Hadrurus arizonensis?

Khagra · Sep 1, 2015

Been thinking about picking up two from a local place.
Does anyone have resources to a good care guide for Hadrurus arizonensis?

I was hoping to find something as detailed as this because i like to over-prepare and know EVERYTHING about the species first, but have had little luck on finding very in depth stuff on this species.

Arachnomaniac19 · Sep 2, 2015

Give it deep substrate made out of a mix of clay and sand of at least 6" deep. I'd suggest around 8". Personally I'd say it should be a ratio of two parts clay and one part sand, but I've never done that before. If it's not an adult give it some heat. A 50 watt infrared bulb should do the trick. If it's an adult it will be fine at room temperature. These guys seem to have problems molting without heat. I'd feed it every week or when it looks a little thin. I'd chose a medium dubia roach, one superworm, or one or two crickets.

These guys have a weaker sting than some scorpions. The sting report section has good info on that. It's also said to be a more defensive species than your standard Pandinus or Heterometrus species.

Good luck with your scorpion. I'm hoping to get one of these soon.

Khagra · Sep 2, 2015

Everything I've been reading about them says they're fairly aggressive and will sting readily. At the shop I was at today - They opened the tank they were keeping their hairies in. Some skittered away, but several of them seemed not to care that they were being disturbed - even when owner pushed one out of the way with their bare hands to pick up some uneaten food. Is this a a cause to worry if the scorpions seem docile (maybe lethargic) I don't know, didn't watch them long enough to really know, but they seemed VERY calm.

edit; also thanks for the above info. They seem pretty easy to care for overall. :> Will probably be buying adults. I stress to much about the possibility of molts going wrong etc.

Arachnomaniac19 · Sep 2, 2015

Khagra said:
Everything I've been reading about them says they're fairly aggressive and will sting readily. At the shop I was at today - They opened the tank they were keeping their hairies in. Some skittered away, but several of them seemed not to care that they were being disturbed - even when owner pushed one out of the way with their bare hands to pick up some uneaten food. Is this a a cause to worry if the scorpions seem docile (maybe lethargic) I don't know, didn't watch them long enough to really know, but they seemed VERY calm.

Stressful environments slow down almost all animals.

Scorpionluva · Sep 2, 2015

Hadrurus can be quite defensive but not overly aggressive ( except for feeding )
I personally have picked up almost every 1 of mine and have never been stung - not that I recommend it though.
I would use a mix of 3:1 sand/clay as deep as you can make it
You shouldn't use a ton of clay in your mix. It would literally turn into a brick after it was moistened and allowed to dry
Don't be alarmed if they don't eat on a schedule as I've seen some ( especially males ) go long periods without eating

darkness975 · Sep 3, 2015

So the person has a whole bunch of H. arizonensis together in the same enclosure? That alone could be a stress factor as they are not really a communal species. Some people have had success with getting 2 or 3 to live together but generally that requires large amounts of room / hides and also depends on their gender and temperament. Personally I feel it is too great a risk to attempt communal living with this species.

Khagra · Sep 3, 2015

The had 4 in the tank. I was thinking about purchasing two, but did not know they couldn't really be kept communally. Would you really advise against it 100% or if I were to try to keep 2 together, what would you suggest the minimum space requirement would be? I had initially planned for a 10g tank with several different hides.

I'm also going to assume if I take a female that it is probably gravid, as best I could tell there was a spermatophore left behind on one of the tank decorations.

One other question I had, I'm sure anyone who has looked up desert scorpion care on youtube has seen the video where the guy explains his tank setup and how he keeps Blue Death feigning beetles in with the scorpions. Is this honestly safe? Recommended? Seems like it would be a nice way to deal with messes, also interesting to watch in general.
If you don't know what video i'm talking about - link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AYmRxXsW00

Khagra · Sep 4, 2015

posting a separate update here - Went to the store again today.. one of the employees had put soil in the enclosure and one of them had died. I talked to the owner of store while I was there and suggested they shouldnt be kept communally so they got out sand and separated them each into new, clean, separate containers.

Ended up bringing home a female.

None of my local stores seemed to have clay - so I ordered some online - have them on sand in a large critter keeper in the meantime till it arrives in two days.

Does the type of sand matter? My local stores carried marbled white sand and calcium sand.

also pictures :>

Scorpionluva · Sep 4, 2015

I've kept a communal tank of hadrurus for years and had less problems with them living together than many other "communal" species. I truly keep nothing communal now since it tends to be safer and less stressful to my scorps. Also gets a better breeding response once that time comes around
Just use play sand from any lowes/home depot. It is around $5 for 50 pounds just make sure to soak + bake it like any other substrate to help eliminate any chemicals or pests that may be lurking in it. Highly unlikely but rather safe than sorry
You don't necessarily have to use clay either but if you choose to ... Don't use a bunch It is very abrasive to their exoskeleton

Khagra · Sep 4, 2015

Great, I was gonna do a mix of clay and sand just so they'd have something to make burrows in.

Super excited about getting one at last heheh.

Thanks everyone on your feedback, it's helped a lot!

truecreature · Sep 4, 2015

So these can be kept at room temperature and still do well? I've been thinking about getting one too but I keep seeing conflicting info about the heat. I don't really want to pay the electricity for a heat lamp/pad for an invert, would rather just get another reptile in that case ;p

Khagra · Sep 4, 2015

I'm not sure 100% I'm choosing to keep them without a heatlamp because I live in AZ and I keep my house about 80. I have a heatlamp for winter, but I don't live in a cold climate so they should be fine regardless.

From what I've read prior to purchase as long as you aren't buying adolescents they're fine. If they aren't adults they need heat for successful molts.

Smokehound714 · Sep 10, 2015

Heat lamps are never good for scorpions.

Unless you use an infrared heat lamp.

Hadrurus do not require any external heat source, unless you live in a very very cold area.

Arachnomaniac19 · Sep 10, 2015

Smokehound714 said:
Heat lamps are never good for scorpions.

Unless you use an infrared heat lamp.

Hadrurus do not require any external heat source, unless you live in a very very cold area.

To put that into perspective, not even I use any heat for my scorpions.

Khagra · Sep 12, 2015

Just to clarify I do use an infrared heat lamp. I only planned to use mine in the butt of winter when my room decides to become Antarctica.

Khagra · Sep 26, 2015

Throwing up another question here so I don't need to recreate a new thread.
I read you can sex Hadrurus arizonensis by pectine count, so I just wanted to verify gender.

Hadrurus arizonensis?

Khagra

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