Holy scorpions, Batman!

[Bry]

Actually, "Holy Guacamole" is putting it pretty mildly about what I'm feeling right now. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]

I'm so speechless I don't even know where to begin. *sighs* Tonite, I went to feed all of the inverts one last cricket before I went to bed. My Desert Hairy never lets me see her eat. So, the only way I know a cricket has been eaten is if I don't see it moving around after a couple hours or so. Well, tonight, I was just about to throw another cricket in, but I decided to check and make sure the first one had been disposed of before I threw another in. Well, for a little while now, I've noticed that she's constantly been getting fatter and fatter, to the point where I thought she was going to explode. I cut down to like 1 cricket every 3 days, but that didn't change anything. Well, when I checked tonight, she was under the edge of her cork bark, and something was definitely different. I saw white, so I thought "Cool, she's molting. I'd better take the cricket out." Well, the reason she was getting bigger isn't because I fed her too much, it's because she was gravid! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] That's right, the white I saw was little baby scorplets on her back. I'm positive that this isn't something else, because I saw little tiny white tails on her back. This is so freaking mind-blowing! I thought she was young, because in the caresheets I've read, they're supposed to be almost as big as Emperor scorpions. She's nowhere close to that size. Well, I guess that settles what her sex is for one thing. I'm not even sure what to do about the cricket. Obviously, I don't want it munching on them. But, I haven't seen the cricket in 6 hours, and they are usually active nonstop during the night. I don't want to pick up the cork bark and disturb the mother either.

My god, this is the absolute last thing in the world I ever expected to see when I checked her cage tonight. So much for getting any sleep tonight. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img]

Bry

_________________
Happiness is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth.

[Constrictor_BO]

And where is the pics????? Come on Bry, lets get with it here. We wanna see.

Well congrats on the new addition"s" Bry. What ya going to do with them all when they get bigger?
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[eddie]

Ummm Bry...
I know Colorado can be a lonely place..... but there are laws against that [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

J/K bro!
Congrats on all the lil ones.
Ya may want to use a set of tweezers to poke around in the substrate to find the cricket, if its still alive that is, just to be on the safe side.

Now the big question is, what are you gonna do with all the babies?
Sell to a pet store?
Sell to members here and other sites, or let them go in your dads house? [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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[bensnacks]

Very cool, Bry!
Like Bo I wanna see pics.
I know little about keeping these guys.
What hubandry changes take place now that she's
got a back full of babies??
Is there a risk of her eating them when they get a little
bigger??

Good luck with them.!
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[Ravnos]

Muhaha, cool Bry. Now you can send me some. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Rav
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[Stormyva]

Very cool!
Where are the pics?????


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[trinitywolf]

Very cool Bry!
Congrats on the babies and I'm with everyone else...pictures, pictures, pictures!
Get on the ball man. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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[Fyre]

yeah man! congrats. im with every one else and want pics! also i wouldnt mind taking one off your hands either. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

hmm maybe 2 of em even. hurry up with the pics!

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i'll belive that when my pheces turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbert.

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[Ed_r]

Bry you can't announce such a thing without pics, you know that!!!! What kind of scorpion? Do you have a male too, or did you buy her gravid? I wanna See I wanna See!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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	Gravid Gravid term used in biology to describe the condition of a female oviparous when carrying young internally.

[Bry]

Well, I talked to a guy from Arachnopets who knows his doodoo when it comes to scorps. My scorp is actually an Arizona Striped Tail scorpion (Vaejovis spinigerus) or a different species in the same genus. These only max out at 2-2.5", and they're apparently quite a bit spunkier than Desert Hairies, and their venom is less potent. Right now, she has about 20 clinging to her back like white on rice, last I saw, there were 4 on the ground but alive and well. He says they have about as many as 30-40 babies. I will likely keep a few, as they do well in communal setups, the rest I will find homes for. He took some pics, so I'll be posting them shortly.

Husbandry doesn't change much as far as temps and humidity. Obviously, babies are a bit more sensitive. Once they get off their mother's back, I'll be adding a few hides, some dry, some moist to allow them to choose their preferred level of humidity. As long as the female is not severely stressed and is well-fed, chances are pretty good that she won't cannibalize them. Of course, the risk is there if the mother is kept with other adults in communal setups. Also, I don't have a male, so I did buy her gravid. Apparently, it's quite common to purchase wild collected females that are already gravid. Scorpions are little sluts (can I say that here?). [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Rav and Fyre, you still want some babies even though they're a different species now?

Bry
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	Gravid Gravid term used in biology to describe the condition of a female oviparous when carrying young internally.

[Ed_r]

Bry count one more for possibly being interested in a baby. Once they are established of course. You say the venom is less toxic. How toxic is a "Desert Hairy"? They say not fatal, just how bad is it? lol
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[Ed_r]

Other than waiting to see if they drop babies, how do you tell sex of a scorpion?
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[Fyre]

yeah, gimmie a price and put me down for 2.i been looking for something new for my puter desk.
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[Bry]

Mom and babies, the hole on the top right is a burrow I started which was never used.


Closeup of babies on Mom's back


Babies shortly after birth


Bry
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[Ed_r]

SAWEEEEET!!!! Some actually look pretty big already. how long does it take to get to adulthood?
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[SteveP]

Very cool...congratulaions Dad!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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[Bry]

Ed, I'm not sure how long it takes this species to reach adulthood. They live about 3-4 years, so maybe about a year to reach adulthood. The guy who came over said Mom might be around 2 years old. The babies are pretty good sized for their species I think. The pics make them look big, but in actuality, they are only about 1/4" or 1/2" if that, including the metasoma (tail).

Also, like I said earlier, this species has weaker venom than Desert Hairies, which is rather wimpy as far as scorpions go. On the LD50 chart, species with a lower LD50 are more toxic. Keep in mind, lower toxicity doesn't always mean less dangerous. Larger species are capable of pumping more venom. And of course, scorpions can control the amount of venom they inject. In a sting report (which I will post below), this species' sting seems hardly worth mentioning.

LD50 chart - Vaejovis are not listed in this chart, but their LD50 number would likely be higher than that of a Desert Hairy (Hadrurus Arizonensis).

Arizona Striped Tail sting report

Black-top Desert Hairy sting report

Bry
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[Bry]

Basic scorpion anatomy
ventral anatomy

dorsal anatomy

Sexing scorpions, and other useless trivia
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[Fyre]

sweet dood! just gimmie a price on 2 of em consider em sold! congrats again! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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[Fyre]

update! update! update! hehehehe. i wanna know how da babies are doin! and i want pics too!
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