I was thinking about getting a scorpion. As i have never had scorpion before what would be a good recomended beginner species?

Pandinus imperator are considered one of the best beginner species. I would recommend a Hadrurus arizonensis from personal experience. They just seem a lot more entertaining than P. imperator to me. Hadogenes paucidens or troglodytes are pretty nice too.

What kind of environment should i set up for a scorpion? How much room do they generally need, Would i need a heat lamp???

It depends on the scorpion. For H. arizonensis a 5-10 gallon with several inches of sand is suitable. Give them a few hides and that's about it. Unless it's cold where you are, you don't need to provide additional heat.

As for Hadogenes, give them a couple inches of sand and a few flat rocks stacked together (make sure the rocks can't move). I used to use a heat lamp for mine, but got rid of it recently. It doesn't make a difference as long as they're kept relatively warm (75-85).

would it be a bad idea to put a cactus in with them? I also heard that Hadrurus arizonensis does not like moisture. I live on the west coast in a basement apt where it can get fairly moist. Would they be ok with this or not?

You could try putting a cactus in there. Just don't select something that can impale the scorpion. It would be safer to use a succulent or just a fake cactus.

I think it would be fine in those conditions, but don't quote me on that. I'm not too familiar with exactly how humid it gets there, so I can't tell you for sure. Someone else might know.

Hadrurus arizonensis is my choice of the perfect "beginner" scorp but they need to be kept in dry conditions. If your basement gets too damp then perhaps Pandinus or better yet Heterometrus might be a better choice. These are tropical species and require a hot/moist environment

Nope. Any moisture can give these very well evolved desert scorpions major fits, even a small spill can cause mycosis. Mycosis is a fungal infection which kills the animal very quickly.

I might suggest a fake cactus, as a real one will need real lights, which can make things hard to regulate, although the drying might be cool for the scorpion... but watering the plant is risky for animal.

You might want to think about what you are able to do, as humidity is a problem for the desert species.

Pandanus imperator need a deep substrate and warmth. Take a look at them both, and ask away!

Christian

Just buy a trio of Centruoides gracilis, easy to feed, hardy, moisture dependant, dry spell tolerant, Central Amercian types produce hot venom but are not overly aggressive or hard to manage, and prolific breeders.

Or you could just go with some P. imperators. The can produce some very deep, and interesting burrows in given the right conditions.

"Natural" behavior is the best part of keeping these wonderfully adapted creatures. Your options are endless, and depend on what exactly your looking in a scorpion. Fossorial, arboreal, lithophilic, psammophilic, north/south American, middle eastern, europeon, African, flashy, aggressive, active, easily bred, etc etc etc.

I have kept hundreds and hundreds of scorpions and theraphosids, and i now stick to North Amercian Veajovidae/Diplocentridae/Iuridae. A few Buthidae here and there, i also enjoy south African Scorpionidae (Opistophthalmus). Over hundred Opistophalmus are said to be described now after L Prendini went over the genus, these stocky fossorials are amazing in their habitat preference and adaptations.

goodluck, may i suggest checking out http://www.goldenphoenixexotica.com, and
if he don't have what you want http://www.swiftinverts.com also has good healthy stock for decent prices.

Zach

Thanks everyone for your help. I am still deciding which to get. Thanks for the sites. I will let you all know which one i choose.

Hadrurus are fairly tolerant of somewhat humid AMBIENT (meaning the room)conditions IF the cage itself is kept very dry and ventilated, no water bowl, nothing. I learned this lesson the hard way, and lost quite a few until I finnally got over the need to offer water, and since then they've done much better. Darrin gets credit for finally convincing me of this!

If your basement is really humid, youmight wnat to consider a dehumidfier. I also keep my collection in a basment, and the addition of the dehumidifier made all the difference.

