Welcome home Jabba the Scorp (H. Arizonensis)

vespers wrote:

I echo Eddy's sentiments...I wasn't trying to be a jerk about the water dish either. Just trying to help. I'm sure your haddy had quite the journey to make it to your country, and the mycosis may have been caused by the less-than-ideal conditions she may have had to endure during that journey.

I know also much appreciated. I think it's great we are trying to help each other, brings a forum much more to the meaning that it has had since the Old Days, to hear each others opinion, to voice what's on your mind and speak of it, where others are to agree or disagree.

So no worries, the water dish will go, can I at least put in a bottle cap? For me, I would sleep more easy knowing she can drink if she needs to.

Mako wrote:

What a beautiful scorpion. It's nice to see a collector so happy.

Thanks Mako!

Shakudo wrote:

So no worries, the water dish will go, can I at least put in a bottle cap? For me, I would sleep more easy knowing she can drink if she needs to.

Better idea, buy some water gell and right before you feed your scorp let the cricket or roach have a nice drink. That way you know your scorp is getting the water it needs without risking any actual water. I wish you can visit our deserts here in CA....you'd feel more comfortable about the water situation.

Yeah, I am already looking for some habitat pictures. I am trying to imagine what it would be like for her.

She is digging... and digging some more... I don't see here anymore, the look-through is barred up because she is digging in the opposite direction now, like in the front section of the habitat going right.




I hope everything will be okay, and that I will see her again soon.

Shakudo wrote:

Yeah, I am already looking for some habitat pictures. I am trying to imagine what it would be like for her.

Just do a web search for "Sonoran Desert".

Shakudo wrote:

Yeah, I am already looking for some habitat pictures. I am trying to imagine what it would be like for her.

She is digging... and digging some more... I don't see here anymore, the look-through is barred up because she is digging in the opposite direction now, like in the front section of the habitat going right.




I hope everything will be okay, and that I will see her again soon.

Beautiful species but yeah in the wild they dig….deep and in a spiral so that would explain why she’s digging in weird directions. But as someone who has actually been to the sonoran desert I can vouch for how hot and dry it is!

~Abyss~ wrote:

Shakudo wrote:

Yeah, I am already looking for some habitat pictures. I am trying to imagine what it would be like for her.

She is digging... and digging some more... I don't see here anymore, the look-through is barred up because she is digging in the opposite direction now, like in the front section of the habitat going right.




I hope everything will be okay, and that I will see her again soon.

Beautiful species but yeah in the wild they dig….deep and in a spiral so that would explain why she’s digging in weird directions. But as someone who has actually been to the sonoran desert I can vouch for how hot and dry it is!

If I had the coins.... I'd personally come check it out:)

Ok small update...

Everything is very quiet...
She dug in another direction and with the sand displacement, barred up the window... so I can't see in anymore.

I have listened every day the last couple of days, and haven't heard her digging, making scraping noises or notice anything really.

I hope she is ok, starting to get that "I want to know how she is doing" feeling, but I won't dig her out. It's her natural behavior, and I will give it a long time before I check on her personally.

At least when I could look in I saw everything was ok. I hope I hear / see her soon again.
Haven't seen her above ground since I got her.

Sounds healthy behavior. Hope she is happy.

Im sure she is! They usually stay under for a while when they are content with their sbustrate/enclosure. Its probably a good thing you arent seeing her!!

guats85 wrote:

Im sure she is! They usually stay under for a while when they are content with their sbustrate/enclosure. Its probably a good thing you arent seeing her!!

I hope so, I am really curious how she is settling in, but I hope all is well.

I would very much like to make a picture of her pectines and genital operculum to confirm she is female.
But patience......

1) Sexing via the Shape of the Genital Operculum (High accuracy)

Genital Operculum is located at the underside of a scorpion.

The location of Genital Operculum is identical for both males and females:

Female: They have a "heart-shape" Genital Operculum and it's pointed tip is facing towards the metasoma (scorpion's tail).

Sexing Pandinus spp and Heterometrus spp
by GS on Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:19 am

.Sexing Pandinus spp and Heterometrus spp

1) Sexing via the Shape of the Genital Operculum (High accuracy)

Genital Operculum is located at the underside of a scorpion.

The location of Genital Operculum is identical for both males and females:



Males: They have an "oval shaped" Genital Operculum

Female: They have a "heart-shape" Genital Operculum and it's pointed tip is facing towards the metasoma (scorpion's tail). Refer to the reference shot i took on my pair of specimens.



