housing a pair of emps

We went out today and bought a pair of emps to hopefully breed, bought a big box which looked plenty big at the time, and then the two scorps. However, now ive put one in there it suddenly looks very small. Is this big enough to house a M-F pair of emps or do I need to consider a bigger box? The scorp you see in the pic is the larger female.

Looks good enough to me, as long as the substrate is deep enough to burrow.

By the way, who sexed them? There's been a few recent posters who bought "sexed" emperors only to discover they weren't what was expected.

IHeartMantids wrote:

Looks good enough to me, as long as the substrate is deep enough to burrow.

By the way, who sexed them? There's been a few recent posters who bought "sexed" emperors only to discover they weren't what was expected.

Both myself (first time actually doing it) and the guy who works at the shop who I know is a pretty reliable guy. One had pectines waaaay longer than the other. Ive tried them in there together once and they had a bit of a go at eachother, but since then ive added a couple of inches to the substrate and plan to start their burrows for them. I'll post a pic later of both in together.. The box is an 18 litre box with 4-6 inch deep substrate

Ok right, they're both in there together now, theres been a bit of poking with pedipalps over whose house is whose but nothing serious (earlier one of them pretended to sting the other?)

Substrate is about 4-6 inches deep. First pic shows them together, second is the housing arrangement they seem happy with. They are fine apart but from what ive seen they get a pushy with eachother when their paths cross. Is this something they will adapt to or something they'll kill eachother over? They've swapped sides since I last checked and both are still alive!

take a pic of the pectines because if they are both male then they wont stop fighting and they will fight to the death.
that adult locust in there may be a bit too big for them to handle and if they can then you should make a longer gap between feeding.

The seemed to take the locust down fine between them..

Here are their pectines, the female is missing half of one.

Questionable male..



Questionable female..



I put them back and left them for a while and it seems he invited her over for dinner... They shared a tasty locust supper over a cup of tea.

from what I can see, yep a male and female pair.

If you want them to mate, put in a flat bit of rock for them to mate on.

xxxx

do what connie says...shes the expert..

Everything looks good, and you've definitely got a male / female pair (that female's genital operculum is the most heart-shaped I've ever seen!). Regarding the "pretend" sting -- are you aware what mating looks like? Sometimes the male will give the female a sexual sting, and sometimes they appear to "sword-fight" with their metasomas. Mating in general looks like they're holding pinchers and dancing around, if you didn't know.

_scorpio_ wrote:

if they are both male then they wont stop fighting and they will fight to the death.

NOT true. Emps are very communal and not nearly that territorial.

what are you using for heating?

I just put a rock in mine wishing something would happen.. Its about 2x3 inchs and it has a smile face on it =D i call it the happy rock ahahah!

Simple setup you got there i like it!

SafetyDang wrote:

what are you using for heating?

I just put a rock in mine wishing something would happen.. Its about 2x3 inchs and it has a smile face on it =D i call it the happy rock ahahah!

Simple setup you got there i like it!

A hot room lol, heated by the radiator and a couple of vivs weve got in there so normal room temp in there is good for our scorps, ive seen the mating dance on David Attenborough and it could have been but there was no pincer-holding I need to sort them out with a flat rock, or would it work if i just compacted the soil down in one part of the box?

i would make sure the male had a flat surface to put his "parcel" on for the female. Even just a big smooth river stone would be better then nothing.

xxx

Some scorpions have managed to attach it to the substrate, but I'd think your cork would suffice if they can both easily climb over it.

Also, if your female is already gravid, it's likely you won't see any mating.

we think she may be.. ill post some pictures when i get some, cheers

if she is she wont have ANY of his advances hehehehehe
Ive never seen a scorpion run so fast like my grrl did when running away from Pinchy when he was "having a go".
talk about ZOOM!
*laughs*

I hope your female is already gravid! makes it easier then hoping two will get it on!
xxx