Egyptian Fat-Tailed Scorpion, lives in dry deserts, with sandy environments. The daytime temperature ranges from 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, and can drop to 28 degrees Celsius at night. The humidity is 30 to 40 percent, with 12 hours of sunlight each day. It belongs to the phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida, order Scorpiones.
Chinese Name: 埃及柱尾蝎
Latin Name: Orthochirusspp.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Buthidae
Genus: Orthochirus
Distribution: Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Afghanistan
It mainly lives in desert areas. Its size is indeed small, but in the yellow desert, its all-black body is very conspicuous, which also makes it have a unique skill of sweeping its tail. This action is not often seen unless it encounters a very dangerous situation, it will show its skill to warn the opponent.
Its requirements for temperature are also very high. Although it is the smallest in size, it also has a personality. If the environment is too cold, it chooses not to eat or drink, or if it has special diseases, it will slowly lose vital signs and eventually die. This may also be the characteristic of all scorpions, not unique to the Egyptian fat-tailed scorpion.
The size is really too small, so it would be very disadvantageous to fight up close. It is so smart that it won't do that. Normally, it chooses a hidden place and suddenly attacks when the enemy or prey approaches, giving the opponent an unexpected surprise, and then it directly stabs the poisonous needle on its tail, killing with one move, it's that simple, small but smart.
Experienced people who love to raise pets recommend raising them. They say that scorpions are venomous, and some scorpions have a very strong venom that can kill a person in a short time after being stung. However, compared to the Egyptian Fat-Tailed Scorpion, its venom is much smaller. This may be related to its smaller size, and it is not so common, so the threat to humans is relatively small.
1. Black Belly Disease
Caused by eating unclean and smelly food or water. The affected scorpions have swollen and blackened abdomens. The prevention and treatment method is to isolate the affected scorpions in time, remove leftover food, stop feeding for a few days, pay attention to dietary hygiene, and strengthen management.
2. Drying Disease
Caused by lack of moisture in the scorpion nest, resulting in excessive dryness. The affected scorpions have yellow tails and posterior abdomens, gradually drying up and dying. The prevention and treatment method is to provide moisture in a timely manner and maintain a certain level of humidity in the scorpion nest. Recovery can be achieved in a few days.
3. Wasting Disease
Symptoms include dry and dull appearance, flattened front abdomen, inability to crawl, loss of balance, fear and retreat when encountering food, and gradually dying after several days without eating. This disease can be seen throughout the year and is often caused by not changing the soil for a long time, excessively dry nest soil, or excessive eating after starvation. The treatment method is to use 3 yeast tablets, 1 terramycin tablet, grind into powder and mix with water, and forcefully make the affected scorpion drink the medicated water by sandwiching its posterior abdomen. Administer twice a day for 3-4 days to achieve recovery.
4. Black Mold Disease
Also known as fungal disease or black spots. This disease often occurs in autumn, caused by excessive humidity or prolonged dampness in the nest soil, leading to fungal infection. The main symptoms include inability to curl the posterior abdomen, soft body, sluggish movement, loss of appetite, and small black spots on the front abdomen. The treatment method is to use 0.25 grams of aureomycin, grind into powder and mix with 400 grams of water, and forcefully make the affected scorpion drink the medicated water by sandwiching its posterior abdomen. Administer twice a day for 3-4 days to achieve recovery. The original nest should be disinfected and the soil replaced.
5. Numbness in Walking Legs and Blackening of Foot Whiskers Disease
This disease is prone to occur when scorpions are bitten by ants. After being affected, the walking legs contract and cannot extend, losing mobility and appetite. When they encounter a situation where they want to escape, they start to jump and roll around chaotically, and the affected legs gradually turn black and dry, leading to death. The prevention and control method is to strictly prevent ants from entering the scorpion nest, and immediately remove them if any are found.
6. Half-body Paralysis
The symptom of this disease is walking sideways or using one side of the limb and the second arytenoid limb to move, rolling and crawling, with a lack of sensation in the whole body. During the day, they seem to crawl outward fearlessly. The cause of the disease is excessive humidity in the nest when it is hot and the vapor is excessive, so attention should be paid to the humidity in the nest.
7. Scorpion Lice
When scorpions are infested, yellow powdery mites appear on their bodies, hiding in the small crevices of their foot whiskers, chest and abdomen, legs, and tail. These small mites are called scorpion lice. The cause of the disease is excessive humidity in the scorpion nest. The prevention and control method is to make the nest a little drier, while paying attention to isolation and spraying disinfectant with diluted bleach powder.
Scorpions are carnivorous animals that prefer to eat soft and juicy insects. When feeding, it is advisable to use carnivorous food as the main feed, and the more types of small insects fed, the better. Different types of insects contain different amino acids, which can promote the growth, development, reproduction, and molting of scorpions. Therefore, the more types of feed, the more comprehensive the nutrition of the scorpions. Feeding should generally be done about one hour before dark. The amount of each feeding should be appropriate according to the size of the scorpion group and the age of the scorpions. In short, when supplying feed, two principles should be observed: insect feed should be based on the principle of "meeting the supply without causing shortage" and combined feed should be based on the principle of "limited combination, no surplus without shortage". The water supply time should be two hours before feeding.
In order to improve the survival rate of artificially raising scorpions and make the scorpions grow rapidly, it is necessary to release the scorpions from hibernation and perform constant temperature breeding. The hibernation period of scorpions is caused by fluctuations in temperature. In early spring, when the temperature reaches above 10 degrees Celsius, the scorpions begin to revive and go out to search for food. When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, they start to find a burrow for hibernation. Experimental evidence shows that scorpions have the longest activity time, the highest feeding amount, and the fastest growth and reproduction at temperatures between 28°C and 38°C. Therefore, in winter, heating equipment should be installed in the scorpion field to maintain the temperature between 28°C and 38°C, and the relative humidity of the air should be maintained between 60% and 80%. Feeding and water supply should be the same as in summer.
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