Kegelkater
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2023
- Messages
- 1
Hello! Long time reader, first time poster.
I have a question about how to best help a Sneringurus vachoni molt safely.
First off, I did not intend to get a subadult. I wish she was already full grown so I didn't have to worry about dune scorpion molting safety issues. I was told she is one molt away from being an adult. I am an intern at a research and science museum and my scorpion was collected by an arachnologist. They were done studying her and she was going to be turned into a specimen, so I took her home and have really been enjoying her.
I have her in a 20 gallon glass tank with a mesh top (I know this is probably big for her, but it was what I already had). I live in San Francisco, so it's generally more humid than where she's from. I have an infrared heat lamp and I set her up in a combination of repti-sand and excavator (with a tunnel that she enjoys.) She has a small shallow dish with water.
Lately, though she's still eating, she has gotten much rounder than before and seems to be a little less active. First, I thought maybe I was overfeeding her, but I've been feeding her a small dubia every 1-2 weeks. I have reason to believe (according to the arachnologist) that she isn't gravid. I've had her for about 10 months, she was maybe gravid when they first found her and though scorpions can store sperm, it's not likely that she will give birth because she likely reabsorbed any babies or sperm while she was kept for research.
I'm thinking of either setting up an area with some more moisture somehow... I saw someone post about a partially buried plastic cup which allows water to drip down into...Or maybe just mist part of her enclosure and cover some of the mesh top so it stays a little more humid(?) But I have also read that some desert scorpions can get a deadly fungus from additional moisture.
I've attached a couple photos. She's gotten slightly bigger since they were taken. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!
I have a question about how to best help a Sneringurus vachoni molt safely.
First off, I did not intend to get a subadult. I wish she was already full grown so I didn't have to worry about dune scorpion molting safety issues. I was told she is one molt away from being an adult. I am an intern at a research and science museum and my scorpion was collected by an arachnologist. They were done studying her and she was going to be turned into a specimen, so I took her home and have really been enjoying her.
I have her in a 20 gallon glass tank with a mesh top (I know this is probably big for her, but it was what I already had). I live in San Francisco, so it's generally more humid than where she's from. I have an infrared heat lamp and I set her up in a combination of repti-sand and excavator (with a tunnel that she enjoys.) She has a small shallow dish with water.
Lately, though she's still eating, she has gotten much rounder than before and seems to be a little less active. First, I thought maybe I was overfeeding her, but I've been feeding her a small dubia every 1-2 weeks. I have reason to believe (according to the arachnologist) that she isn't gravid. I've had her for about 10 months, she was maybe gravid when they first found her and though scorpions can store sperm, it's not likely that she will give birth because she likely reabsorbed any babies or sperm while she was kept for research.
I'm thinking of either setting up an area with some more moisture somehow... I saw someone post about a partially buried plastic cup which allows water to drip down into...Or maybe just mist part of her enclosure and cover some of the mesh top so it stays a little more humid(?) But I have also read that some desert scorpions can get a deadly fungus from additional moisture.
I've attached a couple photos. She's gotten slightly bigger since they were taken. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!
..