placing scorpions outside to induce molting?

[Div1nE]

would it actually work or have any beneficial effects?

here in illinois the highs are about 90F, if i were to put an A. australis who is near molting outdoors, would it help to speed the process?

i could also return the australis indoors during night time.

if i were to do this, i would put the australis in a kritter keeper, would that be suitable?

[Himself]

not to be a pain, but what makes you think this will "induce molting?" My guess is that you will cook him.

[cacoseraph]

any kind of a transparent cage would get super hot in the sun. think of a car left out in the sun.

if you are going to do this you would have to take great pains to ensure you don't cook your scorp. in deep shadow all day.

to be honest i think there are more things that could go wrong than possible benefits

you could just leave a window open in the room your scorp lives in.
all my bugs live in my bedroom and i pretty much have the window open anytime i am home, rain or shine.

[Cirith Ungol]

Why the need to hurry up a moult?

If you put the kk in the sun I doubt it's going to be anything but unhealthy...

[Div1nE]

the dryness of the environment will make it easier for him to shed his exoskeleton?

btw i would include like a small rock in the KK for him to hide under, it won't be totally bare.



FYI: i totally made that up, im just trying to sound smart.

[cacoseraph]

when the cage is too dry scorpions have trouble molting

the thing to understand about scorpions, and i'm stealing this from maybe TheNothing is this

it's not the environment they live in, it's the micro-environment

even though those puppies come from nasty hot deserts they spend most of the hot time hiding from the sun under rocks or in burrows.

[fusion121]

Actually increases in humidity tend to cause moulting, rather then visa versa.

Putting the scorpion outside will not have any benefits that are not easily replicable by altering it conditions indoors.

[carpe scorpio]

the dryness of the environment will make it easier for him to shed his exoskeleton

Ever heard of a "stuck molt"?.

[cacoseraph]

Actually increases in humidity tend to cause moulting, rather then visa versa.

Putting the scorpion outside will not have any benefits that are not easily replicable by altering it conditions indoors.

agree. when i get the old "i wonder if i can force molt something" urge i usually keep the substrate super moist and the cage heated to the point water is constantly condensing on the inside.

this mainly seems to help the mites out however

the only thing i've read about that *might* "force" a molt is... bad

i hesitate to say it, as it could put bad ideas in the wrong heads...

but i suspect if you subject a scorpion to a lot of minor cuticle damage it will molt to repair the damage... but it seems like a good way to kill a scorp, more than anything

[carpe scorpio]

Not to mention the potential liability of having a dangerously venomous species that isn't within the confines of one's home.

[cacoseraph]

Not to mention the potential liability of having a dangerously venomous species that isn't within the confines of one's home.

i think that might qualify as an attractive nuisance or something =P

[Div1nE]

Ever heard of a "stuck molt"?.

no. please elaborate.



i have already tried increasing humidity to help it molt, but it was to no avail. it seems i overdid it because the australis ended up contracting mycosis.

[carpe scorpio]

i have already tried increasing humidity to help it molt, but it was to no avail. it seems i overdid it because the australis ended up contracting mycosis.

Sorry to hear about the mycosis , I have found that with Androctonus, you can just keep feeding them lots of food and keep the heat at 90F+. You can go about 60%-65% if a molt is expected, but it is helpful to be place the hide in such a place as to keep close tabs on when a molt is starting to occur. Also, I have heard that some people have used upturned cups misted on the inside as additional sources of high humidity. If he needs it, he will crawl in. Good luck.

[TheNothing]

S Also, I have heard that some people have used upturned cups misted on the inside as additional sources of high humidity. If he needs it, he will crawl in. Good luck.

sounds much like a "humidity hide" many herp keepers use with snakes and such, but on a much smaller scale. Not a bad idea. I'll have to cut up some small tupperware containers and see what the scorps have to say about that one...

By creating a "micro-environment" as mentioned, you should provide something similar to this. Scorpions do tend to spend their time in areas that have much more humidity than the outside world (under rocks and wood). Most socrpions are also nocturnal, which naturally has an increased humidity due to the cooling of air temperatures.

[pandinus]

humidity is to a molting scorp what petroleum jelly is to a proctologist.
I'm sure the scorp would appreciate the absence of humidity as much as you would appreciate the absence of the latter