to' pages on the net about what you should do to care for a Emperor, and at this point looking for a little human interaction with the raising of him. I find myself constantly worrying about temperature (i.e. I live in Montana and woke up to three inches of snow this morning that wasn't there last night) and humidity, and if he's eating and if he's happy? Sigh. I just wish every night as I went to bed he'd like take a lap around the cage and take a drink so that I knew he was doing okay.

If anyone reads through all this, I thank you whole heartedly, just a worried father.

The funny thing about emperors from my experience is that it'll eat a bunch sometimes... and other times seemingly go forever without eating. Mine seems very very happy lately and spends a lot of his time in his hide or out in the heatlamp area.

The thing though about them you have to remember (as with many scorpions) is that they are pretty nocturnal little things. Mine is pretty much laid back like he's on the beach sipping on a corona during the day, and at night he'll be walking around doing his thing constantly.

I was pretty worried myself but they do a lot of their stuff at night when you probably aren't looking.

If you're keeping the temperature and humidity where it should be, it's got a good place to hang out and hide out and food to eat, it'll be a happy scorp.

i live in central oregon so the temperature here regularly is 20-50.... Fahrenheit.... so heatlamp, cover and good humidity is a must when I'm not home. I feel for ya there.

As I've been told by many people who love these scorps "If it's a happy emp, you probably won't see it much". Although keeping it undisturbed will allow it to feel more open with it's environment as I've also read a lot of handling and stress makes them reclusive and you almost never see them.

Sounds as if you have read some care sheets so you understand the importance of humidity and heat to the emp. It doesn't sound like you're doing anything bad. Just remember they're pretty docile and kicked back scorpions and they don't seem to eat too much. Mine seems to eat once a week to once every week and a half.... Even then sometimes he stretches it further.

Mine eat once a week if that. This is normal. Dont worry.

You have got your scorpling rather young, as in 2I. Dont get too attached until he/she has moulted again into 3I
they dont always make it to 3I (as I have recently found out with my young)

xxxxxxxxx

First off, welcome to the boards, and welcome to your newest addiction!

My first suggestion is to replace the bark you mentioned with several inches of either expanded coconut fiber (commonly sold in compressed bricks as Bed-A-Beast) or peat. This will give the little guy a much easier time burrowing, and it holds humidity much better.

As someone mentioned earlier, emperor scorpions sometimes go long periods without eating. This is more common with adults than it is with young, but young will refuse food if approaching (or having just finished) a molt.

Also, regarding the idiom "a scorp in its burrow is a happy scorp," I still like being able to see my burrowing scorps. If you put a ready-made hide (such as a piece of bark) with one end against the glass and the other end facing into the tank, he may begin making a new burrow against the glass.

Other than the substrate, it sounds like you're doing great!

A tip on feeders -- crickets can be violent sometimes, so I suggest headcrushing it unless you can watch your scorpion feed on it and make sure nothing goes wrong. Mealworms can also be on the fatty side, so they do best as the occasional treat.

If you're like anyone else on here, you'll soon have a small zoo of predatory arthropods, so you may consider getting a colony of cockroaches started. They can't harm your scorpions like crickets can, and the have a better meat and fat content than other feeders.