H. spinifer ...Q

P. Novak

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IM already in T keeping..but now i want to get some scorps...so i was wondering is it true that the H. spinifer can i have complete dry conditions? well thanks!
 

P. Novak

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ohh i heard that from somewhere before but forget where haha ok..thanks though good thing i asked!
 

G. Carnell

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Adult scorps can tolerate some dryness, but not COMPLETE dryness


my dryness i mean substrate, as long as you keep the humidity high ENOUGH! then they wont dehydrate
 

ReptileMan27

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H. spinifer requires humidity of 85%,so no they cant be kept dry. If you want a scorpion that can have it dry then look into something like H. pauciden or H. arizonesis.
 

P. Novak

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are those docile scorps or atleast do they have mild venom? cause im not looking at getting some scorpion wiht significant venom yet.
 

ReptileMan27

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demonhunter said:
are those docile scorps or atleast do they have mild venom? cause im not looking at getting some scorpion wiht significant venom yet.
H. arizonesis and H. Pauciden both are not considered dangerous.
 

P. Novak

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oh ok thanks! are they both good display species!?
 

Prymal

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Demonhunter-

If you can find one, the pallidus variant of H. arizonensis (check: www.goldenphoenixexotica.com) are just incredible - I have a 127 mm, wc light-colored (very pale golden overall) female. When housed in an enclosure with a darker (red) substrate, they are very high-profile. Another positive factor with H. arizonensis is that as soon as the room begins to darken, they exit their retreats and become very active exploring their enclosures and searching for food (they are quite capable errant foragers).
They're easy to keep (typical desertic set-up - warm & dry; 3"-6" layer of dry substrate (clay-based soil + red Repti-Sand) & hide) and their venom is very weak. I'm fairly new to keeping Hadrurus spp. behaviorally, my pallidus is not as defensively-reactive as is my H. arizonensis typical (adult wc 127 mm fem). Neither should be handled as they tend to be a bit skittish and WILL attempt to sting with little provocaton. My fem 'Hap' will on occasion, during enclosure maintenance get up her curiosity a bit and walk upon and across my hand but my 'Hat' will assume a defensive posture as soon as she senses a disturbance in her 'world'! Overall, you couldn't ask for an easier scorp to keep! I have 2 H. spadix arriving next week and I can't wait!

Luc
 

P. Novak

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Barkscorpions said:
Demonhunter-

If you can find one, the pallidus variant of H. arizonensis (check: www.goldenphoenixexotica.com) are just incredible - I have a 127 mm, wc light-colored (very pale golden overall) female. When housed in an enclosure with a darker (red) substrate, they are very high-profile. Another positive factor with H. arizonensis is that as soon as the room begins to darken, they exit their retreats and become very active exploring their enclosures and searching for food (they are quite capable errant foragers).
They're easy to keep (typical desertic set-up - warm & dry; 3"-6" layer of dry substrate (clay-based soil + red Repti-Sand) & hide) and their venom is very weak. I'm fairly new to keeping Hadrurus spp. behaviorally, my pallidus is not as defensively-reactive as is my H. arizonensis typical (adult wc 127 mm fem). Neither should be handled as they tend to be a bit skittish and WILL attempt to sting with little provocaton. My fem 'Hap' will on occasion, during enclosure maintenance get up her curiosity a bit and walk upon and across my hand but my 'Hat' will assume a defensive posture as soon as she senses a disturbance in her 'world'! Overall, you couldn't ask for an easier scorp to keep! I have 2 H. spadix arriving next week and I can't wait!

Luc

haha hecka nice!! i really want one now soo im trying to save money for it as for some other stuff too! i dont handle any scorpions because i do not know yet if im allergic to bees soo ya, i heard that if you have allergy to bees it can cause problems when stung by a scorp even with mild venom. is that true? do you artificially heat your scorps witha heat lamp or something? thanks for the info!!
 

Prymal

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Demonhunter-

To be honest, I've not seen any reports of cross-sensitivity (Apis, etc. venom + scorpion venom) and an allergic reaction would be a bit difficult in humans due to the basal foundation of scorpion venoms. However, I'm no expert so it's always best to err on the side of caution in such matters!
Also, there is no standard for envenomation as many variables have to be taken into consideration and then, there are actions and reactions that we may not be aware of at this time. I've been stung an untold number of times by C. exilicauda and have suffered more from the stings of certain vespids than from these 'deadly' scorpions. In my opinion, the 'sting' of C. vittatus is far more painful than that of its cousin and DOES pack a punch! I also know people that have suffered some bad systemic reactions to the venom of exilicauda, that required trips to the hospital.
Unfortunately, there's no standard reaction to any envenomation and while people have certainly died from envenomations from A. australis, many have not - same with L. quin., and other 'bad-boy' scorps. The best measure is to avoid being stung. This is easy to do with captive scorps as it's the keepers that determine the degree of interaction with their charges and not the scorpions.
Also, I'm no big advocate of the term "aggressive" and I've yet to have a scorp exhibit such behavior without this behavior being in relationship to a perceived threat and a defensive reaction to such. So, in the end, as long as you know your scorps location within its enclosure at all times and use the proper tools during maintenance, your odds of ever being envenomated are less than zero!

Luc
 

Prymal

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Demonhunter-

As for heating - depends on the species. For some species from climatically harsh regions requiring temps at or above 80F, I use shelving with 3" heat tape on the rear wall of each shelf to provide supplemental heating. For my euscorpiids, uroctonids and diplocentrids, room temps are fine.
Scorps, in general, are a very hardy lot and most will do fine if maintained at less than optimum conditions. Primarily, scorps kept at cooler temps tend to slow down in growth rates, feeding and activity levels. If you ever get the chance, acquire a gravid fem emp. After she drops the kids, separate them into 2 equal-number groups in 2 group containers. Keep one group at 85F and the other at 75F, and note the differences in rates of growth at just a 10 degree difference.
On the other hand, my 'Andros' and Parabuthus spp. tend to become more active and feed more aggressively during the cooler night temperatures. If I elevate nighttime temps, they tend to decrease in activity level, remain more retreat-oriented and instead of errant foraging, tend to rely on ambush capture to feed.
So, don't worry too much about attaining a certain pinpoint degree temp for your scorps but aim for a range of temperatures. Most scorps will do fine in the range of 75F-85F, with a 5-7 degree drop at night. Good luck!

Luc

Luc
 

P. Novak

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oh alright! thanks alot, im going to have to try and heat her enclosure, its at room temp right now just need to go out and buy a heat bulb. thanks againa nd alot!
 
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