General Care Requirements

Scorpions inhabit environments ranging from humid forests to arid deserts. This guide uses the emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator) as a practical example of a tropical, burrowing species. Its moisture requirements should not be applied to desert scorpions.

Natural Habitat

Emperor scorpions occur in West African forest and wooded savanna environments. They shelter in burrows, beneath fallen wood and within protected ground cover. These retreats retain moisture and reduce exposure to daytime heat. Most surface activity occurs after dark.

Housing

A secure enclosure approximately 45 × 30 × 30 cm provides a practical starting recommendation for one adult, provided sufficient substrate depth and safe clearance below the lid remain available.

Provide approximately 10–20 cm of compactable soil-based substrate, a sheltered retreat and leaf litter. Keep the substrate moist enough to support burrowing without leaving standing water or a saturated lower layer.

Secure heavy furnishings independently of loose substrate so they cannot collapse onto a burrowing animal. Avoid tall climbing structures and other unnecessary fall hazards.

Individual housing is the simplest way to avoid competition, injury and cannibalism. Provide a shallow, accessible water dish, and use a firmly secured lid with ventilation openings too small for escape.

Temperature, Humidity & Lighting

Maintain daytime temperatures around 24–29°C, allowing a gentle night-time reduction towards approximately 21–24°C. Provide cooler sheltered areas rather than heating the entire enclosure uniformly.

Ambient humidity around 75–85% is a practical guide, but access to a moist retreat and drinking water matters more than maintaining an exact reading. Ventilation must remain adequate.

Where heating is needed, use a controlled arrangement that does not create a hot zone beneath the burrow. Check conditions at substrate level and inside the available retreats.

Provide subdued daytime light and darkness at night. UVB lighting is not routinely necessary. Avoid prolonged ultraviolet illumination merely to display the scorpion’s fluorescence.

Feeding & Moulting

Offer suitably sized captive-bred insects, including cockroaches, crickets and locusts. Juveniles can generally be offered small meals every 2–3 days; adults commonly need feeding once or twice weekly. Adjust quantities according to appetite and body condition.

Remove uneaten prey, particularly when a juvenile stops feeding before a moult. Newly moulted scorpions are vulnerable and should remain undisturbed until the exoskeleton has hardened and normal activity returns.

Do not dig out a hidden scorpion simply because it has not appeared for several days. Check environmental conditions and food consumption while minimising disturbance.

Lifespan

Emperor scorpions can live for approximately 6–8 years, sometimes longer. The remaining lifespan of an adult depends on its age when acquired.

Common Health Challenges

• Dehydration: Dry substrate throughout or inadequate drinking opportunities can compromise health.
• Moulting difficulties: Poor condition, inappropriate moisture and disturbance can interfere with juvenile development.
• Injury: Falls, collapsing furnishings, live prey and enclosure companions can cause damage.
• Overheating: A small enclosure without a cooler refuge can become dangerous quickly.
• Abnormal mite burdens or lesions: Organisms attached to the scorpion, persistent wounds or declining condition require specialist assessment; not every mite in the substrate is parasitic.