Wade

I dont know why everyone believes this. In fact, just because theyre from the desert doesnt mean they cant handle humidity. In fact, where do H. arizonensis/spadix spend most of their time? In a burrow well below the ground where its more humid. Why do 99% of H. arizonensis scorplings born in captivity die??? I assume its because people keep them too dry. In the summer months in Arizona, they have frequent and heavy rainstorms that produce some generous humidity and it never seems to bother any scorpions that I know of, in fact Im sure they benefit from it. Now, prolonged exposure to high humidity levels might have some negative effects on the scorpion, but adding a simple heat lamp should eliminate those levels. I have kept my H. spadix on bone dry sand with ambient humidity levels anywhere between 50-70% and never once had a problem. In fact, mine eats more than any other Hadrurus spp Ive heard of. Maybe they should benefit from higher humidity levels, thats what Im starting to think. Plus, in the year Ive had her, never once has she shown any signs of mycosis. Just my 2 cents....

I tend to agree with Steve there. I measured temperatures of 25-27oC and stable humidity level of ~70% inside a Scorpio maurus burrow, while conditions just outside the burrow (in a desert habitat) fluctuated from 18-40oC and humidity ranged from 40-70% during a 24-hour cycle (in early October).

This is a good example of a desert species that doesn't only do well in high humidity, but actually depend on it. I reckon that burrowing species will do well in moderate humidities- if anything, it will save them the trouble of burrowing too deep.

I recently started out with scorpions and I got a Hadrurs spadix. This thing is a blast! especially when it digs. Just like a dog digging a hole the dirt just flies up behind this thing. It can move some serious dirt. I love to watch it brutilize crickets too. Stings them and then carries them around like a prize..love it. I can see why people love these things. I also know I want more now.

I believe the advice offered concerning humidity was specifically for Hadrurus, not desert scorpions as a whole.

Normal ambient home humidity is not the problem.

This is the bit Christian and Wade were concerned about.


Lindsey

You should have been at the conference and heard the talks. As for the rest you said you were assuming, and that is where it all goes sideways.

Much of this info is from Darrin, who collects, breeds and raises Hadrurus spp. all the time... again it is amazing how much you can learn in 4 short days.

And the line about the very high humidity is the poser...

Christian

Well than perhaps moisture is not a problem then, i just want to have a happy scorpion.

well said Christian,
you would be surprised what happens when a H. arizonensis kept in a bone dry deli cup will do when stuck behind your shelf for five months or so. Babies!
Thats what. Lots of people talk about how difficult solifugids are to keep in captivity. Roger Farley had the same problem, he simply could not properly culture these animals. Then somehow one of the specimens was stuck in a deli cup and put into a storage draw. I think it was atleast four months later
someone opened the draw and found this animal thriving. These animals being prim fossorial (staying in humidified burrows by day) did great in a bone dry condition. Experimentation will only help suggest new alternatives. Untill then
take the words of the experianced.

On the notion of a burrows abiotic characters, this is why i use a gravel humidification setup in nearly every container of all types. For one you do not expose the specimen to direct water, or overly wet/or directly watered substrate, and second; the animal chooses at what level it wants to reside. A setup such as this probubly doesn't effect captive survival
BUT it may help induce more 'natural' behavior and activitys. Which is part of my soul enjoyment of culturing herptiles and/or invertebrates.


goodluck,
Zach


Zach

Well, when I first got into scorpions, I emailed Darrin as I was told he was the man to go to for Hadrurus questions. I mentioned that I live in Illinois where it can get quite humid sometimes. Darrin told me (Ill have to dig up the email) that humidity is a big part of thier lives, living underground and all. Plus wiht the arrival of AZ's monsoon season, humidities are even higher. Now, I wouldnt go and soak them like a P. imperator, but they have lived perfectly at my place and average humidity in the invert room hovers from 50-75% at times. MANY people have lost babies that were keeping them dry. Some people experimented with keeping them more humid and had good results, and with no detrimental effects to the adults/babies.