2) Comparing the size of pectines (feather-looking thing near the Genital Operculum

As you can see from the picture above, males' pectine are much thicker and longer than female’s. This may be a feasible sexing method if you have a few specimens to compare with.

A pectine tooth count (PTC) will not be effective for sexing as the PTC of males and females overlap in numbers.

Method one should always be your first attempt on sexing.

I thought these were good tips for sexing scorps.

Those are traits for sexing Pandinus and Heterometrus species. Hadrurus arizonensis have a different set of traits:

1) Pectine tooth count: Males have 32-37 teeth, females have 24-31 teeth.

2) Pectine Length: Male pectines extend past joint in fourth leg, female pectines do not.

3) Distance between the inner (proximal) pectine teeth: In males, the inner pectine teeth will touch or overlap during rest. In females, the pectines would have to be swept back at an unnatural angle for them to touch. Basically, females have a wider space between the pectines to allow for birthing.

Yeah I guess I did generalize it didnt I? It wiild be different based on different species. My mistake. :/

guats85 wrote:

Yeah I guess I did generalize it didnt I? It wiild be different based on different species. My mistake. :/

It's different, but I appreciate your help anyway!

shebeen wrote:

Those are traits for sexing Pandinus and Heterometrus species. Hadrurus arizonensis have a different set of traits:

1) Pectine tooth count: Males have 32-37 teeth, females have 24-31 teeth.

2) Pectine Length: Male pectines extend past joint in fourth leg, female pectines do not.

3) Distance between the inner (proximal) pectine teeth: In males, the inner pectine teeth will touch or overlap during rest. In females, the pectines would have to be swept back at an unnatural angle for them to touch. Basically, females have a wider space between the pectines to allow for birthing.

Thank you for sharing this, I will see when I finally get to see her again.
I will test it on her pics.


Haven't heard or seen her yet.
I am a bit nervous, haven't heard any digging or scraping sounds this week.
Heard no activity at all.
Hope she is ok.

She's probably just in her hole relaxing. I wouldn't worry about it. My Emperors haven't come out of their hide in a very long time, approximately two and half weeks. But I still feed them and they're doing alright. They're very happy scorpions if I had to guess.

Jabba is alive and well!


Ok, well I haven't heard from her quite a while.
No digging, or any kind of noises, nor did I see her anymore.

Reluctantly I dug her up, I just had to make sure she was ok and in the meantime gave her terrarium a little upgrade like I did with the rest.

I was very relieved and happy to see a wiggling scorpion coming out of the sand.

Also I took the time to do a little photoshoot, and check on her well being.
Took some measurements and she was very calm.

I think she lost some weight actually, she seems thinner. She hasn't molted or anything so I give the terrarium a polish added some thinks and left it at that.

I handled her gently behind her aculeus and she was very relaxed and not at all aggressive. I took some pictures and put her back in the enclosure. She now sits behind her hide again.
I am very relieved.

Here are the pictures, please enjoy :

Added some sand, a few pieces of forest ground, some Catappa leaves, and a new stone.



Approximately 8,5/9 cmters total body lenght from aculeus to cephalothorax


Very hard to keep the camera still and a scorpion in your other hand but a little picture of the mycosis scar at the mesosoma. Some speculate that is is actually a mating sting wound.




They told me it is a she... I think that is correct looking at the space between the inner pectines which is quite wide, in contrast to a male which has a narrow space.



In all her glory <3

























That's all folks! Byeeeee !!!





Take care now,


Joey

Nice pics as always.

Looks like she forgot to wipe her butt.

Patcho wrote:

Nice pics as always.

Looks like she forgot to wipe her butt.

Thanks bro!

Haha! ^ Got a good laugh out of that!!

Little tour of my renewed enclosure:

~Abyss~ wrote:

Man I love Haddy's. Hadrurus species are in my top 5 favorite scorpions. Definitely one of the best and easiest to care for...just make sure you get an adult to avoid molting problems. Really nice pics Joey! My H. Spadix is hanging out in it's burrow...haven't been able to get good pix yet.

Bayss wrote:

Man I love Haddy's. Hadrurus species are in my top 5 favorite scorpions. Definitely one of the best and easiest to care for...just make sure you get an adult to avoid molting problems. Really nice pics Joey! My H. Spadix is hanging out in it's burrow...haven't been able to get good pix yet.

Well I dug her out last time, due to some overprotective tendencies from me...
Haven't heard/ seen her since she dug herself in.
Mine probably is sub adult, so I hope for the best.

H. Spadix is also quite nice with the contrast