Thinking of getting couple more scorps

Subject: Thinking of getting couple more scorps 9/15/2011, 7:08 pm

Hey guys i was thinking of ordering a couple more scorps from Ken the Bug Guy (who is the best by the way lol) before the temps get to cold to ship, prolly get two Vaejovis spinigerus (Striped Devil Scorpions) which i know how to keep these were common as black widows in AZ and one Smeringurus mesaensis (Dune scorpion), its the latter of the two im not to sure how to keep ive read online care sheets but would much rather hear from people who actually have owned this paticular species and know how to care the right way, i tend not to trust online care sheets too much since one might say this and another that its better to hear from experinced owners

Subject: Re: Thinking of getting couple more scorps 9/15/2011, 7:20 pm

I didn't realize that there was a shipping season. It makes sense i guess. I just figured they'd always be okay if you did overnight shipping or something.

Subject: Re: Thinking of getting couple more scorps 9/16/2011, 6:30 am

Theres not really a shipping season per say but Ken wont ship if temps are above 90 or below 30 thats a good thing though thats why his inverts always arrive alive and healthy

Subject: Re: Thinking of getting couple more scorps 9/16/2011, 6:40 am

link to caresheet....

https://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/t911-smeringurus-mesaensis-care

Subject: Re: Thinking of getting couple more scorps 9/16/2011, 6:42 am

also found this write up on venom list...

Smeringurus Mesaensis

Family - Vaejovidae

Genus - Smeringurus

Range - Arizona, California, Nevada

Habitat - can be found in sand dunes in california and arizona, but I have also found them in deserts with light rock cover and also inside abandoned burrows.

Size - 3-4"

Temperment - usually will choose flight over fight, which it does very well and very fast, but will readily sting and club if cornered.

Venom - 2 - I've been nailed by an adult female on several different occasions, put ice on the location of the sting for about an hour and pains subsides.

Other interesting facts- Smeringurus mesaensis is one of the most studied scorps in the world, but are still very difficult to breed in captivity. They are one of the fastest scorpions I have ever seen, they can easily reach the end of a 20 gallon tank with blinding speed. Unfortunately, Smeringurus mesaensis are widely used to make glass paperweights. Smeringurus mesaensis are known to be very cannibalistic in the wild. They can detect prey from far away by feeling the vibrations from the ground, and will often dart towards a possible prey item, again taking advantage of its lightning speed.

Captivity

Housing - can be put into a medium sized kritter keeper, but I prefer to house them in large critter keepers or 10 gallon tanks since they can run like no other.

Substrate - I like to mix any store bought sand with a harder, heavier dirt that I will often find at the sight of a caught specimen or from my backyard. make sure to pack down hard to allow a stable and durable burrowing substrate.

Rocks/other hides - Unnecessary but I like to add a little flair to my enclosures. My specimens will sometimes dig under the rocks and use them as well as their burrows.

Temperature - 78-98F are good day time temps, low 80's to high 60's at night

Humidity - keep these scorpions dry, a little misting once in a blue moon will not hurt these scorpions, but a constant high humidity is not healthy for these scorpions.

Food - crickets, worms, beetles, spiders, other scorpions(if your desperate). Mine tend to shy away from the crickets and go for the wolf spiders and superworms.

Communal - although I have put 1 Vaejovis spinigerus and 1 Smeringurus mesaensis in the same 10 gallon enclosure for 3 months with no problems, Smeringurus mesaensis will readily take another scorpion as prey so my suggestion is dont do it.

Breeding - these are hard to breed in captivity and also to raise from early instar, but it has been done before. I will be doing a breeding project around spring so I'll get to try my own hand at it.

These are unique and interesting scorpions that I would recommend to scorpion keepers at any level and experience. Like all scorpions there are always new discoveries and we are always learning. If anyone else has any input, feel free to add to this at any time as I would like it to be a good resource for those wanting to keep this scorpion.