Scorpions are getting more and more popular to be raised as a pet, especially emperor scorpions. However, most people might be scared of scorpions when they’re hearing about them and thinking scorpions are poisonous, once being bitten will cause a serious problem.
In general, the emperor scorpion is not a suitable pet for young children and a household with small children because emperor scorpions are still risky and venomous. Nevertheless, it is legal to raise an emperor scorpion as home and if you do enough research about their living environment condition and understand their behaviors and habits, this species is easy to care for because they are clean and quiet. Emperor scorpion is one of the recommended scorpions for first-time scorpion owners.
How large should an emperor scorpion house be?
Emperor scorpions can be housed in a glass reptle terrarium or an acrylic enclosure, the key thing to consider before purchasing is safety. Emperor scorpion can be surprisingly strong to escape, so a safe enclosure with a durable secure lid is completely needed. In terms of the size of the enclosure, a 10-gallon terrarium is recommended for housing an emperor scorpion, a larger size is also good for their moving and living environment condition, but too much space might cause a problem for them to catch food either, so you should choose the most suitable tank depending on your pet’s size. REPTI ZOO recommends the enclosure in different sizes in the following table:
|
Baby Emperor Scorpions |
8.5x10.5x6.5 cm |
|
Sub-adult Emperor Scorpions |
30x30x20 cm |
|
Adult Emperor Scorpions |
45x45x32 cm |
Can I house more than one scorpion in the same enclosure?
You’re able to house a group of scorpions in the same enclosure. Make sure the tank has enough space for groups and provide a hiding spot and adequate food for each scorpion so they can have their own space and avoid fights for food. Additionally, pay attention to observing their behaviors, if you recognize any aggression between the scorpions, you should separate them forthwith.
Do I need to use heat pads on my emperor scorpion?
Yes, the recommended temperature for the emperor scorpion’s habitat is 27-32℃ during the day and 26-27℃ at night. Since it is not a normal room temperature if the emperor scorpion is living in a cold and dry place, a heat mat is a must to provide the heating for the emperor scorpion and increase the temperature in the enclosure.
Is the emperor scorpion a high humid reptile pet?
Generally speaking, most emperor scorpions prefer a living environment with high humidity levels of about 50-80%. You can maintain the healthy humidity levels for the scorpion by spraying the substrate or placing a water dish. REPTI ZOO recommends spraying the substrate once to twice time per day and changing the water dish every time it becomes dirty.
Should I place a water dish in the tank?
Providing a water dish with a scorpion is not a must but good for them to drink and increases the humidity in the enclosure. Make sure to use the water wish with the slope to prevent drowning and if you get a desert scorpion, they do not need a water dish.
What decoration do I need to buy for the scorpion?
This article has mentioned that the hiding spot is a must for a scorpion to rest and catch food, which can make them feel more comfortable and increase safety. In addition to hiding spots, the scorpion lovers can place some cork flats, low branches, and artificial or live plants to decorate the tank to look more attractive. As for the substrate, desert scorpions would like to stay on the desert sand and rainforest scorpion would prefer coconut fiber substrate, which is easy to change and congeal the excrement. Be careful when you are changing the substrate as some scorpions’ stingers are poisonous.
What do emperor scorpions eat?
The typical food for young emperor scorpions is needle crickets, mealworm, and Turkestan cockroach. Adult emperor scorpions would like to have mealworm, barely pest, white crickets, Turkestan cockroach, blaptica Dubai, locust, etc, you can also feed them mice sometimes.
Why do the emperor scorpions stop eating?
If your emperor scorpions stop eating and the abdomen becomes bigger, which means they are going to shedding. The emperor scorpions grow up a year old every time they shed, and after shedding, their abdomen will become smaller. You can leave some live insects in the tank when they are shedding, the emperor scorpions will catch and feed by themselves.
Feeding equipment lists
STEP1: Reptile Tank/Enclosure/Terrarium
STEP2: Scorpions tank decoration
Reptile substrate: coconut fiber or desert sand
Reptile hiding spot
Reptile water dish
Reptile cork bark background
STEP3: Heating, lighting, and terrarium accessories
Reptile thermometer, hygrometer
Cleaning tool
Reptile heat mat/heater
Lighting without UVB
Living insects