Arizona Desert Scorpion (Latin name: Hadrurus Arizonensis) is distributed in Mexico and the United States, inhabiting semi-arid habitats. They are mostly found hiding in deep caves or under cork or stones. The venom is non-lethal but can cause intense stinging pain. The feeding environment can use loam charcoal as the substrate, cork as the hiding place, and water moss or a small water dish for water supply.
Chinese name: 亚利桑那沙漠金蝎
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Caraboctonidae
Genus: Hadrurus
Species: Hadrurus Arizonensis
Subspecies: Hadrurus Arizonensis arizonensis
Arizona Desert Scorpions are mainly distributed in relatively dry and water-scarce areas. Desert regions are their frequently inhabited areas. In addition, they also select some Gobi or desert areas. Besides the arid and water-scarce climate conditions, they absolutely do not survive here if the weather is too cold. Therefore, in desert areas near the equator, Arizona Desert Scorpions are ubiquitous. Arizona Desert Scorpions generally do not move randomly, they are settled. They will only be forced to move under certain circumstances.
It is not recommended to keep an Arizona Desert Scorpion as they have a very large body size. Among all scorpions, the Arizona Desert Scorpion can be considered the largest. The skin of the Arizona Desert Scorpion mainly appears yellow or pale green. Of course, there are also some that exhibit a brown color, but they are relatively rare.
1. Black belly disease
Caused by scorpions eating unclean and smelly food or drinking water. The abdomen of the diseased scorpion swells and turns black. The prevention and control method is to isolate the diseased scorpion in time, remove residual food, stop feeding water for a few days, pay attention to food hygiene, and strengthen management.
2. Drying disease
Due to lack of moisture in the scorpion nest, it becomes excessively dry. The tail and posterior abdomen of the diseased scorpion turn yellow and gradually dry up and die. The prevention and control method is to provide water in a timely manner and maintain a certain humidity in the scorpion nest, and it can recover after a few days.
3. Withering disease
The symptoms are dry and dull body, flattened anterior abdomen, inability to crawl, loss of balance, fear of retreat when encountering food, not eating for several days and gradually dying. This disease can be seen all year round, mostly due to long-term failure to change the soil, excessively dry nest soil, or excessive overeating by scorpions after prolonged hunger. During the treatment, mix 3 yeast tablets, 1 streptomycin tablet, grind into powder and add water, and force the diseased scorpion to drink the medicine water by clamping its posterior abdomen twice a day for 3-4 days.
4. Black mold disease
Also known as fungal disease or black spot. This disease often occurs in autumn, caused by excessive humidity or prolonged dampness of the nest soil. The main symptoms are the inability of the posterior abdomen to curl, soft body, sluggish movement, loss of appetite, and small black spots on the anterior surface of the abdomen. The treatment method is to use 0.25 grams of aureomycin, grind into powder and add 400 grams of water, and force the diseased scorpion to drink the medicine water by clamping its posterior abdomen twice a day for 3-4 days. The original nest should be disinfected and the soil should be replaced.
5. Foot numbness and black hair disease
This disease is prone to occur when scorpions are bitten by ants. After getting sick, the feet of the scorpion shrink and cannot be stretched out, losing the ability to move, and no longer wanting to eat. When encountering a situation where it wants to run, it turns into erratic jumping and rolling movements, and the diseased foot gradually turns black, dries up and dies. The preventive measures are to strictly prohibit ants from entering the scorpion nest and to immediately remove them if found.
6. Hemiplegia
The symptoms of this disease are walking sideways, or using one side of the appendages and the second pair of appendages to walk, and rolling and crawling. The whole body has no sensation, and during the day it seems to climb out without fear of everything. The cause of the disease is excessive humidity in the nest, and therefore attention should be paid to the humidity in the nest.
7. Scorpion lice
When scorpions are in a chaotic state, yellow powdery parasitic mites appear on their bodies, lurking in small crevices of the antennae, chest abdomen, legs, and tail. This small mite is called a scorpion louse. The cause of the disease is high humidity in the scorpion nest. The prevention and control methods are to make the nest slightly dry, and at the same time pay attention to isolation and use diluted bleach powder for spraying and disinfection.
In daily management, a major mistake is the control of humidity. The normal humidity for desert scorpions is between 30% and 40% (referring to air humidity). In summer and winter, there is usually no need to deliberately adjust the humidity. However, in spring or when there is a south wind, the humidity can noticeably increase. At this time, we should pay attention to the humidity in the terrarium. If it is too high, it can easily cause the scorpions to become sick or lethargic. You can find a storage box or cardboard box and use a heating pad to warm the side. If this method is not convenient, you can buy some food such as biscuits or Wham snow biscuits, which contain small bags of drying agents or lime. You can also stack them in a cardboard box or storage box with the drying agents to achieve a certain effect.
In terms of temperature, in summer, there is usually no need to deliberately adjust the temperature. In winter, many people continue to heat their terrariums, which eliminates the temperature difference. However, this does not mean that the scorpions cannot survive under such conditions. As long as the temperature is suitable, the scorpions can survive. You can set the temperature around 30 degrees Celsius in the morning and slightly lower at night. This allows the scorpions to adapt well to the environment and easily maintain an aggressive state.
In terms of feeding, the most commonly used feedings are crickets (detailed introduction), Dubia roaches, mealworms, and others. When feeding the scorpions, it is best to select feedings that are similar in size or slightly smaller than the scorpions. Special attention should be paid to feeding young scorpions. Young scorpions lose moisture in their bodies more quickly, so it is best to feed them feedings with more moisture, like pinhead crickets. When feeding the young scorpions, they should not be fed too much at once, as this will not result in ideal nutrient absorption and may lead to poor physical condition in the young scorpions. The probability of molting death or sudden death will significantly increase during the juvenile stage. Therefore, whether it is a young or adult scorpion, it is best to provide multiple small meals and have diverse feedings.
The main source of water for desert scorpions is their food. In terms of feedings, if it is too dry in winter, you can feed them more crickets or cherries, which have higher moisture content. For young scorpions, it is recommended to add water once or twice every two weeks. The water should not be too much, and there is no need to drip it on the sand. You can drop it on the wall of the terrarium. If they don't drink, there is no need to force them. It may be because the moisture from the food can already meet their needs satisfactorily.
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