Dune scorpion acting weird - Updated - death

In a previous thread, I asked about my dune scorpion just sitting on the water gel.

http://www.scorpion-forum.com/t9884-dune-scorpion-on-water-gel-need-help


But now, with the water gel removed (and any sources of water), the dune scorpion has been out of its burrow quite frequently during the day recently.

I'm kind of concerned about how it's just out during the middle of the day. Usually, a few months back when I first got it, it's always inside of its burrow until it's really dark.

I tried changing the temperature because I thought that was the problem, but the behavior seems to be the same. It's summer time here in California, and it gets pretty hot during the day, but cold at night. Inside of the tank, I tried various temperatures ranging from 75 F to 90 F, but the scorpion still sometimes stay outside of its burrow during the day.

Humidity is consistently no more than 30%.

And its not eating as often. It is, however, alert when it is bothered by the cricket. But, it doesn't seem to put much effort into hunting it. Two small crickets I tried feeding it the past few days lived at the time I got them out of the scorpion tank, but later died after being attacked by the scorpion.

What's going on? And what should I do?

maybe it's preparing for a molt?

Mine has done the same at different points throughout the time I've had it. It will wander and stay out in the open, even during the daytime.

I don't think I'm providing incorrect conditions for it (it's certainly never shown any signs of illness, and still eats regularly when not in one of it's wandering modes) and have put this behaviour down to it being an adult male that is wandering around looking for a female.

Is yours an adult, and do you know the sex of it?

Water gel? Real water is free lol.

Nothing to unusual about that, maybe it’s not eating because it’s in premolt which would explain why it wanted a little humidity. What part of California do you live in, where it’s summer already? Cuz here in L.A it’s still spring

I am near Sacramento area, Davis to be specific.

I don't know if it's in premolt.

It doesn't look like it's an adult. It's still rather small. And I don't know what sex it is. That's why I've been calling it an it. lol

The water gel (Soil Moist) was for the crickets so they don't drown, haha.

My baby snake sheds on a monthly basis. But, scorpions don't go through that many molts, so I can't tell if it's molting.

Edit: I have noticed it folding its legs up closer to its body though quite frequently. Is that suppose to be it sleeping?

it's probably stilting maybe it's too hot. But a fasting scorpion is nothing to worry about. Worry if it's groggy and tail flat (flatter than usual, I know dunes lay their tails fat)

Bad news, it's dead. I have no clue what happened. Everything went right until the temperatures up here in went up. Then it started acting weird.



Bottom view



I'm suspicious of the crickets that he ate. I had fed the crickets Soil Moist to keep them hydrated, and I fed them Repashy's bug burger. Before he started acting weird, I had fed the cricket with Repashy's Superload.

I have a temptation to see what's in its stomach, and why it decided not to stay in the burrow. I had tested the temperature there and it's around the 80's at night.

):

my condolences

It’s underside looks rather dark…parasite maybe? Sorry for your loss.

It was captive bred from lllreptile, so I don't think it was parasites. Plus, I tried to open it up, but just got some brown paste. Couldn't find a reason.

Thanks for the condolences, guys. I want to get another desert scorpion, but I need to find out what went wrong.

Someone else had the brown paste also. I think that came down to some sort of nematode. They lost a lot of their collection.

You sure it's not just part of the body? I didn't see any worms when I opened it up.

Niether did they. It was just brown mush.

This might be a difficult question to ask but, wow do the insides of a scorpion normally look like when they're dead?

Shredder - Do you have the link to the nematode infestation? Thanks for the suggestions.

I took a nematode class at my university, and typically nematodes would kill within 3 days, and there would be visible worms inside of the scorpion. But, I saw no worms and this went on since a week ago.

http://www.scorpion-forum.com/t9796-collection-wiped-out-in-less-than-a-week?highlight=collection+wiped+out

I need to play devils advocate here. Could all that darkness be mycosis in all the book lungs leading to the death of his scorpion. "Dune scorpions" or Smeringus mesaensis as we should be calling them are from a dry desert climate. They are programed to take in or hang out near water whenever it's available as they may not see any for a while. By providing it with a bed of cricket gel 24/7 couldn't it have watered itself to death. Putting itself in a foreign climate that it's ill equipped to deal with? Thoughts? Perhaps get another one and provide it with the appropriate conditions and see how it lasts?

The cricket gel was just for the cricket's benefit until it gets eaten or removed. Humidity, at it's highest was 30%. It was typically around 20%.

It's pretty hot and dry out here near Sacramento to boot as well.

I don't think it could have been mycosis considering how fast even the gel dried out.

Hmmm....You said it had been laying on the water gel which means the ventral side of the scorp would have been moistened. From the picture of the ventral side we can see each spiracle covered in a powdery substance which i'm assuming is fine sand.
Has fine or powdery sand simply not invaded and stuck to the moistened spiracles cutting down or blocking airflow resulting in a slow death by asphyxiation.
Look carefully at the picture and you can clearly see the density of material covering the spiracles is greatest right there where the spiracle is..
Oh and by the way.....Unless you're looking at an alcohol prepared specimen the mesasoma cavity of a fresh deceased scorp always looks like brown mush...It's nothing to do with nematodes or parasites and everything to do with size and perspective...If you was the size of a scorpion you would be able to make out structure within that brown mush, alternatively if a 1 mile tall alien ripped open your abdomen it would most likely just see a red mushy goo instead of structure although if you had been prepared in such a way that bodily fluids were replaced with a fluid that stiffened musculature and other organic material, that 1 mile high alien might, if it looked closely with a magnifying glass, be able to make out intricate structure.......Lastly, you don't need to feed or water your crickets once they are in with the scorpion..You do that before you put them in and if they're not eaten within 24hrs they get a reprieve...Take them out and try and feed again a few days or a week later.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I read about the temperature variations, you commented earlier that it might get very hot.
I theorize the rapid increasing temperature confused the scorpion and it might wanted to cool down. Then the temps returned to normal and it did too. What might have happened was another increase in temperature, and the dune wasn't able to thermoregulate properly, which resulted in physiological stress and eventually death.

Again, a theory.

I would suggest if and when you purchase another scorpion, to change the conditions of the situation. Make sure the environment cannot influence the tank so much as it did. Make sure you know what is happening at all times. I don't see anything wrong with your general care and trying to do your best, that was obvious, and I really like that you tried so very hard to understand your animal and help it.

I honestly wish you better luck with your next addition.



Joey

my dune scorpion is acting weird too

ever since it got warm its been outside its burrow 24/7 for over a week now

I hope it doesn't die

and its not eating the crickets it just killing them

Den - The sand was really fine, and it does stick to anything with moisture. And at the time of the cricket gel, it must have stuck to the scorpion.

Joey - I used to keep fish, and temperature fluctuations was a nightmare. And yes, there were temperature swings too. I'll stabilize the temp before getting another one.

Emperor5 - That's exactly what happened. The crickets just get injured like losing a leg and antenna, but die later. I thought scorpions burrow to avoid the heat; not the opposite.