Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator)

Emperor Scorpion Pandinus imperator
Name	Emperor Scorpion
Name Lat.	Pandinus imperator
Family	Scorpions
Family lat.	Scorpionidae
Order	Scorpions
Order lat.	Scorpiones
Origin	Africa
Habitat	Humid savanna
Diet	Insects
Humidity	60-80 %
Behavior	Nocturnal
Keeping	Individual, pair, group
Care Level	Easy
Housing	Semi humid terrarium
Breeding	Simple
Life Span	5-10 years
Protection	CITES Appendix II; EC Annex B
Metric Units
Size	15-20 cm
Temperature Day	25-30 °C
Temperature Night	20-22 °C
Housing Size	50 x 30 x 30 cm
US Units
Size	5.9"-7.9"
Temperature Day	77-86 °F
Temperature Night	68-72 °F
Housing Size	20" x 10" x 10"

Distribution and habitat

The nocturnal emperor scorpions are widely distributed in West and Central Africa, from Mauritania to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They live in wet savannahs and tropical rainforests, where they inhabit deep self-dug or natural burrows.

Maintenance

For 1 animal a terrarium of L 50 x W 30 x H 30 cm can be recommended. For a pair or group keeping the terrarium must be extended accordingly. The terrarium should be placed in a quiet and vibration-free place without sunlight.

The terrarium should be structured with stones, cork tubes, pieces of bark, roots and branches (hiding places). They need a small, shallow drinking bowl and a substrate of sand-loam-peat mixture, at least 10-15 cm deep, suitable for digging. The substrate should always be kept slightly moist. Waterlogging and mold must be avoided at all costs. Artificial or potted plants (e.g. Ficus repens, Scindapsus aureus) can be used for decoration. Once a day, preferably in the evening, the interior of the terrarium should be finely sprayed with water (humidity), but it is better to use a rain or fog system

Temp. day: 25-30 °C

Temp. night: 20-22 °C

Humidity: 60-80

The lighting duration should be 8-12 hrs. depending on the season, but is not absolutely necessary for the nocturnal animals. Attention should be paid to their natural day-night rhythm.

Diet

The diet consists of crickets, cockroaches, house crickets, maggots and grasshoppers as well as other arthropods. Wax moths should only be fed in small quantities to adults, but not to juveniles, because of their large fat content

Using fruit and honey water as food for the foragers can enhance their quality. It is important to add minerals and vitamins regularly (dusting the feed animals). Young animals should be offered food daily, adults 1-2 times a week. Feeding should be done only in the evening. Hungry scorpions keep their pedipalpal claws wide open and actively search for food. Drinking water must always be available. They drink a lot, especially pregnant females, and often remain sitting at the edge of the water bowl.

A varied diet promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms.

Reproduction and breeding

The sex difference is difficult to see. The sexual opening is heart-shaped in the female and oval in the male

During the "mating dance", which is similar to a wrestling match, a sperm package (spermatophore) is passed. Females can also give birth to offspring several times without further mating (sperm storage). After a gestation period of 12-15 months, the female gives birth to 15-20 young. The white, barely mobile young find protection from predators on the back of the mother for at least 2 weeks, until after the 2nd molt. Only then do they begin to feed on their own. Small crickets and house crickets are suitable as rearing food.

Species protection

The animal population must be reported in writing to the responsible authority immediately after the beginning of the keeping. It is essential to find out about any bans on keeping or permits for keeping dangerous animals in your state or municipality (e.g. public order office).

Protection of species: WA Annex II; EU Annex B. The proof of purchase is the required proof of origin for the animal. Please keep it safe! Your pet store will be happy to provide you with further information.

Important

Care should be taken when handling them in the terrarium. They are hardly aggressive and only weakly poisonous, the poisonous effect is similar to that of a bee sting. However, the sting itself can cause severe pain. For relocation, the animals are grasped with approx. 30 cm long feeding tweezers at the rear end and not at the front body (risk of injury)

Good ventilation without drafts is necessary, as well as equipment for measuring temperature and humidity. Lighting should be placed in such a way that the animals cannot injure themselves. The terrarium should be locked in such a way that neither unauthorized persons can open it nor the animals can escape. Special attention should be paid to thorough hygiene and impurities should be removed regularly. Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Serena Werle; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: HENKEL & SCHMIDT (2010): Taschenatlas Wirbellose für das Terrarium, Verlag Ulmer; WATZ (2008): Skorpione im Terrarium, Verlag Ulmer; ENGELMANN & LANGE (2011): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut, Wirbellose, Verlag Harri Deutsch