Advice and identification needed for possible Centruroides sculpturatus scorpion

I found a scorpion in my office in Los Angeles. I was shocked at first because it was my first time encountering one and it was awkward to see it inside the building. I was able to safely place it in a container because I did not want to kill it. I decided to keep it and take care of it because I was scared that if I let it go it is going to die. I have no idea how it got here and I don't know much about scorpions but I know that it would probably be extremely easy for it to die or get run over on the street. There are only buildings around with no real environment for it to live in. I know that they require water so I keep a soaked piece of cotton in the container. I have also fed it gut loaded crickets purchased from a pet shop. I keep a heat lamp on one side. I've placed a tiny container inside and covered it so that it has a hiding spot.

I think that it is the Arizona Bark Scorpion and here is why:
- It tends to cling on the wood I've placed in the container in awkward positions, sideways or upside down. This is common for this species.
- It doesn't burrow.
- It is small, about 2-4cm.
- It was found inside and they are known to slip through very small cracks.
- I've compared it to other pictures and it looks pretty similar.

I also know these are one of the most poisonous species in North America so I'm careful not to provoke it or handle it.

What I would like to know is:
- What size and kind of tank can I place it in?
- What kind of heating mat should I place on one side of the tank?
- Is it okay to only feed crickets or do I need something else? Also how often should it be fed?
- I'm aware that the best way to give it water is most likely with a shallow water dish. Any recommendations?
- What substrate should I be using? Are these desert species or more forest like? I know they like bark so I'm confused on this.

Thanks!

Here are some pictures:

Wow I'm surprised no one has chimed in on this thread yet.


Centruroides sculpturatus is stated to be the most medically significant species of North America. I cannot really tell from the pictures if it is one, but what I can tell you is that C. sculps benefit from vertical climbing/hiding spaces.

Looks very similar to my V. confusus

I know this isn't particularly useful, but... cool, and good for you! I found my first scorp on the wall of my workshop, funny how that happens.

Centruroides sculpturatus/ exilicauda isn't usually found in California, as that is outside its native range (Arizona).

Centruroides sculpturatus/exilicauda are actually found/native to California , Utah , New Mexico , Nevada , Arizona and areas of Mexico but without better pics of the specimen it's really hard to say what it is

I agree it looks more like V. Confusus

Thanks for the replies. At first glance the V. confusus does look similar but it appears to have a fatter and more transparent metasoma.

I never got around to updating this thread but I ended up purchasing a really nice glass cage with a sliding screen top. I also bought a mini cave made from rock, a heating mat, a skull, a shallow water dish, and a small wooden piece with crawl space underneath. I filled about half the cage with some repti sand. A small portion was filled with repti bark and the rest with coco substrate. The heating mat is placed on the sand side with the cave right above it.

After the habitat was set up, I ended up purchasing 4 C. sculpturatus (2 males, 2 females), thinking that the original one I had was of the same species. I had read that they are communal and I couldn't give up the chance to watch these fascinating creatures. I introduced them into the habitat (2 weeks after posting this thread) and they have been coexisting ever since. Does this mean that they are all C. sculpturatus? I assume if the one from the start was V. confusus the others would not have enjoyed its company. I've also had the chance to look at them side by side and they all seem pretty identical. I learned how to tell the difference between the males and females and it turns out the one I had from the start was a male.

I've been feeding them gut loaded crickets once a week and have been keeping the coco/bark substrate moist. I also added in some mealworms that just ended up burrowing but I did catch one being eaten. Here is where it gets interesting. The scorpions were devouring the crickets every time I fed them to the point where I got scared they can get overfed and blow up. I kept the feeding down to once a week and placed at least 2 crickets per scorpion but they would all be gone in less than 2 nights. I noticed one of the females was super bloated and I thought maybe she is eating too much. Turns out she was pregnant. I found that out today, after seeing this!



A random picture I took here:


Not sure why it came out rotated or how I can fix it. I will try to get some better pics when time permits.

exilicauda was actually accidentally introduced to portions of los angeles and orange counties a while ago. Both definitely appear to be centruroides species.


A gravid female or two sometimes gets transported here and they can create small colonies, thanks to their habit of clustering together.

i wouldnt exactly call them established. Those are definitely centruroides.


They find shingles very attractive as retreats, especially those terra-cotta shingles.

Smokehound714 said:

exilicauda was actually accidentally introduced to portions of los angeles and orange counties a while ago. Both definitely appear to be centruroides species.


A gravid female or two sometimes gets transported here and they can create small colonies, thanks to their habit of clustering together.

i wouldnt exactly call them established. Those are definitely centruroides.


They find shingles very attractive as retreats, especially those terra-cotta shingles.

Click to expand...

Definitely C. exilicauda and not C. sculpturatus? Now I want to start hunting out here. Had no idea Centruroides ranged very far into CA.