Hadrurus Arizonensis substrate

I am going to make a 20% excavator clay 80% sand mix substrate for my Desert Hairy. But i do not now how to mix it and how much I need.

My terrarium is 30cmx50cm, but i can only fill it up to about 12 cm. How much sand and how much clay would I need, and what would the ratio be? Also how much water will I need?

About the mixing prosess. When make the mix, do I add the water to the clay and mix it up, and then add the sand? Or do I mix the sand and clay, and then add water? And how long will it take to dry?

Hey Pocco!

Well, from my experience with that species -- they come right from my back yard -- they like to burrow. Mix the excavator and sand until it can be easily moved when dry, but also can be tunneled through without collapsing too easily. Be sure to put some rocks in the enclosure to give the scorpion a place to start. They're an arid species, but that doesn't mean they hate moisture. Give mistings once in a while, but nothing too crazy -- you don't want to collapse those tunnels and make him start all over!

Provide as much substrate as you can. They LOVE to burrow. the more, the merrier.

Hope that helps!

Yeah, but i dont know how much I need for my size terrarium?

30cm x 50cm x 12cm is 18 liters. Dry packed sand weighs 1.8kg per liter, so you need about 32 kg (or 60lbs) of substrate. In the US, this would be one 10lbs bag of Excavator clay and a 50lbs sack of play sand. Mix the clay and sand dry, then moisten and add to your enclosure. You want the mixture damp but not muddy. The more water you add, the longer it will take for the substrate to dry. Work in batches. Mix up enough substrate to fill your enclosure about 5cm, pack it down and place in the sun or under heat lamp(s) to dry. When one layer dries, repeat until you reach your desired depth. If you can, try to create a slope--deeper towards the back, shallower towards the front. The shallow space in front will get filled with substrate once your scorpion starts digging tunnels. Expect at least 2 weeks of drying time, perhaps longer.

I just got my first scorpion, a Hadrurus arizonensis. I have been making layers of approx. 25% excavator clay and 75% sand, wetting it until it clumps when i make a fist, and then packing it down solid and drying it out for 4 days per layer. I have about 5-6 inches now, and am letting it continue drying.
I wish I would have found the part about letting the front be lower than the back! I guess I can always remove lose substrate if it starts getting too full in there.

Anyways, my actual question is regarding external heating sources. Our house is typically 22*C (71*F) and have read that these guys prefer it somewhat warmer. I purchased a heat pad and have read that this should go on the side of the tank and not the bottom. Do I put it below the level of the substrate, or above the level of the substrate?

Much thanks in advance

Cant wait till "his" tank is done...I am sure he cant wait either. It must be no fun living in a tupperware!

I'd put the pad about halfway below the substrate level on the side, or maybe a little lower but not all the way. I'm just speculating that these inverts dig to allow some gradient, instinctive choices, just my 2cents, doing OK that way over here with stuff.

Thanks for your help- that makes sense to me

Pocco said:

I am going to make a 20% excavator clay 80% sand mix substrate for my Desert Hairy. But i do not now how to mix it and how much I need.

My terrarium is 30cmx50cm, but i can only fill it up to about 12 cm. How much sand and how much clay would I need, and what would the ratio be? Also how much water will I need?

About the mixing prosess. When make the mix, do I add the water to the clay and mix it up, and then add the sand? Or do I mix the sand and clay, and then add water? And how long will it take to dry?

Click to expand...

Just FYI, I had to go more 50% clay / 50% sand to make any sort of burrow work...

I don't know if I would heat. I wouldn't go over 80*. H.a. Spend days in deep burrows, where it may be 20-30* cooler than shaded surface. At night when they come out, it's about 65-85*, but stay out as temperature drops until around 60*. I believe much of peoples trouble raising these is too hot and dry. Try pad, but I would have little touching substrate in this case. You only need 9,10 more degrees.

Ps, I've collected all Usa Hadrurus species in nature, kept them successfully and know some successful breeders.

