Emperor Scorpions - Babies 10/11

[IBlab crab]

Wode,Would it disturb mom and babies if you took a picture? I am enjoying this thread on scorpions and the one with the lizards(?),even though I am not into those critters I am fascinated learning about them on these threads.Congrats!

[wodesorel]

There's a chance she could spook and eat them. (Moms will eat any that are deformed and can even take a few as a snack just for kicks... She's been well fed and took a superworm two days ago so I'm not too worried about that at least.) I'm going to try leaving pre-killed food for her late tonight and see if I can't get her to come out a bit so I can nab a photo. I so want to take one! My others have been hungry right after birth but some will refuse food until the babies molt the first time and dismount in around 10 days.

[wodesorel]

I see 7, which means it's probably more like 9 - but it does look like less than last night...

[IBlab crab]

That is so cool! I am going to go google scorpions so I don't ask stupid questions on here like why does mom look green in color?

[wodesorel]

Not stupid! And it's newer info. Under a UV blacklight they completely fluoresce a bright green, like glow in the dark paint. LED lights like what is on my hubby's phone have just enough UV in them that it causes their exo to glow slightly and they come out a little Emerald instead.

[IBlab crab]

Wode,Do you still have the fiddler(?) crabs? That was one of my favorite threads to follow,I hope it is still here somewhere.Boy did it make me want them.I imagine they are difficult to care for and alot of work.No chance of me wanting scorpions.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

She posted the other day that she doesn't. her cat barfed in the tank overnight and her babies didn't make it by the time she got to them.

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[wodesorel]

Yep. :crybaby:

I'm thinking of taking the setup, downsizing it to fit a 20 gallon, and using it in the new hermit crab build as a giant brackish wading pool. I always have grandiose plans that never come to fruition though.

[IBlab crab]

How awful to care for them so long and in an instant they are all gone,so sorry! I found the thread and will re-read it.Now back to scorpions.

[wodesorel]

Cheesy family preggo photo!



I think they're both there for the warmth since that corner is where the heat bulb is. It's a little cooler than last year, will have to set up a second light in there for them.

Castra is huge. I can't believe she hasn't popped yet!




Abigail is either having a giant litter or she's due any day, or both.



Madeline looks a little plump. Fingers crossed!



And Virginia is looked very much not preggos.... I may put her back in with her male if she doesn't show signs of plumping up.



Her other sister Orchid also doesn't look like she's mated yet. She's the lid walker I've posted before.

All these gals are sisters, and it's weird that some have babies already while others don't. They all matured at pretty much the same time!

[IBlab crab]

Do the females breed around the same time of year and how often? Wode did you raise the females from juveniles? I read on wiki about the reproduction but was a little confused about how they UMM! come out of mom.

[wodesorel]

Castra has had litters this time of year three times now. The gal's mom - Femscorp - had them in March though. I had bought a pregnant female that died that would have been due around fall. - So maybe two times a year for breeding? The ones not showing now might go in spring. They can carry the babies between 6 and 18 months and it's not really known why the time difference although it's believed that temperature has something to do with it. They take years to mature as well and in one litter they can reach maturity over a six month period so that plays a part in what time of year they can get knocked up.

It's hard to know how often, but it looks like the females are ready as soon as the babies dismount or within just a month or so. With the long gestation it's the only way they can do yearly.

Yes! These gals all came from a gorgeous pregnant mom I purchased a few weeks before she gave birth. She was old and wild caught and unfortunately didn't live much longer.


This was them!


And this is one actually being born - underneath, where she's holding it with her front set of legs


She gave birth to 14. One died on his last molt to adulthood because of a stuck claw. I rehomed 4 because we were short on space in that room. (Kicking myself now.)

Their reproductive organ is underneath, right at the end of the 6 legs. It's called an operculum and is that that oval shaped button with anline down the middle. The male deposits a sperm packet on smooth ground and then grabs the gal by the claws and drags her over it. The 'arms' are used as a sensory organ.
Female - note the short arms and feathers

Male - longer arms and feathers


In a female, the embryos are attached to a main cord and the blood vessel that runs down the back of her tail (like a shrimp). They're actually nestled individually like a pearl necklace into her organs instead of being in one big sac or something. That's why they get so huge all over when pregnant. I dissected and mounted the female that died and while it was heartbreaking it gave me a much better idea of their anatomy. She was carrying 24 young at the time. When it comes time to be born they pass down to the operculum opening and she helps to gently pull them loose.

[IBlab crab]

Wow! Thanks for the pics and explanation.The operculum looks the same on both so do you tell the sex by the length of the arms/feathers?Babies crawl up on top of mom by themselves?Do you have any updates on the babies and moms?

[wodesorel]

I can't tell by operculum. You're supposed to be able to and that's how the experts say to do it and they have photos showing major differences between the sexes, but they always look exactly the same to me. I go by the 'feathers'. By their third instar I've only been wrong once, and she's the psycho one who may have genetic issues.

And yikes, haven't updated in a while!

Okay, so Brunhilde's babies:



Babies dismounted on the 22nd.


I can count 11 in that photo. There's six that are out regularly. That might be all of them or there could be a few more floating around. It's normally double what can be seen plus one (at least here), so I'm thinking it should be a baker's dozen.









^ Last three photos taken tonight. They're really really brazen and cruising the tank. Not used to that at all. Castra's always stayed hidden for months, but these guys are roaming like crazy!



Abigail had hers on the 28th. (On our ninth anniversary! I'll be keeping those for the next generation.... Haven't told the hubby that decision yet... )


Day of ^


Taken tonight ^. It looks like she's got more than her sister!

And this is a Pandinus gracie-nicus. She got a little jeally over how much attention the babies were getting, since she's the only baby allowed in the house.





The lady that does the stocking for the retail area of the shelter where my husband works ordered it in special as a surprise for us!

[wodesorel]

Two tentatively scheduled for rehoming this weekend.... AHHHHH.

It's to a local high school girl though, which is freaking awesome. Couldn't turn her down.