Androctonus bicolor

Hi all

My question is for the owners of A.Bicolor or anyone that is informed...........actually two questions:

1. How long does usually take for them to reach adulthood provided that they have 24-32 degrees temperatre and normal diet?
2. What do I use for substrate when they grow up so they can securelly burrow and not get burried allive? (right now I only have sahara sand that is really really fine)

Thx

I think they take around 2 years from 2i to adulthood.

Mix some excavator sand to your desert sand, moisten it and compact it. Or, wait Pluto to pop in and explin you about clay water.

I use moistened and compacted desert sand for my 2-3i's. Works pretty good too.

Agree with DolbyR's suggestion.
N yeah, Pluto is the official Mr bicolor ard

I Need to stay humble.. so thats too much guys.
Everyone should get to know this great species.

Its not so hard, just follow what DolbyR said. Thats it.... lol

As adults keep them hot, as youngsters keep them mediate and 1/4th of the substrate really moist. If you want them to live longer, you lower the temperature during winter to mimick seasonal changes, they will "hibernate" like that.

Hot is 30-35 degrees
mediate is 20-25 degrees

Drop the heating at night, it gets cold in the desert too at night..

Ok thank you guys, you were helpful!

I just got 2 i3 a couple of days ago and I am really suprised at their agressivnes.
Little fella overpowered a cricket double his size with no problem and had no problems with food beeing bigger than he is. Also I noticed they also pick up and eat legs of their former pray which I didnt notice on any other species. Usually if the pray is dead they wont touch it.

Guys I am having a problem with one of mine 3i Bicolors. HE is constantly making a deep burrow and as he digs it he fills his entrance and cant get out. I can see him on the side of the glass but he is caved in to say so. He is cionstantly doing that. My question is: is this normal and can he get out on his own (dig him self out) or should I help him. I dont think he gets any air when he buries himself!

Perhaps it is sealing off it's burrow to get ready to molt.

Wearelegion wrote:

Guys I am having a problem with one of mine 3i Bicolors. HE is constantly making a deep burrow and as he digs it he fills his entrance and cant get out. I can see him on the side of the glass but he is caved in to say so. He is cionstantly doing that. My question is: is this normal and can he get out on his own (dig him self out) or should I help him. I dont think he gets any air when he buries himself!

Scorpion19981000 wrote:

Perhaps it is sealing off it's burrow to get ready to molt.

Was he/she last seen as a "fatty" and seems to be in pre-molt?

Most likely what Scorpion19981000 suggest is right. They does the cave in process and seals off the entrance in preparation for a molt. As you know, this gives them a sense of security when they'll all vulnerable without the protection of a strong exoskeleton.

To answer your question:

Q: Is this normal
1. Yes, this is normal

Q: Can he get out on his own (dig him self out) or should I help him
2. If he can get in, 99% he can get out. Unless you are talking about loosely packed sand with a giant boulder on top which pins him down. I will not suggest to dig him out as you risk interrupting a molt.

I'll say... from he day he caved himself in, give a max of 2-3 weeks before you start to consider anything else then to leave him alone

Q: I dont think he gets any air when he buries himself!
Even though ventilation is not as much as in the open, there is definitely air sufficient for him to stay alive.
Apart from getting a sense of security for an incoming molt, sometimes scorpions burrows to an exact depth within the substrate to get the ideal humidity, which maybe helpful to molting.

The lower the air ventilation.. higher is the humidity.. (e.g. why some emps' keeper covers part of the enclosure's top lid with a damp cloth to bump up humidity for a molting/ gravid scorp)

Great info, I have 2i Androctonus A and a couple have buried themselves. lets see what happens!

If you dont want them to dig that much you can make your enclosure more moist, they usually dig out of instinct in search of moistureness.

Be it for molting or be it for hydration and running from extreme heat.

No he is not premolt. even when I put him in a normal sand he triest to dig in every corner hehe.

This one is unlike other 2.

They all have the same conditions but this one digs like crazy. I will try to meke the substrate more compact so he can make normal tunnels and not burry himself.

Make it a bit more moist and provide a shelter, see what it does after that.