Nomadinexile said:

I don't know if I would heat. I wouldn't go over 80*. H.a. Spend days in deep burrows, where it may be 20-30* cooler than shaded surface. At night when they come out, it's about 65-85*, but stay out as temperature drops until around 60*. I believe much of peoples trouble raising these is too hot and dry. Try pad, but I would have little touching substrate in this case. You only need 9,10 more degrees.

Ps, I've collected all Usa Hadrurus species in nature, kept them successfully and know some successful breeders.

Click to expand...

If it is eating and active without the additional heating, is it safe to say that I am good to go without additional heat? Or does temperature play a role in successful molting?

If it's eating and active stay the course. They are better off at 70* than 90*. They molt in their burrows, so they can do it below room temps.

Nomadinexile said:

If it's eating and active stay the course. They are better off at 70* than 90*. They molt in their burrows, so they can do it below room temps.

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Thanks for your help! I will go the no heat pad route for now, and can always add one later on in the fall/winter if I notice he/she is refusing food or getting sluggish.

Two last questions:

How important is it that the packed sand/clay substrate be 100% dry before I put it into its new enclosure? The top 3-4 inches are more or less completely dry, but down at the bottom I can tell things are still a little damp and there is some slight condensation down there. I figure if they dig then they will naturally encounter some damp subsoil/sand, but also read that these guys are susceptible to becoming sick if the humidity is too high. Should I wait until things are totally dry, or do you think I should be ok adding him now?

And finally, is there a difference in lifespan between males and females as there is with tarantulas?

They have winters too. While it stays mild in burrows, I'd figure down to 50-60 F in winter wouldn't hurt. This will make them sluggish and not eat, which is how their lives normally are in winter. Once or twice during winter warm them into 70's and cricket. Then drop back down in couple of days for digestion. You don't have to do that, but some breeders do. But I wouldn't worry if you stay near 60 in winter.

Damp sub: If you have good air flow that won't cause condensation, the bottom inch or two depending on depth, can be most. When you put in sub, put a tube vertically in back corner. Once a month or so, get bottom inch (or two) moist. If you can keep it to one side of bottom sub, even better. Yes they can get mycosis, but they don't normally experience zero humidity either. Burrows probably run 40-50% humidity, but with good air flow. Try to stay on lower range, but not bone dry.

I have yet to see data on male/female life spans. I would assume females live a few years longer though. That seems to be normal in many species.

Nomadinexile said:

I don't know if I would heat. I wouldn't go over 80*. H.a. Spend days in deep burrows, where it may be 20-30* cooler than shaded surface. At night when they come out, it's about 65-85*, but stay out as temperature drops until around 60*. I believe much of peoples trouble raising these is too hot and dry. Try pad, but I would have little touching substrate in this case. You only need 9,10 more degrees.

Ps, I've collected all Usa Hadrurus species in nature, kept them successfully and know some successful breeders.

Click to expand...

Really? You've collected obscurus and anzaborrego?

Back to the main topic..

If you want a truly stable substrate that wont collapse, you'll need sand, silt, and clay. You'll need them to be fairly pure, as well, which will help alot in mixing and settling.


Think of it like making "soft" concrete. The sand should be the largest component. the silt helps piece the sand together, and the clay (should be ground down to a fine powder) acts as a 'binder' gluing it all together.


50%- Sand, 40%silt, and 10% clay makes a fantastic mix for Hadrurus. Mix it together well WHILE DRY. Use your fingers, dont try to shake it to mix it, as this will cause the denser particles to rise to the surface.

Make sure to mix it thoroughly, to make sure the clay gets mixed in well. After you've mixed it, saturate it til the water hits the bottom, then set it out in the sun for a few days to dry. You dont want it moist, in nature, the water sinks far deeper, most of their humidity coming from plant roots. It must be dry to the bottom. The humidity they need can be added more easily with a superfine mister, mist under small flat stones, leave everything else bone dry. (thanks go to abyss for that technique)


Also, a common problem is the collapsing, another good remedy for this is simply the act of adding more substrate.. these scorpions are really big, and make huge burrows in the wild. Some of them you'd assume to be mammal burrows! If you can get 12 inches of substrate, it'll be wonderful.