My Emp - Pics and Feeding Question

Hey Everyone,

Here are a few pics of my Emp. No name yet but I'm working on it! Could you all tell me what instar he/she appears to be? And if the scorp seems healthy based on your standards?

Also, what is the best way to feed? I always assumed just chucking a cricket in there would be sufficient but the scorp has not eaten yet that I know of. The first night there was a cricket in there that disappeared, hopefully it was eaten and it didn't escape (the lid is pretty tight). I know it is not unusual for them to fast, especially given it's in a new environment (I've had it for about a week now) but I was just wondering if there is a right/wrong way to feed?

Thanks and here's the images:

You might wanna put some more soil in there, they burrow alot.
I fed my H. Laoticus cricks since i got them, but i will change to roaches now, the good guys of this forum taught me that today
though cricks should be okay.
If it has trouble catching the cricks, then pull its drumsticks off.
I think the lack of hunger is due to the new home.. It can take a while for them to settle.

Yes I know it needs more Eco Earth I am actually waiting for the new hiding rock that is supposed to be coming in the next day or two. I'm going to angle it and make a burrow out of it. I got that giant bag of Eco Earth that you get at Petco, just waiting on the hiding rock to add it all lol.

Ahh okay, i bet it will get its hunger back, as soon as the home gets completed Your P.Imp. looks great BTW.

Looks great! And my sub adult hasnt eaten in close to two months now. From what I understand they just stop eating for periods of time. It'll get hungry again.

Scorpion975 wrote:

Could you all tell me what instar he/she appears to be? And if the scorp seems healthy based on your standards?

Your scorp is an adult and looks very healthy.

Do you know how to sex your scorp?
Here's a link if you don't: [HOW TO] Sexing Pandinus spp and Heterometrus spp

If you're still unsure of it's gender, post some pics of it's pectines and operculum and we'll sex it for you.

I'll get on that and let you guys know tomorrow. Thanks for all your help!

Adult? I would have thought it would be larger unless it's a dwarf.

Yup definitely a adult. Adults have red telsons while younger individuals have pale yellow or orange.

How large is your emp? The average size is 4-6 inches, although some individuals are smaller and some (very rarely) reach lengths approaching 8 inches. Keep in mind that scorpions are measured from the tip of their prosoma to the tip of their telson.

Congrats on your new buddy

Thanks to you all I have determined that my scorpion is a male. I still have not named him but I can now customize it. I'll keep trying to feed until one day he grabs a cricket lol.

I also have gotten the new hide and it's all set up. It's a good size and with more Eco Earth I am sure he will be burrowing in no time.

Being that he was purchased as an adult I am hoping he will live a long time, there's no way to tell how long they sit in the stores.

Emps have a fairly long lifespan, you'll probably have him for a while.

Scorpion19981000 wrote:

Emps have a fairly long lifespan, you'll probably have him for a while.

If you know it's real age. Unfortunately (atleast on my side of the pond) most emps in the trade are old adults. I've had emps dying from old age just 1-2 months after getting them. Hence why I refuse to get an emp until I find some juvis.

Mine was the largest in the batch, the rest all had the telson color of Sub-Adults whereas mine has the adult coloration. There's no way to tell age so the best way to go about it is to enjoy him for what he is and hope he has as long a life with me as my other pets do.

And being that he's male it's a relief that I won't have any unexpected births a few months down the line. Not sure how I would be able to find homes for that many scorpions! lol

DolbyR wrote:

Scorpion19981000 wrote:

Emps have a fairly long lifespan, you'll probably have him for a while.

If you know it's real age. Unfortunately (atleast on my side of the pond) most emps in the trade are old adults. I've had emps dying from old age just 1-2 months after getting them. Hence why I refuse to get an emp until I find some juvis.

Strange. Where I live, all the emps in the pet-stores are juveniles or sub-adults, we occasionally get adults in but for the most part they're all juveniles and sub-adults.

But yes, you can't really tell it's age once it's an adult, it could live years or it could live months.

scorpion19981000 wrote:

Where I live, all the emps in the pet-stores are juveniles or sub-adults, we occasionally get adults in but for the most part they're all juveniles and sub-adults.

Wish it'd be the same here. Probably the local of local breeders is the main issue.

just remember to keep the dirt moist, when mine was on the dry side they didnt burrow, i started pooring water on the dirt and now they dig deep burrows and come out when they are hungry. nice looking emp by the way