Asian Rainforest Scorpion belongs to the Scorpionidae family. It inhabits tropical rainforests in countries such as Malaysia and feeds on insects. It is non-venomous and can be kept as a pet. However, proper ventilation and humidity should be maintained!
Asian Rainforest Scorpion can grow up to about 15 centimeters. It is similar to the African Emperor Scorpion and the Malaysian Rainforest Scorpion. The main difference is that the Asian Rainforest Scorpion has a slender and streamlined body, with longer and smoother chelae that are almost hairless. Another difference is that the tip of its stinger is black instead of red. There are also significant differences in body size among these three species.
Chinese name: 亚洲雨林蝎
Latin name: Heterometrusspinifer (English name: Malaysia scorpion)
Also known as: East Asian Rainforest Scorpion
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Scorpionidae
Genus: Heterometrus
Distribution: Tropical rainforests in Myanmar, Laos, and other Asian countries
Peter's scorpion belongs to the Arachnida class and has high requirements for temperature and humidity. Too high or too low temperatures can cause the scorpion to refuse food, while low humidity can make molting difficult for the scorpion. Like other scorpions, it is a nocturnal animal that prefers damp environments and is afraid of bright light. Due to its weak venom, it mainly relies on its pincers to catch prey. When entering the attacking state, it will raise its body and elevate its pincers, while its tail sting will stand up high. During an attack, it will clamp its prey with its pincers and inject venom with its sting (although not deadly to humans, it is very effective against smaller prey).
Peter's scorpion lives in Asian tropical rainforests such as Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos. It feeds on insects and small lizards and has mild venom (all scorpions are venomous, although the venom is small enough to be non-lethal, it should be noted by allergic individuals). It can be kept as a pet, but proper ventilation and maintaining a certain level of humidity are important.
1. Black belly disease
Caused by eating unclean and smelly food or drinking water. The diseased scorpion's abdomen swells and turns black. The prevention and control method is to isolate the diseased scorpion in time, remove leftover food, stop feeding water for a few days, pay attention to food hygiene, and strengthen management.
2. Drying disease
Caused by lack of moisture in the scorpion's nest, leading to excessive dryness. The diseased scorpion's tail and posterior abdomen turn yellow, gradually dry up, and eventually die. The prevention and control method is to provide moisture in time and maintain a certain humidity in the scorpion's nest. The scorpion can recover after a few days.
3. Withering disease
The symptoms include dry and dull body, flattened anterior abdomen, inability to crawl, loss of balance, fear when encountering food, and slow death after several days without eating. This disease can be seen throughout the year, often caused by not changing the soil for a long time, overly dry nest soil, or excessive feeding after the scorpion is excessively hungry. For treatment, 3 tablets of yeast, 1 tablet of terramycin, and powdered water can be used. Forcefully make the diseased scorpion drink the medicinal water by holding its posterior abdomen, twice a day for 3-4 days, it will recover.
4. Black mildew disease
Also known as fungal disease or black spot disease. This disease often occurs in autumn, caused by excessive humidity or prolonged humidity in the scorpion's nest soil, resulting in fungal infection. The main symptoms are that the posterior abdomen cannot be curled, the whole body is soft, the movement is sluggish, no appetite, and there are small black spots on the anterior underside. The treatment method is to use 0.25 grams of aureomycin, powdered with 400 grams of water. Forcefully make the diseased scorpion drink the medicinal water by holding its posterior abdomen, twice a day for 3-4 days, it will recover. The original nest should be disinfected, and the soil should be changed.
5. Numbness of feet, blackening of foot whiskers disease
This disease is prone to occur when the scorpion is bitten by ants. After being infected, the scorpion's legs are contracted and unable to extend, losing the ability to move, and losing appetite. When encountering a situation where it wants to flee, it turns into chaotic jumps and rolls, and the diseased legs gradually turn black and dry, leading to death. The prevention and control method is to strictly prohibit ants from entering the scorpion's nest, and immediately remove them if found.
6. Half-body paralysis
The symptoms of this disease are walking on the side, or walking with one side of the abdomen and the second pair of limbs, rolling and crawling, and the whole body is unconscious, seeming to climb outward fearlessly during the day. The cause of the disease is excessive humidity in the nest, caused by excessive steam in hot weather, so attention should be paid to the humidity in the nest.
7. Scorpion lice
When the scorpion is in disorder, yellow powdery mites appear on its body, lurking in small seams of 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's nest. The prevention and control methods are to dry the nest a little: at the same time, attention should be paid to isolation, and spray disinfection with diluted bleach powder.
The ideal temperature for breeding should be between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius, with 28 degrees Celsius being preferred. The humidity should be maintained at around 75%. It is advisable to provide a slightly dry and warm area in the breeding tank for the scorpion to rest.
The Asian Rainforest Scorpion is not very picky when it comes to food. It can accept any insects with a smaller body size, such as mealworms and crickets. Occasionally, it can be fed with mice for nutritional supplement, but it is not easily digestible, so it is recommended to feed them less or not at all. The feeding frequency of the scorpions is more frequent during the nymph stage but less frequent as adults.
The Asian Rainforest Scorpion is not very active, but the breeding tank should not be too small, at least 5 times the size of the scorpion's body. To maintain humidity, it is recommended to use humus soil or coconut bricks as the bedding material. Some beginners choose small pebbles used for fish keeping. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Humus soil and coconut bricks have better water retention, but they need to be replaced regularly. Pebbles are easier to manage and relatively clean, but it is more difficult to control the moisture and humidity. Regardless of the choice of bedding material, do not forget to provide.
Remember to put a small water dish and spray water regularly. Do not overcrowd the breeding tank with too many decorations, as it may affect the scorpion's hunting. All that is needed is a shallow water bowl and a hiding place for it to take cover.
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