Description

The Emperor Scorpion is one of the largest scorpions. It is black in colour with two large pincers. They originate from Africa and live in forest areas in burrows. Although the Emperor Scorpion is one of the most docile scorpions, handling is still not recommended. This said, the sting of an Emperor Scorpion is no more painful than a wasp sting, but should still be avoided. It is recommended that no more than a single male or single female be kept.

Housing

Emperor Scorpions should be kept singularly either in a vivarium with a size of 24"x12"x12", with an infrared heat bulb so as not to disturb their night time activities, or can be kept in a large plastic style faunarium with a heat source at one end. You should provide a woodland setting with fine orchid bark mixed with organic peat at a depth of about 2" to allow for burrowing with hides at the cool and warm end of the vivarium. A water dish with a tarantula sponge for drinking should be provided. The enclosure should be misted daily as they like high humidity which also helps with the moulting process.

Heating and Lighting

As already suggested, an Emperor Scorpion enclosure requires heating, and a temperature of 77 - 82°F with a basking area of 86°F is recommended for this species.. The Emperor Scorpion does not require UVB lighting as they are nocturnal but providing a low percentage UVB light can be beneficial and will also create a day / night cycle for the scorpion. Further still, this will also make the enclosure much more pleasing to the hobbyist, as it allows for an enhanced viewing experience, in what otherwise would be a dark enclosure. Misting daily will help to ensure that the humidity of the enclosure is kept around the recommended 75%.

Feeding

Depending on the size of your Emperor Scorpion, it should be fed a variety of black or brown crickets, supplemented with mealworms to add a bit of variety to its diet. Emperor Scorpions should be fed every 2-3 days and an adult scorpion will require up to 5 standard or large sized crickets each feeding. When there is still food available for the scorpion, come feeding day, provide only a couple of crickets. We also highly recommend using a spider sponge placed in a small water bowl to stimulate natural drinking.

Recommended Products

A great way to begin your Emperor Scorpion keeping hobby is to purchase one of our complete Triple 8 Reptiles.