Scorpion 'standing on tippy toes'?

Jebbles · Jan 24, 2015

Is this a sign she will birth soon? She's a Wildcaught Emperor Scorpion that I got in September. I've tried introducing her to a male in December, only for her to be highly aggressive towards him. She's full grown, and recently she REALLY ballooned up. I've read that scorpions will birth about a week after refusing feed, however she ate 2 crickets about 3 days ago.
I've been keeping her humidity up, and have a bag taped to the side of her enclosure so she's not exposed to any light. I just saw her on her tippy toes this morning and I know that's the birthing position. I've heard scorpions doing this a few times prior to giving birth as a sort of 'warm up'?
How much longer do you think it would be, now? A month maybe?

This is the only pic I have of her right now. This shows how she ballooned up.

darkness975 · Jan 24, 2015

Is she living on wood chips? She needs several inches of coco fiber for substrate.

Jebbles · Jan 24, 2015

scorpion975 said:
Is she living on wood chips? She needs several inches of coco fiber for substrate.

Yeah of course, she has about 3 or so in. She's living in a temp tank for now, due to her aggressive behaviour towards my male I took her out and put her in a tank that would be suitable for her to give birth.
I added the woodchips just so it doesn't look so plain. In the wild the floor isn't just dirt, it's mixed with twigs and stuff.
She has plantation soil as her main substrate. I don't have rocks at the bottom of her tank, but in the main tank I have about an inch of rocks, followed by several inches of the plantation soil. Then I have the forest floor substrate lining the top.

Tarantula Fangs · Jan 24, 2015

I'm very curious to see how this turns out, keep us posted!

Jebbles · Jan 24, 2015

Just read other peoples posts, people say they do this to regulate their body temperature when it's too hot, but I'm 100% sure it's not too hot.

LazzeZee · Jan 26, 2015

That is either highly overfed or gravid.
My P. emperator looked just like yours and she popped. Sadly she ate most of them, probably because I disturbed her too much too see those little ones.
My advice is to leave her be and see what happens.

Jebbles · Jan 28, 2015

Not overfed, I honestly haven't been feeding her too much (however enough so she won't possibly eat the babies after she gives birth) but enough to see if she actually is gravid or not. 100% gravid, 100% sure of it.

I've been trying to leave her be, I take a peek through the bag-curtains possibly twice a day. I've only disturbed her recently to remove the fake plants and her hide, since I'm worried the babies would get knocked off. Her tank is completely dark because of the bag-curtains I put.

I'm just so worried she'll eat them. :c

---------- Post added 01-28-2015 at 06:35 PM ----------

Update as of Jan 28: I noticed she increased in width. She's a lot fatter, she's still eating as of a few days ago. I removed the fake plants and her hide, as she hasn't burrowed enough under it, and the babies could possibly fall off. I also noticed that the last tergite (correct me if I'm wrong on that), the pleural membrane below it really increased in size. It has the depth of my finger, about half an inch or so. Here's a little reference picture of what I'm talking about:

The red is the area I'm referring to, the blue is about (not exactly) how much depth there is to it.

I haven't seen her on her toes again.
This is the best pic I could take, as I don't want to disturb her any further.

Smokehound714 · Feb 1, 2015

this is called 'stilting'. scorpions do this if the substrate is too hot, or too cold. HOWEVER, females do this before giving birth!

if you notice her first legs off the ground in a 'cradling' position, she's definitely about to drop scorplings.

Jebbles · Feb 5, 2015

Smokehound714 said:
this is called 'stilting'. scorpions do this if the substrate is too hot, or too cold. HOWEVER, females do this before giving birth!

if you notice her first legs off the ground in a 'cradling' position, she's definitely about to drop scorplings.

She hasn't dropped yet, I had to disrupt her and put new substrate in because I noticed tiny crickets. I tried feeding her afterwards, she didn't eat. She also burrowed a lot. I'm hoping soon, haven't bothered her since. Her tank is completely dark, and humidity is up.
I only peek in through the 'curtain' bags. I'll post if I notice any more stilting.

Smokehound714, I heard people say she'll have her butt high up, but they don't give birth from that end, do they? I thought they do towards the pectines, so wouldn't her front be higher than her back?
Also, is it possible for a scorpion to 'aborb up' babies? Someone told me their scorpion did this. I know it's possible to prolong birth, but to 'aborb up' babies just seems ridiculous.

Jebbles · Feb 6, 2015

Update as of Feb 6, 2015. She's FAT.

Bayushi · Feb 9, 2015

Like people have said the action is called stilting and is done to regulate temp. As for her being gravid, P. imp has a long pregnancy, around 9 to 10 months if I remember correctly. I would just leave her be with the exception of feeding and maintaining humidity.

You are correct that the genital operculum is located at the pectines. As for the absorbing of the eggs, some animal species do absorb their young, but I have only heard of mammals doing this. Not sure if it happens in arachnids or not.

Jebbles · Feb 9, 2015

She's wildcaught, I got her in September. I heard pregnancy can even last up to 18 with emps, trying to keep temps right so it doesn't last that long. So it's been 5 months, + maybe 1 for importation stuff? I still got a while to go.

Smokehound714 · Feb 10, 2015

Yes, some scorpions do have the ability to resorb their scorplings. The genus scorpio is known for this, im sure pandinus and heterometrus are capable of it as well, since they're all members of Scorpionidae if I recall correctly.

Jebbles · Feb 10, 2015

Smokehound714 said:
Yes, some scorpions do have the ability to resorb their scorplings. The genus scorpio is known for this, im sure pandinus and heterometrus are capable of it as well, since they're all members of Scorpionidae if I recall correctly.

That's pretty interesting... I thought maybe he was making something up and his scorpion was just really obese, hah.
Do they just digest them or something? That sounds like a really weird process.

Jebbles · Feb 11, 2015

Update: I notice that her resting pose is more crooked? Don't know how to describe it well, but in the previous picture it shows it. She increased in size, and is really bulging out. Instead of being flat, it's like putting legs on a paper towel roll, it kind of leans on one side a bit. Except, the roll is kind of flattened and in a scorpion size. Best as I can describe it.

Austin S. · Feb 26, 2015

Any updates for us?

Jebbles · May 25, 2015

Update May 25, she's doing a really weird stilting thing now. Still eating, likes to eat. Her bum was all the way up in the air, like she was doing yoga.

kellysaxez · May 28, 2015

TroLLageK said:
Update May 25, she's doing a really weird stilting thing now. Still eating, likes to eat. Her bum was all the way up in the air, like she was doing yoga.

View attachment 136892

okay mine is doing the exact same thing. can you follow up on her condition now please? thanks so much

Smokehound714 · May 29, 2015

Perhaps she's obelisking, akin to a dragonfly? I dunno, ive never seen a scorpion do this before.

Jebbles · Aug 12, 2015

Update: Babies!

Two little babies this morning!

UPDATE: Little babies are now at 8! More to come possibly, she's still stilting/in birthing position.

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