Desert scorps and H20..

I have read in different places about desert scorpions and putting water in the enclosure with it. Some have said that they get all their fluid from eating prey, but most have said always put a small thing of water in there with the scorpion. I have always done this, but never seen them acitvely drink from a water source. Out of the 14 years of keeping scorpions (mostly communal, forest species) I have not seen them drink.

Desert species are less prone to drink from a source then forest or tropical species do to the lack of water in their enviornment. When I got this new batch of Bicolors in, I have had two that like to either sit on the sponge or drink from it by sucking on it. These guys have eaten every other day since I got them on nice healthy crickets or roaches. The temp is around 90-95. Humidity is 30-40%. Do you think they came in dehydrated?


Sorry for how crappy my camera is :wall: (it came with the comp).

This is one of my females drinking water,

I keep a bottle cap of water in my Bicolors tanks. With my smaller desert scorps, I do not use anything because they are like 1/4 inch. When they are in premolt I give them a light mist and they drink it off the glass and sand.

First of all, get the sponge out of there, as it is a breeding ground for all sorts of nasties.

Whether or not you keep water in with desert species (my philosophy has always been to keep a water dish, whether it is actually full all the time or not) is something that can be debated until the cows come home. The need to provide water for freshly transported specimens, however, I would argue is beyond debate. Transport, especially by plane, can cause great physiological stress for scorpions and in times of stress they will need more water. Upon getting a scorpion -- any scorpion -- home, the first thing I do is give it water. From then on, whether it receives water at all times or not depends on the species.

Oddly enough, it can easily be argued that desert species are MORE prone to drink from a source due to the lack of free water in their environment. Many desert species of reptiles etc. do not have the instincts etc. to help them truly regulate their food/water intake and can tend to be gluttons, since there has never been adequate selective pressure for them to moderate themselves.

Cheers,
Dave

Sponge..

You are the first person to tell me about the sponge being bad. It does make perfectly good sense though. I use to put a few large pebbles in the bottom of the dish, but since then moved to the sponges.

I agree with you on being able to argue till the cows come home about desert species and water, there are too many variables and different species requirments. While it may be true for a lot of desert animals, it isn't for some. Most desert animals are built to retain moisture from the morning dew, prey, vegies, or burrowing deep to where it is moist and just sitting in it. There are a ton of desert species that go a long time without a single drink.
Then again, there are also the animals that search it out. Depends, but mostly they don't need more. Forest species require more humidity and a lot of them don't do well in higher dry temps. This is why they need more hydration. Birds, reptiles and mammals fit into this role too. Desert species just retain more water because they are built to absorb it and store it better then animals that don't have to do that to survive in the desert. This is not to say that if there was a stream running through the desert that animals wouldn't drink from it, of course they would.

hmm, remember, you generally want to keep it the best way possible, not the way nature keeps them,

the scorps have adapted to survive what nature gives them, they do well with a bit more
(water=good)

I know...I always keep water available. This is just the first time I have seen them drink from it.